How To Repair Carbon Fiber Material

If you oasis't idea about protecting your kayak's carbon fiber from sun damage, information technology'southward time that you lot practise.

Once you lot've invested in a carbon fiber kayak, yous want to take the best care of it possible. This will make information technology final longer and glide better when you paddle along.

Imagine driving for miles to your favorite kayaking spot with your kayak strapped to the roof of your car. Doing something like this exposes your kayak to harsh rays from the sun, which in turn means an increased risk of impairment.

Carbon fiber is a robust and advanced material, but it has its weak points. Heat sensitivity is one of them, which isn't ideal since kayaking is an outdoor activity.

What is Carbon Fiber Sun Damage?

Ultraviolet radiation, part of the sun's rays, amercement nearly all kayaks, but carbon fiber sun damage is peculiarly common.

The shape and textile of your kayak will depend on your adventure'south requirements.

Carbon fiber kayaks. — Source: Bush-league'n'Beach Angling Magazine

Plastics tin can exist very tough and accept good elasticity, so they won't intermission or deform easily.
Carbon fibre kayaks are smooth and stiff, as light as can be, and have splendid buoyancy. But it's pretty bad if you bump into something because they are very prone to breaking.

Carbon fiber is a composite textile (or polymer) with a sturdy crystalline structure. Blended kayaks are often fiberglass and carbon fabric mixed with epoxy resin.

Conventional laminating epoxy softens when it gets likewise hot. Eventually, it hardens again, but it is said that the original strength and integrity are lost once it gets that hot.

Apart from this increased fragility, farther carbon fiber lord's day harm includes dents and bulges of different sizes due to heat deformation.

Read also: How to build a DIY dog kayak stand

How Practice You Forestall Carbon Fiber Lord's day Damage on Your Kayak?

You should not expose your kayak to straight sunlight in summer, nor should you store it near heat sources or in rooms that heat up hands.

But what else can y'all practise besides removing the kayak from the dominicus?

Kayak Protectant

A special kayak protectant provides UV protection and makes h2o bead and roll off. In add-on, some protectants restore minor damage to your kayak'southward hull, similar small scratches and cracks.

Normally, you spray it on, simply you lot can also apply it as a wax. The protectant can likewise help forestall the colour of your kayak from fading.

For best results, you tin can apply post kayak protectants every 30 to 45 days.

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Kayak Encompass

Kayak cover to prevent carbon fiber sun damage. — Source: Amazon.com

A simpler and possibly more environmentally friendly alternative (since no substance comes into contact with water resources) is to purchase a cover for your kayak. Whether it'south but for storage or fifty-fifty for send, a kayak cover meets all the criteria. It keeps all sunlight off the surface of your kayak, blocking UV rays.

However, without proper ventilation, your kayak tin can become hot under the cover. So it'south best if you leave the cover open at the bottom.

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Can Carbon Cobweb Kayaks Withstand Heat?

Carbon fibers have high strength and practiced oestrus resistance, although very high temperatures can permanently deform your carbon cobweb kayak.

Even if your carbon fiber kayak doesn't literally starting time melting in the hot sun, it will shortly soften. This is just enough to deform it where it touches another surface, such every bit the roof rack or even the necktie-down strap. In kayak terminology, this process is called "oil-canning."

Carbon fiber sun damage to kayak. — Source: Reddit

Continuous sun exposure will exercise the job quicker than you call up. But storing your kayak next to a oestrus source or in rooms that estrus upwards a lot (attic or garden shed) might cause lasting carbon fiber sun impairment but as well.

Additionally, the inside of the kayak shouldn't be permanently exposed to the dominicus, so we recommend that yous shop it upside downward.

Read too: Everything you need to know near line-fishing kayaks

Tin Y'all Repair a Kayak with Carbon Fiber Dominicus Impairment?

If despite your best attempts to protect your kayak, some sun or rut impairment should occur, there are some remedies you can endeavour.

Y'all can polish out superficial scratches with a special paste from specialist kayak stores. For more extensive repairs, you'll need to use epoxy resin.

How to Repair A Carbon Fibre Kayak

To repair carbon cobweb yourself, you lot need a set of materials and tools. These include:

Coarse abrasive newspaper (at least 120 grit).
Heavy-duty Kevlar/aramid shears (like Clauss or Kretzer).
Carbon cloth (it's all-time to apply the same material the kayak is made of).
Epoxy repair resin + hardener.
Release film (a thin, non-porous fabric specially designed to prevent bonding with resin).
Nitrile gloves.

Once you have your working station set, follow these steps to repair the carbon cobweb sun impairment on your kayak:

Remove any loose, croaky or fractured gelcoat, fibers or resin in the damaged area.
Sand the area with abrasive paper.
Mensurate and cut the carbon fabric for the repair in patches.
Thoroughly mix the epoxy repair resin with the hardener.
Apply a coat of epoxy to the damaged area.
Apply the reinforcement patch and wet it with the resin mix using a laminating brush or roller.
Stretch release film over the repaired area pulling information technology tight and wrinkle-free onto the hull. Press out any air bubbles.
Exit to harden fully, then remove the release moving picture.
Sand down any remaining wrinkles and cover the area with one last thin layer of resin.

Sentinel the full instructional video on carbon fibre repair here.

Final Thoughts

Both you and your kayak need proper UV protection when the summer sun'south warm rays glimmer across the sky and invite y'all out on an adventure.

Sun harm to carbon fiber is abrasive at best, and at worst, it tin impact the integrity of your kayak in the long run.

Just like sunscreens, kayak protectors and covers tin can help you protect your kayak from the sun during ship, paddling, and storage.

While it's possible to repair minor sun impairment to your kayak yourself, yous should leave major repairs to a professional person. In any case, yet, it's best non to let it become that far.