Kayak and Fishing Forum banner

Finding leaks and sealing hatches using a vacuum cleaner

3K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  SnakeMan 
#1 ·
This is a series of videos showing how a vacuum cleaner can be used to find leaks in a plastic Sit on Top (SOT) kayak. You have to have a vacuum cleaner with an exhaust port so you can use the blower to pump air into the hull of the kayak.

I will be demonstrating on a Hobie Adventure with a view to fix a leaking front hatch seal.

I hope to take you through the process of finding leaks and then using "hatch tape" to show you how I fixed the front hatch on a Hobie Adventure.

This is my first attempt at directing a feature length documentary so please excuse any amateur sections.

Step 1: Setting up



This is step 2 attaching the vacuum cleaner



Step 3: finding a leak in the forward hatch



Step 4: Measuring the amount of hatch seal needed



Step 5: marking out where the hatch tape should go



Step 6: the tape in place



Step 7: final test and comments



I've used this method of using a vacuum cleaner (exhaust port) for finding other leaks in kayaks, not just the hatch seals. I think it is a good method for finding leaks.
In terms of fixing hatches, I think the biggest downfall of this system is that hatch tape doesn't stick to the plastic that kayaks are made of particularly well and I think it may come off after several uses and I hope to update that information as I start using the tape on trips

Any feedback or adding links to other methods would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Derek
 
See less See more
#3 ·
Decay said:
I think the biggest downfall of this system is that hatch tape doesn't stick to the plastic that kayaks are made of particularly well and I think it may come off after several uses and I hope to update that information as I start using the tape on trips
Derek if you use a smear of All Clear as your adhesive it should stick if you give it time to cure, and is generally my adhesive of choice on yak glueing jobs ... contact cement also sticks OK
 
#4 ·
All your information is presented very well Derek - much appreciated!
A mate of mine recently had a hair line crack on the underside of the hull. So small that putting water in the hull didn't really reveal too much.
But had it been soapy and under pressure - well - much easier, that's for sure!!
 
#5 ·
I've had the "new improved Decay seal" fitted to the front hatch of my AI, in fact I had the man himself - Derek - fit it for me. It took Derek about 2-3 minutes under torchlight to fit the seal the night before we undertook a 90km round trip to Moreton island. The yak was loaded with camping gear, food & fishing gear and was low in the water. Usually conditions that have water coming over the front of the yak result in up to 3-4 litres of water inside at the end of the day. Two days heavily loaded with heaps of water coming over the bow resulted in less than 200mL inside the hull, and I thinks most of this came in by the rudder cables and opening the middle hatch ( I'd estimate 5-10mL "tips" in every time you open the hatch, and since this is where I store my lures I open it fairly regularly ). When I opened the front hatch at the end of each day there was no indication of any water making its way past the "Decay seal".

Recommend this as a simple upgrade to improve the seal of the AI front hatch.

Roo
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top