# Safety question



## Ranger (May 31, 2008)

I've been reading a bit recently about kayaks with leaks, kayaks taking on water, kayaks sinking, kayaks splitting, kayaks with holes, kayaks........you get the picture.

Since then I've been giving this a bit of thought!

I might be missing something fairly basic, so call me an idjit if you must, but WHY dont SOT's have dividers within the hull to compartmentalise the thing?

Mine has a front, centre and rear hatch, so WHY isn't it divided into three seperate compartments?

This would serve mulitple purposes:
a) Should one compartment split or become holled, the remainders would provide enough flotation to still keep the thing above water.
b) It would prevent items sliding around and being lost to arms reach within the kayak.
c) It would provide added strength, support and rigidity to the hull.
d) One compartment could even be utilised as cold fish storage with a coolbag liner.

Is it too difficult with kayaks being rotomoulded, too expensive, or am I missing something completely?

Mr Hobie, please hear my concerns and develop the "Hobie Ranger Fish" with the compartmentalised hull, reverse mirage drive and coolfish storage!


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## ausbass (Feb 15, 2007)

Ranger said:


> Is it too difficult with kayaks being rotomoulded, too expensive, or am I missing something completely?


Well when the kayaks are roto-moulded the only parts that can be made are the shell parts, no internals (scupper holes are part of the shell). So dividing walls need to be fitted after coming out of the oven, but small hatches (even the Outback and Revo front hatches are small) and access to the internal hull is a bitch so hard walls would be very difficult to install.

I have made internal walls out of closed cell foam (NOT polystyrene) which are wedged in and they hug the curves of the hull, especially the bottom; thus sealing off water from other parts. Though one thing I will be doing is adding thick plastic on both sides to stiffen up certain areas.

I remember somebody else on here talking about making essentially a cooler box in the front of there Revo, Im considering doing something similar but for separating the front and mid sections from each other.


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## Feral (Oct 18, 2008)

You can actually get a kayak made up of different distinct sections that all go together to form the the yak, disassemble for transport / storage. That would give you the affect your talking about.

Otherweise you could probably silicon in some bulkheads if you wanted.


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

or another option would be for manufacturers to stop making kayaks that leak....


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## AndyC (Feb 29, 2008)

On the subject of kayak hulls failing, I wonder if this will become a common problem into the future, as kayaks age and suffer accumulated UV degradation?

Given that kayaking is still relatively 'new', I suppose we have yet to reach the stage where plastic kayaks are simply becoming worn out and should be recycled/discarded. And given that a kayak is a relativelly high dollar item, its easy to imagine that people will be loath to trash them, even when they should. Does polyethylene become brittle over time?

AndyC


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