[DanOrion]

Are there any tricks to prevent oil canning?

Storage: I store it horizontal, hanging from the grab loops.
Hot Sun: The boat will be in the back of a hot truck frequently, put it on it's side or flat on the hull?
My fat asss: I'm pushing the limit of the weight range, should I loose some weight?

Cheers-
-Dan

 

[bowen]

Dan,

Try to slide a thin piece of foam under the seat (1/4''-1/2''). This will usually help with oil canning.

B.O.

 

[DanOrion]

Cool, I've got a new boat and don't want it to look like my old boat. Visually, the old boat's hull looks like this: ~

 

[Swim team capt.]

best way is to not use the boat...

If the boat is hot from the sun, cool the boat before you get in and do a seal launch.
What happens is the hot plastic streches then cools off in the water.

Next don't boof or splat any rocks as that streches the plastic also.

 

[KSC]

Ditto on the foam under the seat. It solved my oil canning problem permanently. No boofing or splatting rocks = NO FUN

 

[blutzski]

ditto again on the foam under the seat. took care of my CFS.

 

[De la Boot]

ditto on what of the Captain says. Walking around rapids in general will also prolong the life of your boat.

Of course there is new technique, I believe they call it the Denver/Boulder solution, which is to wait until the first week of may and throw your new boat on your roof racks and leave it there untouched until September. Problem solved.

 

[DanOrion]

So let me get this straight. I have two options: boat like a candy-ass or put some foam under my butt. What about padded bike shorts, do those count?

 

[De la Boot]

The way I see it Dan, you have only one option, and it's not the foam.

 

[ACC]

I have heard that storing kayaks standing up on end is the best way to reduce any stress on the hull. Hanging it by the grabloops may actually contribute to oil-canning over time, but then again it may not. Definitely boof everything in sight, what fun is boating without boofing?

 

[Matt J]

I agree also on the foam under the seat. My advice would be to go much thicker than you would think (3/4'' or 1'') 'cause it's going to pack out.

I took the seat out of my ZG and added a whole sheet of foam under it and it's much stiffer.

 

[Waterwindpowderrock]

get a jackson!!

seriously though, I put a thin piece of wood with adhesive foam on it under my seat on my EZ & it did wonders.

 

[cutthroat]

As far as storage goes, I've been told to always store it on the side so that gravity over the years doesn't add to the oil canning.

 

[BastrdSonOfElvis]

My superstar's not even two years old and oilpanning. That slim piece of plastic outfitting is no match for physics...and prevents wedging some foam under the seat like these guys are suggesting.