If you have a damaged kayak, your first step should be to make sure you know exactly what material your kayak is made from. Below is some information to help you.

Kayak Construction Materials
Kayaks are generally made from either composite materials or plastic. For more information see below.

Composite Materials:
Composite kayaks are made from either fiberglass, Kevlar or carbon fiber. Some are also made of a combination of these materials (for example a layer of Kevlar then a layer of fiberglass), or a hybrid combination of these (for example carbon fiber weaved with Kevlar).

What composite kayaks have in common is their basic construction method. In a nutshell, the kayak manufacturer combines the composite material in it's dry "fabric" form with "resin", which acts as a strong glue. The material is then shaped in a mould and allowed to set. Once it is dry it becomes the kayak you know and love.

The other thing that most composite kayaks have in common is the "gelcoat" layer. Gelcoat is the smooth layer of material on the outside of a composite kayak. It is a layer of a special type of resin. It can be white, coloured, or sometimes clear and is there to provide protection for the composite material. It also is there for aesthetics.

If you don't know what type of material your kayak is made from you can contact your boat's manufacturer or ask at a boating or kayaking store for information.

Most very old composite kayaks are made from fiberglass since kevlar and carbon fibre are newer innovations. If you have an old composite kayak and thus can't contact the manufacturer, it is quite likely that you have a fiberglass kayak.

If you have a damaged composite kayak, once you know the construction material, your next step should be to assess the damage to decide whether you need to repair it, and, if so, what sort of repair to do. Click here for details.

Plastic:
Plastic kayaks are made from polyethylene, which is a very strong, durable plastic that is so common that you probably come into contact with it many times a day. Polyethylene is used in a massive range of products including shopping bags, water bottles, shampoo bottles and children's toys.

It should be fairly obvious if your kayak is plastic. It will have similar properties and appearance to other polyethylene products that you are probably familiar with. If you are unsure whether your kayak is plastic you can contact your manufacturer for details or ask at a boating or kayaking store.

If you have a damaged polyethylene plastic kayak your next step should be to assess the damage to decide whether you need to repair it and, if so, decide what type of repair to do. Click here for details.