How to Secure Kayaks Outside: Save from Stealing & Damage

Though it is not a good choice to store kayaks outside/outdoors, some people live in small places like apartments or condos. So they don’t have a garage or space for storing their kayaks. So they have to save their kayaks outside.

If you have to keep your kayaks outside, you have to face some problems with storing kayaks. For keeping your kayaks outdoor at first, you have to know how to secure kayaks outside from direct sunlight, cold, moisture, pest, and thief.

Proper secure outdoor kayak storage will keep your kayaks in good tip-top shape and protect them from damage. If you want to keep your kayaks damage-free, you have to maintain some strategy. This article will guide you with information about how to secure your kayaks outside.

Why You Have To Secure Your Kayaks Outside?

When you are going to store your kayak outside the house or garage, you have to think about Different factors. These factors can damage and risk keeping your kayaks outside. To protect from the elements, you must know about them first.

Problem With Natural Threats

1. Sunlight

UV rays of Sunlight can damage the hull of kayaks when it keeps outside. The kayaks are made of plastic and fiber.

2. Moisture

Exposure to and snow can cause damage to the hull materials

3. Excess Heat

Extreme heat can deform the hull material of the kayaks. So it is essential to keep away your kayak from excess heat.

4. Excess Cold

Though the cold temperature is not as big of a concern as heat, repeatedly freezing and thawing can damage your kayaks.

5. Heavy Wind

Heavy wind or storms can damage kayaks when they pick the kayaks up and toss them.

Problem With Pest

When the kayaks are outsides, it is possible that the Pests like ants, spiders can damage the kayak. Also, mold or fungus can cause damage to the kayaks.

Problem With A Thief

Nowadays, it is hard to keep kayaks outside and safe from a thief. If any opportunist sees your kayaks outside without any protection, they may try to steal it. You have to keep the kayaks out of sight of the passer-by.

How To Secure Kayaks Outside – From Natural Threats, Pest Or Thief

If you wanted to protect your kayaks from these damages, you should take some necessary steps.

A. Protect From Natural Threats And Pest

Following steps can protects your kayaks from damage by Sunlight, heat, insects, and moles or fungus

1. Shoot For A Shade

Try to find a shaded place to keep your kayaks secured from direct sunlight and heat.

2. Cover It Up

UV rays from Sunlight can severely affect the plastic or fiberglass-made kayak hull. To protect from sunlight best choice is to slip a cover that fully wraps around your kayak. You can also use a weather-resistant trap. It should be suspended above the kayak. It will protect your kayaks from sunlight and also from moisture. You can complete the trap with a cockpit cover. The cockpit cover should be composed of anti-UV ant anti-abrasion waterproof polyester. It will protect from mold or fungal growth in the kayak.

3. Store On A Rack

You can use a rack to store kayaks. It will help to protect your kayaks from coming in contact with soil and grass without damage. But for that, you need to learn how to lock a kayak to a storage rack.

4. Use Sun-protective Spray

To avoid UV light damage, you can apply the sun-protective spray to hard-shell boats.

6. Keep Kayak Clean

To protect from dirt, sand, molds, salt, or grim damage, you should clean your kayaks with mild soap and water mixture. Avoid strong chemicals; they can harm the hull. Let the kayak dry and air out before the store.

7. Tie With A Tree, Post, Or Fence

Tie or keep lock with something strong enough like a tree or post or fence so that stormwind can’t pick it up.

B. How To Secure Kayak From Theft

Thieves are opportunistic. If they see your kayak outside; they will try to steal the kayak. So it is important to secure your kayaks from being stolen.

1. Keep A Record Of Hull Identification Number

Every kayak has a unique hull identification number (HIN) of 12-digit in the factory. Keep the HIN in a secure place. If your kayak was stolen, it would help to find it out.

2. Store Kayak Out Of Sight From The Road

When you keep your kayaks outside, you should keep them out of sight from the road. You can make a cabinet of concrete to keep your kayak lock and safe.

3. Lock Kayaks With A Tree Or Post Or Dock

You can use built-in security cleats to lock your kayaks with a tree or post with a cable lock. You can keep locking your kayak with the deck if you insist on keeping it in the season there. With a durable kayak security bar or cable lock or Kayak anti theft device, you can secure your kayaks with a fence, post, or building. Again for that, you should know how to secure a kayak to a dock and this content will help you in this.

4. Positioning In A Difficult Place

Place the kayak in a position so that it becomes difficult for a thief to grab it and run. You can hang the kayaks with cable with a tree or post and lock it with a cable lock.

5. Use Vehicle Steering Wheel Lock

Lock a vehicle steering wheel lock across the cockpit of the boat. It will make the kayak useless until the lock removed.

6. Lock Your Kayaks With Your Car

If you are carrying your kayak outside on the car roof, you should lock it with a cable lock in your car. It will protect your kayak from being stolen when you are not with your kayak.

7. Invest In Kayak Insurance

To secure your kayaks, you can invest in kayaks insurance. Sometimes home insurance policy covers your kayaks and canoes. It reassurance if you have to spend an amount of money on the craft of your kayaks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

It is not a good idea to store your kayaks outside. If you have no choice but to keep your kayaks out, you should keep it secure. You should get to know how to secure kayaks outside very well. You should take all the precautions discussed above to secure your kayaks outside.