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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Kevlar impact resistance
Posted By: Ray In Response To: Re: cold?..no difference (M. Hamilton)
Date: Thursday, 2 November 2000, at 2:46 p.m.
: I've noted no issues with kevlar in Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Well built
: Kevlar graphite hulls are excellent, and for expedition paddling a good
: choice. If you get nailed by a boomer and smacked into a rock (like my
: friend some years ago on the WA. coast), your glass hull will break apart
: and large pieces can break away. A kevlar graphite hull will not do this.
: Rather the gel coat will crack away, as will the resin, but the cloth will
: be intact allowing for easier emergency repair. I've used both and prefer
: the kevlar hulls. They stand up to great abuse and commercial use.Thats good information as I thought the usually thinner kevlar material would collapse/crush easier than glass. We have a kevlar Current Designs kayak and treat it quite carefully ( they're sooooo expensive but light!). Our heavier glass kayaks are usually just banged around. I've read that kevlar kayaks can simply collapse in surf....guess depends on how well they're made.
I've worked with kevlar cloth and epoxy resin in doing various small repairs and its very difficult to get it to hold a shape during the curing process, as its quite stiff. Once cured though its very strong.
Ray
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