Leaks in Canoe or Surfski – How to fix
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A leaking canoe or surfski is a bummer but usually easy to fix.
- First I would check your drain plug and make sure it seals.
- The Iako receiver itself is probably not leaking but where it attaches to the hull could be a suspect area.
- Of course, check your dings.
The easiest way to find the leak:
- Seal the drain plug.
- Put your canoe in the direct sun so it heats up.
- Spray soapy water on the suspect areas.
- The air in the canoe will expand when it is heated and air will blow outward in the areas where a hole will be. Look for bubbles and listen for leak.
Once you figure out where the leak is, you can take the appropriate action.
- You should repair your canoe with epoxy resin or epoxy putty.
- You can use polyester resin or putty but the adhesion of the repair material will not be as good as with epoxy.
- Usually, you can find small epoxy repair kits at marine stores and sometimes at car repair shops. Also, big box retailers usually have this type of material in small quantities.
- UV Epoxy resin works well and is helpful is you need to shape the repair (ie: Curved/rounded areas)
www.youtube.com is full of small repair tips and tricks so its worth it to search for help there.