Skin-on-Frame Kayak Durability

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Jack Alltrade - 7 years ago

Now try paddling it in the Cumbria Lakes where all the rocks are sharp.

Darth Belal - 7 years ago

I half expected to hear an outraged kayak owner screaming "HEY! What the hell are you doing??!" while sprinting toward the kayak vandal waving an axe.....

WillN2Go1 - 9 years ago

Yikes! is right. But don't fret (or gripe). I shot this, and I cringed and groaned through all of it. What should be mentioned is that this kayak had a couple of busted ribs--not from any of this, and was due for a re-skinning. I would've paddled it another 5 years without a worry. John knows his stuff. Convinced me of the durability of skin-on-frame. I've made a couple of very tough (and heavy) wood stripper kayaks. Dropped from the height of a car-something will split, not one of these--that's why I'm building one.

Antipodean33 - 9 years ago

These may well be light and moderately durable, but my 17 foot yak, made of quality marine ply an epoxy, is only marginally heavier, but so much easier to build and more durable

Jake Corrington - 9 years ago

It does ok but that will vary so greatly depending on what design you go with.

O R - 9 years ago

+Jake Corrington
Awesome! How does it handle in the sea?

Jake Corrington - 9 years ago

I did not have prior experience. I built mine with red cedar from my local lumber supplier, and a skin kit from the anacortes boat school in WA, also local to me. I used a custom build method, you can look further into my build here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/90823382@N03/sets/72157644148312761/

O R - 9 years ago

+Jake Corrington
$400 for such a strong and light-weight kayak is cheap if you ask me! Did you have experience building when you built yours? Where did you get the wood and skin from?

Jake Corrington - 9 years ago

I built mine in a couple of months. Depends on the method of building, as there are a few ways to do it. Mine probably cost about $400 to build. The kit to make the skin costs about $220 if I remember correctly. If you saved money on the frame and already had all the tools, then you could easily bring it down to around $300 total.

O R - 9 years ago

+Jake Corrington how long does it take to build a skin-on-frame for an inexperienced builder? and what is the cost? thanks!

Jake Corrington - 9 years ago

+Antipodean33 I disagree, you can complete a skin on frame kayak in the time it takes to do the finish work on a stitch and glue. Skin boats are also typically in the 20-30 lb. range, which is hardly the norm for a plywood boat. Unless you are not glassing, in which case I don't believe that it would be much more durable than a skin boat.

Matacomo Como 124 1208 - 10 years ago

Wow, that sure had me tense! I knew these could take a good beating, but that was plain old abuse! I'm glad it survived, as for the gash near the gunwhale, duct tape fixes that?

neal dickey - 11 years ago

That was very painful to watch. Awesome construction. I want to do the same (with less beatings. ha).

Benjamin Bummler - 11 years ago

first i was annoyed, but then i almost cried when you cut it. :/ thats kayak-cruelty! i have an organization to free those misused boats. we are watching you! be nice to your boat.

Racing Singles - 12 years ago

he's sure made @ that canu

jon moore - 12 years ago

That is very impressive. I just brought this dog of a fibreglass kayak that will need a lot of repair, not to sure to spend the money on making a SOF???

10. comment for Skin-on-Frame Kayak Durability

matty tripps - 12 years ago

i just dropped my skin on frame kayak 10 feet from the balcony of my 2nd floor apartment and it appears to be fine

Cole Godek - 12 years ago

You are a jackass!!!!!!!!!

Seaforth Curator - 12 years ago

We had a chap come into our shop (Brewery Creek Small Boat Shop) whose greenland 'yak had been run down by a Bayliner. there was a line of bottom-paint and a crease where one propellor-blade had struck the skin, and 2 ribs had cracked - but that was it! in his experience, had he been even in a kevlar boat he would have died. We then tested a baidarka to destuction and felt a WHOLE lot more confident in skin-on-frame after that...

descargaelbano - 12 years ago

I had a 15' Phoenix Isere kayak made of this material. it only weighed 26lbs and was very flexible but also durable.

Kakashi101sensi - 12 years ago

Lolz.... My teacher who built his canoe with diffrent types of wood, from oak to maple to redwood for the bottom part like the keel and then the stem's... winces at this video. He logged about 1 month of work time (24 hr work days) to finish his craft in1 yr.

Сергей Мизев - 13 years ago

tell me please what density ballistic nylon from which you make a skin kayak?

William Jones - 13 years ago

we get the picture tex

assanyuri - 15 years ago

sei una testa di cazzo non si maltratta cosi' un kayak.. potevi darlo a me piuttosto

Igotknobblies - 15 years ago

You obviously didn't want the kayak anymore. I'd have parted with a few quid for it!

gemcuttr51 - 15 years ago

True - animal hide (walrus, etc) is authentic. But skins tend to soften with water exposure over time; they tighten up when dry, but if your goal is to paddle for a long period of time, stick to the synthetics.