On 28-Oct-2005, "Ed" wrote:

On one had they seem like they might be useful in areas with rocky
shores. On the other hand, it seems that they would both add weight and
effect the hydrodynamics of the hull. Any help would be appreciated.

I paddle in an area with rocky shores and don't find that I lose much
gelcoat to the rocks. I don't baby the kayak either, but then my
kayak has tougher gelcoat than some others - the gelcoat quality
definitely varies across brands of kayak.

A keel strip will affect the performance a bit, but not as much as those
thick Kevlar felt strips that some put on WW canoes.

Don't put anything on the new kayak. If the gelcoat wears significantly,
grind off the gelcoat in a strip once it's time to repair and epoxy on
a layer of fiberglass. That will be stronger and more wear resistant
than the gelcoat you are replacing - the weight difference will be
negligible. Since it's under the hull, UV degradation won't be much of
an issue (don't store the kayak outside and upside down). You can paint
the glass/epoxy if you want to match the colour or protect it from the sun.

If the gelcoat doesn't wear quickly, just patch it as required.

Mike