Kayak Hardware and Hatch Care

Check the parts that close, steer and secure your kayak: hatch covers and rims, compartment walls, steering parts, deck lines and their fittings. Look for grit, wear, looseness or damage, then follow the care and replacement advice for your kayak’s maker and model.

Key Takeaways

Check hatch covers, rims and compartment walls for dirt, damage or a poor seal.¹²³
Look over deck lines, bungees, handles and steering controls for wear or damage.⁴⁵⁶
Rinse salt and grit from moving parts when your maker recommends it.²⁷
Use only the cleaning products and lubricants named for your kayak or system.⁴⁵³
Replace only parts your maker identifies as replaceable, and contact a dealer when its guidance calls for one.⁴⁵⁶

Check hatches and compartments

A hatch is the opening where you store gear. Its cover closes against a rim, the edge around that opening. A bulkhead is the wall that separates and seals a compartment. Wilderness Systems describes these parts this way and recommends periodically checking that hatches keep water out. The checked maker pages give no numbered inspection schedule for hatches, bulkheads, cables or deck fittings.²

Keep the hatch cover and rim clear of sand and other material that could interfere with the seal, Eddyline advises. If a compartment is wet, Wilderness Systems suggests checking whether the covers are intact and secure, the bulkhead seals are sound, and deck fittings are broken or loose.¹² P&H recommends periodically inspecting the foam bulkhead seal on its kayaks with polyethylene, a plastic hull material (see care by material); flexing or cargo pressing against the hatch can break that seal. For a broken seal, Wilderness Systems publishes owner-facing bulkhead resealing guidance, Eddyline gives sealant guidance for small hatch-rim or bulkhead leaks, and P&H advises contacting a local dealer for polyethylene repair advice. The checked maker pages do not publish whether hatch rims are owner-replaceable or dealer-only, or whether replacement P&H foam bulkhead seals are owner-replaceable or dealer-only.³

A groove in a Wilderness Systems foam bulkhead can be intentional. The maker says it lets the bulkhead flex with the boat and is normal.²

Look over steering parts and deck fittings

A rudder is a movable steering surface at the back of a kayak. A skeg is a blade that extends below the hull to help the kayak track straight. Eddyline recommends checking the rudder or skeg housing for debris that could block its use.⁴

Check cables and controls for wear or damage. Delta says to routinely check deck lines and rudder cables for abrasion (damage from rubbing) or wear. For its Beaver Tail Rudder, Feelfree recommends checking cables for fraying and foot or hand controls for damage during its spring tune-up; it directs owners who find damage to contact a local dealer.⁵⁶

Deck lines are cords that run along the kayak’s deck. Elastic deck cord is often called shock cord or bungee; static lines do not stretch. Perimeter lines run around the edge of some kayaks. Eddyline advises checking its shock cord and attachment ends for wear and abrasion, and checking perimeter lines and carry handles for wear and secure attachment.¹⁴ Perception recommends looking over shock cord and static lines before heading out. It says to replace lines that are too loose or frayed.⁷

A pad eye is a small fitting that guides or attaches a line. Wilderness Systems sells round pad eyes commonly used as rudder lift-line guides, which guide the line that raises the rudder. Because pad eyes are deck fittings, apply Wilderness Systems’ general advice to check fittings for damage or looseness; the maker publishes no pad-eye-specific inspection instruction. P&H cautions that fasteners should not be overtightened, because this can break O-ring and gasket seals (rubber sealing rings).⁸²

Rinse, clean and lubricate by system

For its Carbonlite kayaks, Eddyline recommends rinsing the inside after each use; freshwater is usually sufficient. It advises wiping the insides of bulkheaded compartments with a damp cloth. If sand or mud affects foot-pedal movement, Eddyline says to hose grit from the foot-pedal tracks (rails) to prevent abrasion and sticking.¹

After saltwater paddling, Wilderness Systems recommends rinsing the rudder, rudder cables and footbraces with fresh water to remove salt residue. Delta’s manual also recommends a freshwater rinse after saltwater use, with attention to its rudder system and the holes where rudder cables enter the deck.²⁵ P&H recommends rinsing its sea kayaks inside and out after use, especially around the skeg blade and slider. It also describes occasionally removing the skeg system for a deeper rinse and flushing the skeg-line tubes, which carry the cord used to raise or lower the skeg blade; follow its care page for the applicable system.³

Lubricants and protectants are product-specific. For P&H’s skeg slider—the moving control in its skeg system—P&H recommends silicone spray after rinsing, periodically. This is lubricant guidance, not sealant guidance: Wilderness Systems warns against silicone for bulkhead sealing, and Eddyline does not recommend silicone sealants. P&H also recommends silicone spray on the hatch rim and inside edge of the cover when P&H hatch covers are difficult to fit; this advice is for P&H kayaks. Perception recommends silicone-based lubricant for moving rudder or skeg parts after grit is scrubbed away.³⁷

Eddyline recommends regularly treating its rubber hatch covers with products such as 303 Aerospace Protectant, and treating hatch covers with a UV protectant—a product that protects against ultraviolet sunlight—at least once a year. It advises more frequent treatment in sunny regions or when kayaks are stored outdoors.⁴ Delta’s manual gives different instructions for its Press-Lock hatch seals, the Santoprene rubber seals on Delta hatches: when they become increasingly difficult to open or close, it recommends Armor All Original spray or wipes. The manual says not to use 303 Protectant on Delta boats. Follow the instructions for your own kayak and hatch system.⁵

Replacement and dealer help

Some makers identify particular owner-replaceable parts. Eddyline says its bungee or shock cords, perimeter lines and carry handles can be replaced when worn, and offers replacement hatch covers if needed.⁴ Delta says the rubber seal on its Press-Lock hatch is designed for easy replacement if an issue arises.⁵ That guidance concerns the seal, not the hatch rim.

Delta also says to replace worn deck lines and rudder cables as required, and directs owners to the retailer where they bought the kayak for parts information. Perception tells owners to replace loose or frayed lines. These statements do not cover every cable or fitting on every kayak.⁵⁷

For its MKII Skeg Slider System, P&H describes the composite slider bar as a consumable part—a part expected to wear out—and says to replace it if it becomes flattened. P&H makes replacement components and upgrade kits available through local dealers.³ Wilderness Systems says replacement deck fittings and neoprene washers, rubber washers that help seal deck fittings, are available for deck leaks; check with the maker or dealer about parts for your kayak.²

Where next

For care advice organized by kayak material, see kayak care by material. For the wider care and transport guide, visit the care and transport hub.