Winterizing a Kayak: The End-of-Season List

Winterizing your kayak starts with cleaning, drying and an inspection, then choosing the storage setup your maker recommends. REI’s general storage guide recommends a freshwater rinse and drying before you put the boat away; Delta’s winter guide gives its own instructions for dry compartments, hatch covers and supports.¹²

Use the named examples below to plan your end-season work and a separate spring check. Choose the instructions that match your boat and its equipped parts; keep a note of damage or maintenance you want to address before returning to the water.

This page summarizes published safety guidance. It is not a substitute for instruction, and conditions on your water may differ. Check the current rules for the state and water you paddle.

Key Takeaways

REI’s general guide recommends rinsing before storage, including the rudder, cables and footbraces, then letting your boat air out and dry.¹
Delta’s winter guidance says its hatch covers need not come off during storage; if removed, put them inside the hatches and cover them, rather than leaving them hanging from bungees.²
Eddyline’s Carbonlite 2000 manual recommends broad supports under or near bulkheads for rack or cradle storage, and protection from snow loads in harsh winters.³
NRS offers loosely inflated storage out of the sun when space allows, or a loose folded kayak bundle; Advanced Elements recommends deflated, cool, dry, shaded storage for extended periods.⁴⁵

Clean and Dry Before Storage

Start with a Freshwater Rinse

REI’s pre-storage rinse removes dirt, sand, salt and grime. Its guide specifically includes the rudder, rudder cables and footbraces, and recommends mild soap and water a couple of times each year. That is periodic washing advice, rather than an instruction to give every kayak a full soap wash after each outing.¹

For your Eddyline, its FAQ says a freshwater rinse after use is usually enough; a light soap solution is an option when the boat is especially dirty. Its Carbonlite 2000 manual also describes rinsing the cockpit, wiping bulkheaded compartments with a damp cloth, and keeping hatch rims and covers free of sand that could interfere with a seal.⁶³

A bulkhead is an internal partition separating a compartment from the rest of the boat. Use the compartment and cockpit instructions for your model rather than assuming every space should receive the same wash. Keep the cleaning pass practical: work through accessible areas and refer any unfamiliar removable parts to the maker’s instructions.

Advanced Elements recommends hosing its kayaks with freshwater and air-drying before extended packing. It also suggests using a sponge to remove excess water and grit inside. Its named cleaning options include soft liquid soap or diluted Simple Green; these are Advanced Elements instructions for its boats.⁵

Treat a cleaner permission as permission for the named maker and part. For example, Eddyline’s FAQ allows isopropyl or denatured alcohol for stubborn marks, while prohibiting acetone, strong solvents and ammonia-based cleaners on its kayaks. REI’s general caution about potentially damaging solvents should not erase those specific maker permissions.⁶¹

Finish Drying Before Choosing the Stored Configuration

REI says to let your kayak air out and dry before storage, including inflatable and folding boats. Eddyline’s Carbonlite 2000 manual emphasizes clean, dry bulkheaded compartments; in harsh winters, it warns that freezing water can stress glue joints and seams.¹³

Paddling.com author Wayne Horodowich describes drying his own kayaks to keep internal water from becoming ice. He says too much ice could possibly affect seams. REI separately warns that repeated freezing and thawing can potentially damage a boat, especially fiberglass repeatedly exposed to moisture during storage.⁷¹

Make drying and the final stored hatch position separate decisions. Delta asks you to clean and dry the cockpit and hatches, yet says its covers do not need to be removed for storage. Superior Paddling’s Jeffrey Lee describes a different arrangement for neoprene hatch covers in his personal fall regimen.²⁸

Inspect the Boat and Match Hatch Care to the Part

Record Wear and Check Watertightness Before Storage

Superior Paddling’s Lee includes hull and deck damage inspection in his fall checklist. His prose suggests doing the full inspection then, rather than waiting for spring, if you prefer to make repairs or modifications during winter storage.⁸

Paddling.com’s Horodowich recommends regular rudder-cable inspection and checking the watertightness of bulkheads and hatch covers before winter storage. Keep that check on your end-season list so you can plan any needed attention during the storage period.⁷

Eddyline’s FAQ recommends checking deck fittings for security and checking bungees, perimeter lines and carry handles for wear and secure attachment. It also calls for checking rudder or skeg housings for debris that might interfere with use. Follow those equipped-part checks on your Eddyline, and use your own maker’s directions for any repair or replacement.⁶

For Delta boats, the winter guide calls for replacing frayed bungee or perimeter line. A bungee is elastic cord; perimeter lines run around the deck. Record a worn line or damaged fitting instead of improvising a repair method from a general seasonal list.²

Hatch Treatments and Stored Covers: Named Examples

Use this comparison to identify the relevant part and instruction. It is a set of named examples, not a product approval list for every kayak.

Source and scope	Treatment or stored-cover guidance
Paddling.com: Horodowich’s own routine	If rubber hatch seals are present, he treats them before storage with maker-recommended products; trying to treat rubber twice yearly is his personal practice.
Eddyline FAQ: hatch-cover care	Treat hatch covers with ultraviolet protectants at least annually, more often in very sunny regions or with outdoor storage. Its separate aging-rubber-cover answer names 303 Aerospace Protectant as an example.
Delta: its winter storage instructions	Use Novus 1 Clean and Shine or Armor All Original on hatch gaskets. Covers need not come off; if removed, place them inside the hatches and cover them with a sheet or tarp. Do not leave them hanging by bungees.

Sources: Paddling.com, Eddyline FAQ and Delta’s Winter Storage.⁷⁶² Delta advises against 303 Protectant on its boats; Eddyline’s example above concerns its aging rubber hatch covers, not a permission for every hull.

Superior Paddling’s Lee describes removing neoprene hatch covers and securing nylon window screen over hatch rims to admit air while excluding vermin. His fall advice also loosens pedal adjustment straps when a rudder uses bungees for return tension, and releases quick-release hatch-strap buckles. These are conditions in his personal regimen, so check whether they fit your boat before adopting them.⁸

Choose Shelter and Supports for Your Boat

REI prefers indoor storage for protection from the elements. For outdoor storage it recommends shade, a tarp suspended above the hull, and preventing rain or snow from collecting in or on the boat. A tarp that fills and presses down on the hull can deform it, according to the retailer.¹

Delta’s winter guide similarly prefers indoor storage for its boats and treats outdoor storage as a last resort. Outdoors, it calls for protection from direct sun, accumulating snow and ice, and falling debris. It warns that the weight of snow, ice or wet leaves can damage a Delta kayak.²

Match the support positions and orientation to your maker’s directions. The hull is the boat’s body; “hull-up” means its bottom faces upward. The examples below distinguish general retailer advice from instructions for named boats.

Source and boat scope	Support and orientation examples
REI: general retailer guidance	Side or hull-up rack storage; hull-up suspension using wide straps around the boat’s body. Padded cradles or wide nylon straps distribute weight; supports about one-third inward from each end are described as effective.
Eddyline: Carbonlite 2000 manual	Broad cradles, slings or wide padded supports; rack or cradle supports under or near bulkheads. Side storage, sling suspension and standing the boat on end are listed options.
Delta: its winter guide	Padded rack supports under the bulkheads in front of and behind the cockpit; wall or ceiling strap systems are another option.

Sources: REI, Eddyline’s Carbonlite 2000 manual and Delta’s Winter Storage.¹³² Select the arrangement for your boat; these examples do not establish one support position for every kayak.

REI advises against long-term storage directly on the floor or ground and against tight storage straps; it warns that prolonged pressure can deform the boat. It also says never to suspend a boat by grab loops. Delta specifically prohibits hanging its kayaks by grab handles or the rudder.¹²

Keep handle-condition checks separate from hanging instructions. Eddyline’s Carbonlite 2000 manual says grab loops should be capable of supporting the boat’s weight and checked for rope wear, while its storage section describes broad supports and slings. The handle check is not an instruction to hang your stored kayak from its handles.³

Store an Inflatable Using Its Own Instructions

Inflatable storage choices differ in the named guidance. Choose your maker’s approach first, then plan the available space around it. These examples compare storage options rather than prescribing full deflation for every inflatable.

Source and scope	Extended-storage choice
NRS: inflatable storage guide	If space allows, store loosely inflated out of the sun. Alternatively, open an inflatable kayak’s valves to deflate and fold it into a loose bundle.
Advanced Elements: its kayak FAQ	For extended storage, keep the kayak deflated in a cool, dry area out of direct sunlight.
Sea Eagle: its inflatable FAQ	Store clean and completely dry, folded in its bag, in a clean, dry space beyond the reach of mice and other critters.

Sources: NRS, Advanced Elements and Sea Eagle.⁴⁵⁹ Apply each row within its named scope.

NRS’s kayak folding paragraph starts by folding one end over about a foot, then continuing to make a loose bundle. Use that kayak paragraph when consulting the guide: its separate paddleboard, raft and cataraft sections describe other procedures.⁴

Sea Eagle’s folding answer in the Explorer section says its illustrated method is one of several rolling or folding options. It asks you to pay attention to the valves, skegs and skeg-base areas when folding to prevent damage. Keep those details within that Sea Eagle context rather than applying them to every inflatable.⁹

NRS warns that rodents can burrow into a folded inflatable and cause irreparable damage. Sea Eagle supplies a specific container option: if you must store its inflatable outdoors or in a shed, use a large plastic bin or clean garbage can with a tight lid to exclude rodents. Sea Eagle repeats that the boat must be clean and completely dry.⁴⁹

If you are considering a protectant, keep the permission scoped. NRS suggests 303 before folding an inflatable; Delta advises against 303 on its boats. The suggestion in an inflatable-storage guide should not become a treatment step for every boat you own.⁴²

Separate Spring Checks from Winter Gear Care

Prepare Equipped Moving Parts in Spring

Superior Paddling’s Jeffrey Lee places the inspection and lubrication of equipped rudder or skeg systems in his Spring Prep regimen. He evaluates deployment lines, cables and crimps, pivot hardware and pedals, then cleans and lubricates pivots, pedals or sliders and cable housings. This is his annual personal routine, not a manufacturer’s mandatory fall treatment.⁸

In a separate reply to reader Dave on November 14, 2015, Lee suggests a water-resistant dry lubricant, such as silicone spray or paraffin wax, after disassembly for cleaning. That product advice belongs to the comment’s cleaning context; use your equipment maker’s maintenance directions before choosing a lubricant.⁸

For your spring reminder, you can revisit Eddyline’s occasional Carbonlite 2000 hardware checks: secure nuts, deck wear at bolt locations, shock-cord attachment points and cord abrasion. The manual does not assign those checks to spring; putting them on your prelaunch list here is a practical planning choice.³

Clean, Dry and Inspect Separate Gear

REI recommends removing accessories such as your paddle, spray skirt, float bags and bilge pump for long-term storage, rinsing them with freshwater, drying them and, if possible, keeping them indoors.¹

Lee’s fall regimen calls for washing, drying and inspecting the paddle, pump and paddle float. For clothing and other soft gear, his advice distinguishes purpose-made neoprene shampoo from mild detergent for other items such as drybags, and describes cool, dry storage out of direct sun with clothing zippers open.⁸

Check your paddle’s own ferrule instructions before using a lubricant. The ferrule is the joint where paddle sections connect. Lee’s prose notes that some makers permit a dry lubricant, while others recommend washing instead; the shorter checklist’s silicone-lubricant entry does not replace those distinctions.⁸

When you return to paddling, the American Canoe Association’s Paddler’s Safety Checklist, which prints 2011, recommends wearing your lifejacket.¹⁰

Finish your winter plan by recording the storage arrangement you chose and any unfinished maintenance. Keep the spring list with those notes, and use the care directions for your boat, paddle and gear when it is time to bring them out again.