leakey hatches

In the last few weeks I have seen a few sea kayaks which were in for minor modification's and the customer's all complained of water getting into each of the compartments of their kayaks
.Now I know what its like to go through this scenario, build a beautiful kayak, paying careful attention to every detail, sell the kayak and have the customer phone you after their first outing complaining of water in the kayak!!!aaahhh

Frustration for both me as the builder and for the customer!!!

I had to come up with a strategy that would ensure that every kayak that leaves NKA is 100% dry .

I often hear that we should accept that a small amount of water will get in our kayaks compartments  as we paddle through the day.........crap...they should be completely dry all the time as a safety requirement and to protect your gear 

How can you ensure that they are dry?

Simple ...I used one of my day hatch lids and one oval lid (VCP type but other hatches should still work).Went to my local tyre shop and asked for two car valves,(the same type that you put air through to blow your car tyre up)

Pump the compartment with air from a bicycle tire and to make sure its 100% I leave it on my hatch lids for minimum 12 hours to ensure there are no slow leaks
I pump the lids till I have a good rise of pressure and a slight bulge in the lids

Now when I complete  and sell a new kayak I can say honestly 100% that your new beautiful kayak is safe and dry to paddle 

As a manufacturer its the only way....