Forum Replies Created
-
Quote by: drifty4
I hope this all goes well. But just in case, its been great knowing all of you. 🙄
Don’t forget the plan “B” outing in September.
Good luck on the site change over.
😆
Quote by: Heinrix_54
First, it depends on the style of kayak you own. I have a pair of Viper 10′ sit-in kayaks that I bought at Menards during their spring sale a few years back for about $150 each. There is just enough room for me to lay down inside them, so I use them like a layout boat. If you can’t fit inside your sit-in kayak, or you have a sit-on-top style, most of what I’m going to say probably won’t work for you.
PAINT
You’ll save yourself a lot of effort if your kayak is already an earth tone of some kind. Unfortunately, these cheap kayaks only came in lime green, orange and yellow. I went with lime green.
I screwed up a bunch with the paint early on by trying to cut corners. These things are impossible to get paint on permanently, but after some trial and error, this is the best system I’ve used. The prep is the key.
1. Get some rough sandpaper and work the entire kayak over until the glossy shine is gone.
2. Wash the kayak down with some warm water. Only use soap if it’s really dirty and make sure to rinse it thoroughly. Follow by wiping the entire kayak down with acetone.
3. Use Krylon Fusion camo spray paint. It’s spendy but worth it. Don’t waste your time with that Rustoleum junk. Spray your lightest color first as the base. Wait for that to dry enough to handle. Get a BUNCH of reeds and grass, hold a clump of it to the side of the kayak and use a darker paint to spray shadows. Repeat as many times as you like to get your desired effect.
4. Store your kayak in a very dry and temperature-controlled area and give it plenty of time (2-3 weeks) to set-up.Last year, I tried applying a matte clear coat to see if that would help with paint retention. It didn’t. Just accept the fact that your kayak wasn’t meant to be painted, and that you’ll have to touch it up before each season. Them’s the breaks.
My kayaks have sported several different paint jobs.
This is the wear-and-tear after year one.
And after year two.
BLIND
My first year hunting out of the kayak, I just used a rolled up piece of burlap that I zip-tied a bunch of grass to. It worked fine, but it didn’t do much to break up my outline, and it would often flop into the water when I was shooting. A cold, wet blanket is no fun.
My second year, I decided I wanted to add a blind to try to break up my silhouette a little bit more. I used 1/2″ PVC to construct a flip-over design (you can see it in previous pictures). I attached burlap to the blind and then strapped grass to it. It worked pretty well, but it was tough to flip over in a stiff wind and was really slow to open, which was a pain with fast-flying ducks like teal. It hid nicely, and got out of my way when paddling though, so I liked that part.
I used PVC end caps to attach the blind to the kayak. They bolt directly to the kayak and the blind just slides on and off of the caps to make it easy to transport. It’s pretty slick, but not the most stable system.
I also made a backrest out of plywood, closed cell foam, pillow foam and camo fabric. It has a little notch in the bottom that slides into my cup holder to keep it in place. It works great.
This year, I converted the blind to a flip-forward design that still allows it to flip behind me while paddling. I just used some 3/4″ reducing tees and ran them over top of the 1/2″ PVC at the bottom to act as hinges. I also wrapped some foam insulation around them to soften the blow should I smack my head on them.
I also decided to cut some vinyl coated steel mesh to strap my grass to this year. That way, I can remove all of the grass quickly if I just want to use the kayak to get around in and I don’t want the weight or the grass dragging in the water and slowing me down. The mesh is strapped to the kayak with the elastic lashing. I just cut a couple of holes and ran the lashing through to the hooks.
So, as you can see, you can go as crazy or as minimal as you want. Every year I’ve hunted out of them, they’ve proven to be duck killing machines. I’ve had ducks damn near land on top of me out in the marsh.
Hope this helped you out. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Have fun!
This my be the most helpful answer I’ve ever read to a outdoor forum question! Great info