Composite sea kayaks

For the advanced paddler composite is the ultimative material for a sea kayak, because it will outdo even the best PE kayak on stiffness. However you will meet a lot of very experienced paddlers in PE kayaks, because they prefer the durable and price competitive 3-layer PE kayaks to fiberglass. Like the above picture shows, fiberglass is often also used to prototype PE-kayaks since the material is easier to work with. What you choose is up to you, but if you want a composite kayak you should be aware that fiberglass comes in many qualities.

Composite is used because the material combines low weight with stiffness. It is made out of extremely fine fibers of glass glued together. You will find two types of composite materials for kayaks:

• A) Woven composite are fibers woven into each other resulting in nicely looking mats creating a very strong material making it optimal for kayaks.
• B) Chopped composite is the other type of composite found in the kayaking industry. Chopped composite are short strands of fibers held together with a binder. This is the least expensive variation of composite but not well-suited for kayaks because it is fragile and does not have the desired stiffness.

If you are out looking for a fiberglass kayak you do not need to be a professional to distinguish good quality from poor quality.

First of all a high quality composite kayak does in most cases cost 2-3 times the price of a good quality 3-layer PE kayak. But how do you tell woven composite from chopped? On the outside they all look the same because the kayak is covered by a gelcoat giving a nice smooth surface. What you should do is take of the hatches and check out the storage compartments.

What do you see? A nicely woven fabric where the fibers are oriented in two directions or short fibers randomly placed reminding you of dog hair on a carpet? If nicely arranged in two directions it is woven fiberglass this is what you will want for your kayak. If it looks like the mat is made out of dog hair, our best advice is to find another kayak.

The difference between chopped and woven fiberglass is quite easy to spot when you know what to look for.