| rotomoulded polyethylene (plastic) kayak material (PE) |
Linear, Medium-Density, Polyethylene Construction
When considering kayak construction, the key is to find material that is neither too flexible or too stiff. Flexible material is less efficient, but harder to crack. Stiff material creates a more efficient hull, but is more brittle and easier to crack. Linear, medium-density polyethylene (PE) is virtually indestructable under normal use. Being somewhat flexible, PE gives on impact, which keeps it from cracking, but maintains its stiffness throughout compound curves. Polyethylene is also very abrasion-resistant, but in the event you scratch or gouge your Kayak, linear PE is repairable.
Many manufacturers are giving a fancy name to their plastic material for marketing purposes but most are realistically pretty similar. By making kayaks using polyethylene, manufacturers are able to provide a great product at an affordable price!
The idea that a kayak shell can be made from recycled plastics is very appealing to many environmentally-minded boaters. The primary ingredient of a plastic kayak is polyethylene. Polyethylene is a tough, waxy-textured material that is unaffected by water and many chemicals. It can be repeatedly softened by heating and hardened by cooling. These characteristics make it excellent for the manufacture of kayaks.
The least expensive, heaviest and generally most popular kayaks are made from polyethylene. Most novices and first time buyers will feel right at home in a polyethylene kayak. These plastic boats are strong, durable and able to withstand the abuse of being dropped, run into and grounded on oyster bars. Because of its resistance to dings and dents, most whitewater kayaks are made from plastic.
Plastic boats (often called Tupperware) are rotomolded, a process where powdered or beaded polyethylene is poured into a mold and placed in a oven. The mold is heated and spun to distribute the plastic evenly. After the kayak "bakes", the mold is removed from the oven, allowed to cool and the kayak is completed with seat, foot braces and other parts.
| thermoformed plastic kayak material (TP) |
is a relatively new process, which uses plastic sheets of compatible hybrid plastic materials to form a kayak over a mold like a blanket, rather than inside one like fibreglass or roto-molded kayaks. The Outer surface is harder than other plastics and provides better abrasion resistance... which means they don't gouge like softer polyethylene kayaks. Thermoforming produces a product similar to fibreglass in appearance and performance, but is heavier and costs only a few hundred dollars less. While fibreglass & Kevlar kayaks remain the “Holy Grail”, thermoform kayaks offer a new alternative to heavier, less attractive roto-molded kayaks!
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how will a plastic kayak differ form a composite kayak?
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The negatives are that plastic kayaks are often substantially heavier, will distort easily in heat, will scratch much deeper and are therefore noticeably slower than the same kayak in a composite. They are however, an excellent choice for knocking about in the surf zone or rock gardens and will perform reasonably well for most other aspects of sea kayaking at a much more affordable price. Composite kayaks more info>> |
