Folding Kayaks are one of the most versatile types of kayaks because of their portability and durability. Although many beginning kayakers are not familiar with the folding kayak, they have actually been around longer than the more common hardshell kayaks. Furthermore, most folding kayaks are a type of skin-on-frame kayak, and the skin-on-frame kayak has been around for thousands of years.
For those who have never seen or assembled a folding kayak, their construction and assembly can something of a mystery. However, the assembly of a typical folding kayak can be divided into a few major stages:
(1) taking the kayak parts out of the bag,
(2) assembling the frame, or parts of the frame,
(3) placing the frame inside the hull,
(4) tightening the frame inside the hull, and
(5) adding the rudder, seat, and other parts.
(1) Taking the kayak parts out of the bag.
Folding kayaks usually come with a bag to keep all the parts together, and to facilitate moving the kayak while it's disassembled. Obviously, the first step to assembling the kayak is to take the parts out. Some kayakers lay out all the parts close to their final locations in the kayak. This helps speed up assembly because the parts are easy to find when it comes time to put them together.
Some folding kayak owners also color-code the parts of the frame, so that they can be easily identified during assembly. One way to do this is to use colored electrical tape. Alternatively, colored cable ties can be tied around parts of the frame. Folding kayak parts are typically well-labeled, but it's usually easier and faster to identify the parts by color.
(2) Assembling the frame, or parts of the frame.
Folding kayak assembly varies here. Some folding kayaks have frames that are assembled in sections before they are placed inside the hull, which can be imagined as a kayak-shaped bag. For other kayaks, the entire frame is assembled before it is placed inside the
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.
Folding kayak frames are often made of materials such as wood or aluminum tubing. Frame members can have hinges so that they can pack into smaller spaces, and may snap together using button-snaps or other clips. These kayaks are mostly designed so they can be assembled without any tools.
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