A Man And His Gear

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2 Reasons Why Kayaks Have Styrofoam In Them

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If you are anything like me, you likely have been moving your kayak from one place to the other, and glance on the inside of your kayak to find random styrofoam on either side of your seat, or even in the front an back of the tiny boat. Why is that there? Is it just for packaging, and should you remove it?

So why do kayaks have styrofoam? Styrofoam is in your kayak to offer extra buoyancy, allowing it to float better! This means that if you capsize, or “sink” the boat, it won’t go to the bottom, and instead stay at the surface. So don’t remove that styrofoam.

Keeping afloat with your kayak

Have you ever been out kayaking (or just worried about getting into the sport), but just worried about the thought of the kayak gaining water and sinking.

As we just talked about, the styrofoam you find in your kayak is no packaging material, rather it is there to save your kayak from finding its way to the bottom of the lake.

Make sure you don’t remove that styrofoam, as its there for a purpose! That purpose is going to save you another trip to the store to buy a new kayak.

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It’s also meant for rigidity!

While most styrofoam in kayaks are meant specifically for buoyancy, they also can be meant for the rigidity of the kayak as well.

Many times, in white water kayaks, you will find styrofoam between your legs. Definitely don’t remove this!

When the styrofoam is there, it is meant to give your kayak the ability to not fold when you may be pinned up against a rock or tree in the river. This means you are able to get out of the kayak, instead of being stuck in a collapsed kayak.

Conclusion

Sure, you may want to remove that styrofoam out of your kayak because it looks weird, or even in an attempt to make more room for your stuff!

However you should think again, its there for a purpose, and that purpose is to keep you safe.