New yak
I picked up a new kayak at Sam's yesterday. It's an eleven foot sit on top called a "Weber 132" made by Lifetime. I wasn't expecting much qualitywise, as they're pretty cheap boats, but when I got it home I noticed what appeared to be a 3' long hull repair on the starboard side near the bow. So I went back to Sam's and looked in the rack at 7-8 other Weber 132's and they all had the same "repair". Looks like a very straight box cutter slice where the top deck comes together with the hull side, and runs from the bow about 3' back. The port side has no such "repair". So I decided to keep the yak and assume it was just part of the normal manufacturing process. Does anyone else here have one of these boats? And have you noticed the same thing?
By the way, a "Weber 132" is the same boat as an "Emotion Stealth 11" but rebadged and sold through Sam's in a different color. Both names seem to get pretty good reviews but none have mentioned what looked to me like a manufacturing defect.
Anyhow, just wondering.....
hope you meant 3 inch cut not 3 foot, next time i go to sam's i'll look last time there they didn't have any yaks . yaks are pretty hardy i would think it would take more than a box cutter to open it up, mine is a old town vapor i've dragged it over everything and other than scuffs no real damage . i wonder if the cut - repar is in the same spot on all if that's where it comes off the mold machine where the yak is formed if yours is a sit on hard to tell as sit in's you can inspect inside of hull too.
hope you meant 3 inch cut not 3 foot,
No, I meant 3 feet! lol!
And the "box cutter" was just a poor way to describe a "very thin line". I don't think anyone could actually make a cut that straight with a box cutter. Anyhow, after further consultation with some other kayakers, the consensus opinion so far seems to be that it's just the hull/deck joint which is normally hidden as part of the manufacturing process. They did a great job blending and camouflaging the rest of the joint but, in this one area, it's still a bit visible. Barely visible yes, but still visible. And oddly, they did it in the same place on all the other boats Sam's had in stock when I bought my boat. But I've since found the same thing on other low end kayak brands at other big box stores. And I'm convinced, at this point, that it's only a cosmetic issue. And one I only noticed by doing my fine tooth combing of every square centimeter with my usual "new boat inspection". I'm pretty sure that section of seam is as strong as the rest of the seam. I've also noticed that out in the sun, the line completely vanishes. And I'm thinking that with fading and scratches over time, I'll no longer be able to even find it. We shall see. Having said that, the boat comes with a 5 year warranty covering defects in case it ever starts to show signs of opening up.
Anyhow, except for that one possible concern, I'm pretty dang happy with such a cheap boat.
you topic has me intrigued on the process in manufacturing these little plastic bathtubs we call kayaks, maybe youtube has some videos on the process but sounds like you on the right track if the are all the same seal. at one big box store i shop they just got in a new shipment of sit on's heck where can you get on the lake for sometimes just a little over a $100. bucks no wonder you see so many on the water. when i bought my old town vapor my main concern was how it would track because my first yak was one of those yellow inflatable one's and unless you put a skeg on them all you do is spin around in circles.
ywhen i bought my old town vapor my main concern was how it would track because my first yak was one of those yellow inflatable one's and unless you put a skeg on them all you do is spin around in circles.
Tracking was my main concern as well. And this boat scored pretty well in reviews regarding tracking. But that was in comparison to other ultra inexpensive boats. It doesn't hold a candle to my other kayak though, which is 15' with a drop down skeg. It is what it is though and for the price I paid and the ways I'll be using it, it tracks well enough and I'm still happy with it.
By the way, most polyethylene kayaks are made by one of two processes. Roto-molding, which is the expensive way of doing it but you end up with a higher quality boat. And thermoforming, which is the inexpensive method but ends up with a boat that anyone can afford. Just google "manufacturing plastic kayaks" and you'll turn up more information than you can shake a stick at. It's pretty interesting.
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