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Re: Kings Kraft Kayaks

Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 4:41 pm
by laneends
This is why the hobie fin masts are not that strong, by design, if you hit something they will bend and absorb the shock before the drive or hull breaks. Simple fact is impacts will happen and with such force that something has to bend or break, better it be a replaceable service item. Yes i know the propeller drives are supposed to kick up but you dont always hit head on eg broaching a wave on a beach, drifting into a mud bank, are side impacts.

Re: Kings Kraft Kayaks

Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 11:01 am
by Bruffy
lazyfisho wrote:Regardless of whether its a tandem or a single, I suspect that the design is the same. When you hit the log, that part that you circle in red would have wedged down and break the hull. Reckon the whole area of the housing needs to reinforced or redesigned...... a secondary lock that will 'give' so that the peddle unit will tilt on impact. Looks like I need to be real careful especially when going out and coming back in to shore around rocky shoreline.....to release & pull up the peddle unit and peddle in! Was planning to go out from Ricketts point on my maiden voyage.
Take care on that maiden voyage! Good idea to remove prop unit when returning to shore but I was close to the middle of a river when this happened. Indeed the housing needs redesigning. Does your single have separate flotation compartments or foam inside to stop it sinking? They are advertised to be suitable for all waters according to the KK website, I wouldn't take past the heads or far from shore. :water:

Re: Kings Kraft Kayaks

Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 11:12 am
by Bruffy
laneends wrote:This is why the hobie fin masts are not that strong, by design, if you hit something they will bend and absorb the shock before the drive or hull breaks. Simple fact is impacts will happen and with such force that something has to bend or break, better it be a replaceable service item. Yes i know the propeller drives are supposed to kick up but you dont always hit head on eg broaching a wave on a beach, drifting into a mud bank, are side impacts.
Thanks for the feedback, I expected the prop to jump or break upon an impact I hit the object head on when you look at the lock mechanism you'll see it has no give or ramps to guide the unit up and back, let alone sideways or backwards. I've rung retailers since this pretending to be a buyer, they become rather vague when you ask them about the prop unit's behaviour upon striking an object and even more so when asked about flotation capabilities if the hull is punctured. Don't buy these kayaks!

Re: Kings Kraft Kayaks

Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 11:23 am
by Bruffy
Below is the reply I got from the retailer after I informed them of the incident......

Not only do they sell dud kayaks they sold it to a disabled man with a brain injury and refused to take it back after he realised his error when they should never have sold it to him in the first place. They you can use their kayaks anywhere and their promo vid shows a single being used in a murky snag filled river.

"""Dear Bruffy

Thank you for your email below.

Our kayaks definitely can be enjoyed on most bodies of water however the responsibility to navigate safely on the waters always rests with the user and their ability to keep a proper lookout for hazards. The user must also control the kayak to suit the conditions and avoid potential collisions.

The flotation properties of the kayak relies on the material used in its construction and the design of the hull. Similarly to a ball, once you damage the outer surface, the ability of that outer surface to exclude water is compromised.

Please note the space under the hatches are storage compartments for the keeping of items.

In the above circumstances we regret to inform you that we are unable to provide a refund or the requested compensation.

Regards,

XXXX""""""

Re: Kings Kraft Kayaks

Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 6:26 pm
by 4liters
I'd never buy one but the bloke is probably right in that it isn't a manufacturing fault and therefor not a warranty issue in the usual sense. Rather, it is poor design and I guess that is reflected in the price compared to other peddle kayaks.

Anyway, if you wanted to take the issue further I'd be looking through this link and seeing if any of the sections apply to your situation: https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/product ... omatically
Most places cave in pretty quickly once you threaten them with being raked over the coals by Consumer Affairs. You could also let Transport Safety know about the issue, I have absolutely no idea if they'd be interested but you never know your luck and it takes all of 5 minutes to send an email.

Re: Kings Kraft Kayaks

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 6:33 am
by lazyfisho
There are definitely no flotation compartments or foam in the kayak. Looks like getting a couple of 'pool noodles' and sticking them inside the kayak is a cheap option. any other ideas to keep the kayak afloat in a similar accident as Bruffy? Will be hugging the coast line....... no more than 1 km from shore..... is it too far?

Re: Kings Kraft Kayaks

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 7:49 am
by laneends
lazyfisho wrote:There are definitely no flotation compartments or foam in the kayak. Looks like getting a couple of 'pool noodles' and sticking them inside the kayak is a cheap option. any other ideas to keep the kayak afloat in a similar accident as Bruffy? Will be hugging the coast line....... no more than 1 km from shore..... is it too far?
Floatation will only stop it from so you can hang on to it and retreive it, it would'nt keep it stable enough to mount.

Re: Kings Kraft Kayaks

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:42 pm
by lazyfisho
Silly question. Will a kayak sink to the bottom or will it 'float' after taking in water if there is no floatation compartments/devices?

Re: Kings Kraft Kayaks

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 11:50 pm
by laneends
lazyfisho wrote:Silly question. Will a kayak sink to the bottom or will it 'float' after taking in water if there is no floatation compartments/devices?
Depends where it is taking on water and if there are any trapped air pockets, The amount of additional payload will have an effect too.

Apparently a bare kayak can stay a afloat with only a couple of noodles, though it would be unuseable.

Re: Kings Kraft Kayaks

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 7:18 am
by Bruffy
lazyfisho wrote:Silly question. Will a kayak sink to the bottom or will it 'float' after taking in water if there is no floatation compartments/devices?
Hi Lazy!

I haven't got the thing back in the water to video it sinking. it didn't fully sink, it capsized and the keel was just above the waterline. Foam noodles were mentioned here but another option would be to fill it with foam balls you get from craft stores. I wouldn't take it more than 500m from the shore still. If you more than tap a free floating semi submerged object like a jerry can or log you'll tip over, wear a wetsuit.

And thanks for the feedback everybody!