What materials are Kayaks made of?
The first kayaks were made of a wood or bone frame and covered with animal skins. An early modern kayak, Foldboat (?) was mde of a wood frame and a coated canvas skin. It could be disassembled for transport. Fiberglass and resin boats came next and then Kevlar and epoxy resin ones. Private builders built aluminium ones as well as all wood models. Most of today’s kayaks are ‘rotomolded’ using powdered plastic that is melted and cured in a moving mold. Kayaks can be built using paper and waterproof glues. Some molds are one piece and others two piece. Expensive, light weight kayaks are custom built using carbon fiber and epoxy resins. These may be called, ‘state of the art’.
