Kevin Fonda, the owner of Adventure Kayak Tours, says maintaining a kayak is easy as long as you take a few simple steps, including never tying down the boat tightly during transport and protecting it from UV rays when storing. “Whenever you’re in a saltwater environment especially, always rinse the entire kayak with fresh water to remove damaging salt,” he says. “Lastly, I would say not to drag and pull kayak along rough surfaces. Although most modern kayaks come with replaceable skid plates, the keel or rear of the boat is the most common area to get damage and need plastic welding and repairs.”