I’ve used these lids and some friends have too. The recreational version fastens to the rim easily, like butter actually, and likely offers most kayakers sufficient assurance of water tightness. (I’ve flipped the boat with them and they remained dry.) The hard-plastic top of the performance version has a slight concave shape, so provides an additional “squeeze” to the hatch rim, something that rough-water paddlers might prefer for added peace of mind. The trick to putting the performance version lid on is to press down in the center of its hard-plastic top which decompresses the concave shape slightly and "snaps" the cover on more easily. Liberal application of 303 or a similar UV protectant/lubricant helps getting them on/off too. With these methods, these hatch covers go on more easily than the standard Valley hatch covers. The Sea-Lect covers also float and come with a strong tab to tie a tether.
I’ve owned three Valley kayaks and have had trouble with Valley's deteriorating rubber lids (as have many people). Their fairly rapid deterioration may be due to UV exposure. I've also heard it may be due to the air bubbles in the rubber Valley uses. While this type of rubber gives Valley's lids a thicker, more rigid feel and allows them to float, over the years the air bubbles inside the rubber expand/contract with changes in outdoor temperature thereby speeding the decline of the rubber. (That’s one theory I’ve heard anyway). Valley lids work great while they last, but why not replace them if they go bad with ones that are an improvement and will last longer.
You can check out and purchase the Sea-Lect hatch covers at these links, below (as always, I'm in no way compensated for my recommendations, just my observations/opinions...😀):
SeaLect Designs
Top Kayaker
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| "Performance" Hatch Cover by SeaLect Designs |
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| "Recreational" Hatch Cover by SeaLect Designs |
1 comment:
For Valleys, I've also found the rubber kajaksport covers are a good value option & seem to seal & grip well. They make replacements for the standard Valley hatches but unfortunately not yet for the later versions found on Sironas, Geminis, etc.
I've also wondered whether valley hatch covers are manufactured with an "unstable" compound,containing a volatile substance that affects the integrity of the "rubber" compound over time. I've heard a few people describe hatch covers on a stored kayak that had perished during prolonged storage, so maybe UV is not the main issue.
Regards,
BWM
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