fixing deformations and dents in Revo hull

I just picked up a used 2018 demo Revo 13 for a great deal, but it has some dents in it I'd like to fix. To be clear, I bought the kayak aware that the dents were in the hull. I figure its just cosmetic and I'm handy enough to fix it later, I thought at the time. The kayak is otherwise flawless and it performs well.

I've fixed other rotomolded kayaks with a heatgun and wedging wooden blocks and shop rags inside to press out the dent while I heat it up. I'd let it cool, pull the blocks out, and its permanently fixed. 

The Hobie however, seems to have a stiffer form of polyethylene than Im accustomed to. Still I tried my method but it seems after one use in the ocean, I notice it's about 75% back.  How do you guys fix dents in your Hobies?

Leave it out in the sun.
The hull has memory.
It will fix itself.

I continuously poured boiling water on it.

Oh gosh. I never even though to search YT. I guess I was just fixated on the idea that these dents were the flaws in this particular demo model.Thanks for the recommendation. I'll try leaving it out in the sun again for a longer period of time before I try the booking water method. Incredible how soft it gets.

Welp, this didn't work. I think its a molding defect, because I also noticed that the inside of the dent looks to have some machining to the surface. Mightve been a bad casting. When I heated it up and wedged in supports, it pushed it out some. Then when I thought it would relax some more with the boiling water method, instead it relaxed back into the initial dented shape. I may just retry using my jack and heatgun method and call it a day. Guess that's the risk of buying demos. 

How bad is the dent? Above or below the waterline?

Maybe you could heat it, then wedge a something semi-permanent on the inside (pvc or abs pipe, for example) so that it will hold the desired shape. If it's above the waterline and not too huge, a backing plate might do the trick...

Probably 1/2" x 8" indentation on the keel directly below the center hatch. It's not making the kayak function less. I'd say it looks like as if it sat out in the sun directly on roof bars. I have wedged a jack inside while I heated up the hull with my heat gun. It helped, but ultimately it worked itself out slowly back to the original dent after sitting outside for a few hours. A Hobie warranty and techsupport person told me that distortion directly under the center hatch is normal, which I'm slightly dubious of because I feel anyone would look at it and think it's not normal.

Spray an insulation foam on a normal part where the curvature fits to the shape that you want.  When you pour the hot water, use that shapely foam to press against the dent.  Hold it and if it's to your satisfaction, don't forget to pour cold water to "lock in" the shape. Maybe even use the foam (with support) during storage and perhaps storing the kayak upside down may help as well.

If it's one of those thing that looks bad but ultimately you can live with it, I would just leave it alone and enjoy live.   


But thank you for letting us know about this, it is very helpful.  A pic or two may get you more advice 

A Hobie warranty and techsupport person told me that distortion directly under the center hatch is normal...

I've had 3 Hobies, and one of them had a big blob of plastic (on the inside) in the area, and on the other 2, that area has been sanded down. I assume that on the one with the big blob, they just forgot to sand it (that one also had a serious defect and was eventually replaced under warranty, so maybe it was not properly inspected). So, I suspect it must be part of the molding process that results in an accumulation there. In any case, your dent doesn't seem like a major issue to me.

I suspect that if you look closely, you'll find flaws in a lot of rotomolded boats. For example, one of the 2 Hobies that I currently own has a slight twist to it, front-to-back. It doesn't affect anything, and I got it used (and for a good price), so I can live with it...

Spray an insulation foam on a normal part where the curvature fits to the shape that you want.  When you pour the hot water, use that shapely foam to press against the dent.  Hold it and if it's to your satisfaction, don't forget to pour cold water to "lock in" the shape. Maybe even use the foam (with support) during storage and perhaps storing the kayak upside down may help as well.

If it's one of those thing that looks bad but ultimately you can live with it, I would just leave it alone and enjoy live.   


But thank you for letting us know about this, it is very helpful.  A pic or two may get you more advice 

I've tried jacking out the deformation from the inside, then heating and immediately quenching with cold water, and it just returned after a few hours unfortunately.

Fortunately its not too bad, and I can live with it. I just wanted to perfect it a bit for piece of mind.

A Hobie warranty and techsupport person told me that distortion directly under the center hatch is normal...

I've had 3 Hobies, and one of them had a big blob of plastic (on the inside) in the area, and on the other 2, that area has been sanded down. I assume that on the one with the big blob, they just forgot to sand it (that one also had a serious defect and was eventually replaced under warranty, so maybe it was not properly inspected). So, I suspect it must be part of the molding process that results in an accumulation there. In any case, your dent doesn't seem like a major issue to me.

I suspect that if you look closely, you'll find flaws in a lot of rotomolded boats. For example, one of the 2 Hobies that I currently own has a slight twist to it, front-to-back. It doesn't affect anything, and I got it used (and for a good price), so I can live with it...

Interesting, yeah its got that sanded down blob as well. I'm in the same boat as you (no pun intended), used at a good price and am practicing living with it.

I have the same dent on the bottom of my Revo16. Not sure if I got it from an overtightened strap Or something else. I never really bothered to fix it and I don’t  feel any difference (performance wise and stability) from when I bought it new

I had a dent on my hobie and last week i left it on my truck in the sun and it popped right out 

I’ve got a similar shaped and sized deform on my Outback (2015).
It’s between the stern and the lowrance plate. Never thought to try and fix it as I don’t think it impacts performance, and likely the result of tightly strapping my yak down on the roof of my Subaru. I have the bottom of the hull faced skyward when loading and thus the bottom of the hull is subject to stress and pressure from the straps. I doubt any of us have a “perfect hull” as it seems all 5 of the hobies I’ve owned had one defect or another.

That would drive me a bit nut lol. But like the others said leave a foam block to push those out and baked in the sun for a long time then take it out when time has passed.