If you key the surface with something like P80 paper flow coat will be fine.  The same applies for any future repairs.  I used this on my squirt boat.  The worst thing will be the brush lines.  Sanding those out and polishing up will be tough going on a sea kayak!

Thanks so far for the suggestions.

I'm not sure if the Flowcoat solution will be suitable - it is polyester so will there be bonding issues where the kayak has had epoxy repairs?

Also, would there then be issues with any future repairs due to the wax in the flow coat?

You could key it and try something like flowcoat.  Its fairly easy to use and UV stable.  If you brush it on you will have brush lines though so it'd need flatting back and polishing back up.

if its just the gel coat that is damaged i would say it would be easier to sand it, prime it then paint it with a 2 pac primer and paint

Hi,

I have an aging sea kayak that has had a hard life and now has a very worn and scratched gelcoat with some small cracks in places.
The original construction is woven glass + polyester but it has been repaired a number of times with glass cloth and epoxy resin and also gouges and chips have been filled with Plastic Padding Gelcoat filler.

The repair work has ensured the kayak is structurally sound and still sea worthy but I would like to renew the entire gel coat and achieve a good cosmetic finish.

If I clean and sand back the gel coat can I use Epoxy Coating resin for this?
I will need to pigment it white so maybe 1 coat with pigment and a second just clear resin?
How do I calculate how much resin I will need?
Due to the kayak contour some surfaces will be at 45 degrees and this is high viscosity resin so is there a rixk it will slump?
Will there be an issue with UV protection if I use Epoxy?  - Can it / should it be lacquered as well?


Is there anything more suitable?


Thanks