depends, a lot Posted by: gnarlydog on Oct-22-12 9:35 PM (EST)
I find oval hatches really nice for when I load a kayak for a week's trip. Most oval hatches I have are VCP (Valley) and they seal very well but I had some issues with durability and installation/removal. The alternative to VCP is SEA-LECT Designs: seal well and are still easy to pop on-off. See review here: http://gnarlydognews.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/gear-sea-lect-designs-hatch-covers.html I also have several Kajak Sport hatch covers. Not ALL Kajak Sport lids are the same; I found the dual density (hard middle/soft edge) leak terribly when temps are higher (70F+). Replaced them with the all rubber ones and the same kayak is not totally leakproof. More info on hatch covers here: http://gnarlydognews.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/shop-repairing-leaky-hatch.html