Spraydeck sizing may need an overhaul. It certainly needs some fresh air. There are very many cockpit sizes of boats in the world today. In our lineup we have 4 Primary sizes and another two or three we make on occassion. We know of boats that fall between categories, we know of paddlers who often want something a little different. The bottom line though, is that boats need skirts that fit well. They should seal but be removable. Not too difficult to put on. Not difficult to take off. But for every paddler, there are choices to be made.
(to be further elaborated)
Add a commentWe have recently been building small batches of our Convertible series skirts from some new materials. The latest batch will be from a highly breathable gray colored 3-layer wateproof breathable. The fabric itself is lighter than our recent builds and the color (or shade) is really nice to look and it blends well with about any color of boat, paddling jacket and lifejacket... They say Gray is the new Black!
We have resized our Convertible and Baja Deck lineups so that we have specific "Universal", "Super" and "Recreational" sizes (35, 38 and 44" cockpit lenghts). Before our "Nylon Universal" was indeed universal, and could be sized up to a 36"plus cockpit. The new Super is just a "touch bigger" so that we can fit the Nifty Series from Delsyk as well as the new Kodiak and Poseidon sizes. The smaller Universal (up to 35") is a taugher, less prone to pooling deck that fits wonderfully on Seayak, Motion, Marlin and most of our whitewater kayaks.
A treatise is in the works on how to fit and interpret skirt sizing. The bottom line remains though, if the shoe fits...wear it.
Pictures and details to follow.
Add a commentThere are 3 Basic Elements in Specifying a Spraydeck:
Cockpit Sizing
Start by thinking about outside cockpit length
Chimney Sizing
The Skirt needs to fit your torso comfortably
Material, Cockpit Seal and Design Elements
Materials available: 3 and 4 mm Neoprene (stretchy), Waterproof Nylon, Waterproof Breathable Materials
Cockpit Seals: Adjustable Bungee systems, Sewn and fitted Bungees, Glued and Fitted Rubber Rands
Designs: Tented Deck Shapes, Perimeter Wear Guards, Top Elastic Finishes and more...
This content will be further elaborated upon.
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