Spray skirt

I have a perception sport swiftwater 10.5 and I would like to find a spray skirt suitable to make runs on rivers with class 3 and 4 rapids. Not looking to take any waterfalls more than a five or ten feet tall. I am on a strict budget so price is a concern. Thanx for any feedback

Some kayak stores might have used equipment you could sort through and find a real bargain. I found a very high end skirt for one of my boats for about $25 and I don’t think it had ever been used. Hey, I’ve used it once already and I’ve only had it for about 5 years.

Do you currently run Class III-IV? Waterfalls under 10’? From the images I find of a “perception sport swiftwater 10.5” that is the wrong craft advanced whitewater.

Tell a bit more of your paddling background and what whitewater runs are your usual, please.

See you on the water,
Marshall Seddon
The River Connection, Inc.
9 W. Market St.
Hyde Park, NY
845-229-0595 main
845-242-4731 mobile
Main: www.the-river-connection.com
Store: www.the-river-connection.us
Facebook: fb.me/theriverconnection

I am with Marshall -that boat does not look like it is made for higher level whitewater. It looks like a crossover kayak between recreational and whitewater. In general, these boats are usually good for up to Class II.

To take on Class 4 or be contemplating water falls of any size (even a couple of feet), you are going to need a neoprene skirt with a rubber rand (not bungee) to seal to the cockpit. Seals Sprayskirts has a sizing app on their web site (http://www.sealsskirts.com/sizing/fitter.php), which you plug in your model kayak and to tells you a numerical size (the larger the number, the larger the skirt). For your kayak, it comes up with a 2.5, which is a pretty large cockpit. The larger the cockpit, the harder it is to keep the skirt sealed when waves hit it or the like - increased likelihood of the skirt implding.

Seals only makes randed skirts for up to 2.2. Actually, doesn’t even look like they make full neoprene skirts (randed or bungeed) for larger than 2.2. They do make their neoprene/nylon hybrid skirt (which are not made for extreme conditions, but work fine for moderate conditions - maybe up to the Class II I mentioned before). You can check, but my expectation is that other skirt manufacturers also do not make full neoprene, let alone randed neoprene, skirts for cockpits your size, which is another indication that what Marshall and I are saying is true.

I find it somewhat incongruous that someone who is running class III-IV, and 5-10’ drops is asking about which/where to get a sprayskirt…

sing.

I’m guessing the OP is planning on running Class III/IV, but doesn’t currently do so. Having run lots of IV, that would not be a boat I’d choose. Not saying that Class IV isn’t going to be possible in that boat, it just isn’t ideal, or very safe in my opinion. I agree with Peter that keeping a spray skirt on a cockpit that large in true Class IV is going to be very, very difficult. A nylon skirt with a bungee isn’t going to cut it.

Thank you all for your time and comments. Been using my kayak on mostly flat rivers in Neb. We do however have a few rivers that drop from the sandhills that offer an old man some fun. Looks like if I want to go bigger I need a different yak tho

@Raddad2131 said:
Thank you all for your time and comments. Been using my kayak on mostly flat rivers in Neb. We do however have a few rivers that drop from the sandhills that offer an old man some fun. Looks like if I want to go bigger I need a different yak tho

I’d also suggest getting some training and step up slowly from class I. I really don’t want to read about you in one of Charlie Wallbridge’s reports in AW. The guys on YouTube make it look easy. Reality has been known to be different.