I’m new into the Whitewater world and I’m trying to figure out the best base gear to get.
I have a WaveSport Ace 4.7 and a AT Zen paddle, both used. I plan on buying a new sprayskirt though. I want something decent, ie: Not bottom of the barrel, but also not $160+.
I think I have found a good deal on one but I haven’t really seen the name mentioned around.
Has anyone heard or used a Seals - Pro Shocker sprayskirt before?
Thanks!
Had one for a while
That worked ok with a kayak I used for surfing.
seals is fine
I would also highly recommend Snap Dragon and Mountain Surf. In terms of whitewater skirts, nothing even comes close to my Kevlar reinforced Mountain Surf Dur-O-Ring in terms of dryness and security. I have a neoprene reinforced Snap Dragon skirt with implosion bar on order so I’ll have to see how it holds up against the Mountain Surf skirt. Even the more entry level skirts from these companies to a fairly good job. I actually thought that Seals was strangely more expensive than the other brands.
excellent product
– Last Updated: Mar-18-05 11:02 AM EST –
i think it's a step up in quality over many of the more popular brands.
i had one on my first boat. for my next boat i bought a smiliar style snapdragon model and found it fine but not quite as well made.
i particularly liked the release handle and edge finishing on the seals model.
yrmv.
Seals
I saw them at Canoecopia in Madison WI last weekend. Looked very well made but I don’t know anyone who has one, last summer was the first I had heard of them. Might try one next time, although I think I can get another season out of the one I’ve got.
I have one
I have a Seals Mariner for my touring boat. It’s a topnotch, high quality skirt. I didn’t like the fit and was able to send it back with a tracing of my cockpit and they modified it and sent it back free of charge (and threw in some shwag to cover my cost to mail it to them). I also have two of their cockpit covers. It’s a great, small company with fantastic customer service.
shwag? Can I have some…
schwag
adj. Term used to describe low grade marijuana. This type of marijuana is usually brown, seedy, dry. The term is also used by many pot heads to describe anything that is low grade.
noun. low grade marijuana
adj- Ewww this schwag ass weed tastes horrible and it didnt get me very high.
noun- I hate smoking schwag, but i cant get any dank right now so i guess i’ll have to.
no, the other kind of schwag
logoed hats, t-shirts, etc.
yes there tasty
Seals Skirts
If you haven’t been to their website check them out:
http://www.sealsskirts.com
I have a breathable one for my touring boat and two cockpit covers. They are well made. A friend had them custom make a skirt for his SOF - no extra charge for the custom work.
~wetzool
Good line of skirts
Another vote of confidence for Seals. Their fit chart is very accurate in my experience, and makes it possible to get a skirt that you know will fit right the first time without having to lug your boat out to the shop to check it before buying.
They make the private label skirts for a couple well-known kayak lines, so even if someone hasn’t necessarily bought a ‘Seals’ brand skirt before, it is possible that they’ve had one and didn’t know it. Good products and fair prices.
mountain surf duro-ring
is my suggestion. I have one for surfing that also fits on white water kayaks.
Seals sprayskirts
My grandson & I each ordered Seals skirts at Canoecopia in Madison, WI a couple of weeks ago. We looked at lots of them, & like the quality and price. The should be delivered soon, and the snow is starting to melt, so I’ll post an opinion pretty soon.
Jim
I chose Snapdragon
I also looked at Seals at Canoecopia and liked their quality but Snapdragon was strangely cheaper and it was a brand that I trusted. (Mountain Surf is still the best skirt out there but they weren’t at the show!)
I Have A Seals
– Last Updated: Mar-24-05 8:18 AM EST –
dont' know the specific model but it's comparable to the Snapdragon in fit and design but with a smoother nylon face.
Mountainsurf is tightest and most bombproof out there. Frankly, I would not recommend it for a someone starting out. It's hard to get on and takes a real conscious effort to push the forward and to pull back for release. Someone new to whitewater may find that disconcerting in a capsize...
I think Snapdragon or a Seals are good skirts to start off with. Plus in the winter, with gloves on, it's near impossible to get the Mountainsurf on. Not a problem in white water when you can take your time getting in on and then launch. A beach launch in the water is problematic because during the time I try to get the mountainsurf on, the boat gets swapped by incoming waves. So, in the winter, I used a Snapdragon coupled with a seat belt for added bombproofing.
sing
They stand behind their products
My wife has an older Seals neoprene sprayskirt and loves it. Hers started to wear on the inside along the coaming so last fall she sent it back to them for repair. They did a nice job. She was prepared to pay for the repair but they did it free of charge!
Nelson
the EZ-ON model is a nice option
I find that it goes on with minimal effort and still creates a bomber seal and great implosion resistance. Plus due to the way the rubber rand grips the cockpit rim, I can get that skirt on quicker than my shockcord sprayskirts. Of course the “Bomber” sized skirts will take an act of God to get on the kayak but only extremely aggressive individuals need this level of tightness. If I had the choice (and the money), I would use an EZ-On Mountain Surf kevlar reinforced Dur-O-Ring for every single one of my kayaks.
Well made skirts
I can’t speak to their neo skirts, but I have a Seals Tropical Tour skirt for my touring boat and I am pleased with the quality. I currently use a Snap Dragon Neoprene for my touring boat and the high-end Harmony for my whitewater boat. I’ve been pleased with all of them, but I didn’t buy the low-end stuff. If your willing to fork out the $, you’ll be OK. Don’t be afraid of the used market, many people find they don’t like neoprene skirts or they order the wrong size.
SEALS SKIRT
I saw them on display at the East Coast Canoe & Kayak Exposition. They looked very well made ect. I need one for a boat with an ocean cockpit so I contacted them after not seeing my boat listed on the skirt brocure. Customer Service sent me an e-mail telling me to check their brochure. I sent a reply back to them saying that if all they can do is suggest to check a brocure where it is not even listed, then they’re not really interested in helping me and I can go elsewhere. I never heard a thing back. Good Customer Service!