Best neoprene skirt for rolling

Advice
#1

I have the IR Reinforce Shockwave and the equivalent Snap Dragon neoprene skirt for my Romany and both were reasonably watertight the first year but now leak under two different conditions.

When I paddle with a Greenland stick, the dripping that occurs on the deck begins to seep through to my legs after about 15 minutes of paddling. I experimented with a plastic bag over both skirts and there is no leaking after an hour of paddling so it must be seeping through the neoprene.

When I roll I get still more water due to the skirt and a slight leak between the coaming and deck noted in a separate posting.

What neoprene skirt do you recommend for a serious roller? Thanks. Len

#2

I GUESS I’m a Serious Roller
Naw. I’m a roller who likes to laugh and joke around. If I WAS a serious roller I’d tell you the truth: I use a Snap Dragon and I have no problem with some water getting in. I just plan on it. Doesn’t everybody? It’s just water.

#3

Most likely…
the thin neoprene layer between the stretchy cloth has developed micro holes…Snapdragon supra-tech is notorious for this.

#4

P.S.
…my seals shocker does this the least of any skirt I’ve owned in 20 years…and it’s probably five years old.

#5

I don’t think there’s such a thing
as a perfectly water-tight skirt. The driest I’ve owned is the IR Kling-On. After 2-3 hours of playboating (which usually means a lot of rolling), I generally only have a cup or two of water in the boat.

#6

I’ve owned number of neo spray decks

– Last Updated: Jul-15-15 1:17 PM EST –

My current favorites (for rolling a sea kayak) are:

Composite boat: IR Klingon Empire

RM (plastic) boat: Randed Seals
Warning: DO NOT use a randed spray deck on a composite kayak.

Fwiw, I've owned quite a few Snap Dragons, including four custom decks. They are nice, but none were as water tight as the two listed above.

Of course ymmv.

#7

To pick one
I like Snap Dragons, but I give the nod to my Seals Pro Shocker.

#8

Brooks Tuilik
nm

#9

Thanks everyone for the advice.
I just ordered an IR Kling-on and will test it in a few days. Len

#10

I bought the IR Kling-On Skirt
This spray skirt by Immersion Research is the best built and driest skirt I have ever seen. After many rolls and even some upside down paddling I am amazed at how dry I stayed. There is no comparison between this and the many other skirts I have tried over the years.

#11

Which Klingon?
The IR website lists 4 Klingons.



Which one did u order? And from where?



Also, what size cockpit did u order for a Romany or Explorer?



Just blew out the deck of my Seals Shocker today so I’m in the same boat as u…



Thanks!



4Runner

#12

What is a serious roller? NM

#13

I’m a serious roller.
I never joke about rolling. Seriously, you guys I am so serious.



I use a really old neoprene spray skirt from gull that never leaks. It’s just really good, really thick neoprene. I think the thin snap dragons and the other brands that have multiple materials stitched together may be more prone to leaking. This is based on a friend’s skirt that has two materials in the deck and is always complaining about leaks.

#14

someone who rolls with a straight face

#15

Kling-On info, etc.
I’ll try to answer the last few postings.

  1. I bought the 2014 leftover straight Kling-On (VS the Empire, Bungee, etc.). I believe that the Empire differs only in the upper surface at the bow end which is reinforced primarily for whitewater applications to minimize wear from the paddle, etc. The 2015 models offered some advantages but I didn’t like the colors.
  2. By serious roller, I meant someone who has taken the sport of Greenland style rolling very seriously and works to perfect the MANY different rolls on both sides (VS a casual roller interested only in self-rescue). Given a choice between an hour of paddling or an hour of “playing” I would choose the latter - but I also love paddling so I mix them up. Len
#16

Romany and Explorer use Large size (87")

#17

Leaks
I have only owned Snap Dragon skirts, and they all leak after lots of rolling.



That said, check other things before blaming all the water on the skirt. When I wear a tunneled drysuit in the WW kayak, virtually no water gets inside. It is the same skirt that lets water in when wearing a wetsuit. In this case, some water enters at the tunnel top, as well as through the wetsuit’s neck.



In the sea kayak, some water still gets in even when wearing the drysuit. I think the neoprene itself gets leaky, as I cannot find any obvious gaps in the seam areas.



All this applies after many rolls, not just a few. I dump out water about every 30 rolls.



I also found that my sea kayak skirt leaks water right behind my lower back. The kayak floor stays bone dry for a while, maybe an hour or so, yet water magically appears after another hour despite never having gotten out of the boat. I chalked it up to interior condensation after cold sea water sits on the skirt behind the tunnel, then dripping down.

#18

I went with the Klingon Empire
I like the reinforced deck because it resists wear-and-tear when performing assisted rescues.



The Large deck size fits a P&H Cetus or Scorpio and also the North Shore Ocean 17.

#19

I went with the IR Klingon Empire

– Last Updated: Jul-21-15 1:34 PM EST –

I preferred the reinforced deck for wear-and-tear during assisted rescues.

From my experience the Large size deck fits the following:
P&H Cetus LV/MV (and probably the MV)
P&H Scorpio LV/MV
North Shore Ocean 17

Mine was purchased from Marshall at The River Connection.

#20

For determining skirt size
This is my go-to source:



http://www.skirtfit.com/