I see them on Ebay for $20.00 to $40.00 or sometimes slightly higher
Are they any good, or am I wasting my time looking at them
Yes - - I’m kinda cheap too.
Opinion please???
Move to the deep south or Texas, don’t
need no freaking spray skirt for 9 months of the year. Don’t know about Harmony skirts, but am not impressed with much of their gear.
Near the bottom of the line.
They will work but are not the best. If you don’t expect to paddle in more difficult conditions they should be fine. Want something that seals tighter and lasts longer, give it a pass.
Deep south - - Not my thing
I can’t handle all that heat.
It’s a muggy 91 degrees today, and there isn’t a dry spot on me. No spring here - - winter to Orange Barrel / Construction season.
I was in Florida once in Early May - - You can keep that heat. The only benefit to the heat is the Bikini clad women - - I can understand why they wear them, but most men shouldn’t wear that little. Just to ugly.
Guess I better shut up now.
What kind of boat?
Looking at your profile, I think the skirt will be just fine. I know a few people that of them, and they have been happy. Just make sure it fits your boat.
AquaTerra Sealion
My profile doesn’t say much - - I figure I have 3 to 4 hours in this kayak - - but I’m lovin it.
Harmony
It’s an OK skirt to start with. It will leak when rolling and really rough conditions but good enough to see if you are going to keep the boat, if you sell it it’s a good throw in. It’s cooler than a neo in hot weather and easier to put on the cockpit.
not a bad place to start
Nylon spraydecks lack the better seal and implosion resitance of neoprene skirts but are very convenient and release easily. It’s not a bad idea to use a releasable nylon skirt until you work out you skills relative to a slow and smooth wet exit. Once you learn to roll, if you headed that way, then the neoprene might make more sense. But even then the cheap nylon skirts are great back-ups / spares.
One of the great things about cheap nylon skirts is that they last forever. I generally only get 4 years or so out of my high-end neoprene decks. Chlorine and sun damage mostly.
Looks like it’s good bet for newbie
I believe I’ll get one - back up unit in the future, and a good starter unit now.
I’d like to be able to do a couple rolls in the future. I’m still working on getting familiar with the handling etc.
They were our first spray skirts.
They will usually puddle.
I had to constantly grab some of the loose material and shake the puddles off.
You get what you pay for.
If you are going to be in big time water with your decks constantly awash and breaking waves, I would not recommend them.
We now have Snapdragons and they are very good.
Cheers,
JackL
Sprayskirts Are 4 More Than Warmth
I found out last summer that spray skirts are for more than just winter time warmth. Yep, I am in the South and the temps are approaching the ninties now and will stay that way until the Fall. Paddling in lumpy water without a sprayskirt can, (it did), lead to filling up your cockpit. I had real issues on a river paddle last year when this happened and I had to get a wallowing boat turned around in 3-4 foot white capping chop to paddle a mile or so to the lee of an Island I had just rounded. I look at sprayskirts as a safety device.
Happy Paddling,
Mark
Harmony makes a range of models
These ebay ones may be their very low end. I paid 60-80 bucks for one that was not their cheapest a few years ago. It has held up well, and has a stiff arcing stick sewn inside that helps minimize puddling. I have rolled in it, and it didn’t leak significantly, but I have not used it in extreme conditions. It has been reliable for me, but has not been tested much.