There are a couple of reasons to wear a sprayskirt. The obvious one is that most sea kayaks have relatively little freeboard compared to most boats. It only takes a few inches of water sloshing about in a kayak to make it markedly less stable. It doesn’t take much of a wave or boat wake to dump a bunch of water into the cockpit. One of the first times I went kayaking I had a skirt on but not fastened to the cockpit. I was on the Wye River and it was perfectly calm. Then a workboat slowly chugged by dumping several inches of cold water on my lap. That was enough of a lesson that I never went out without a properly worn skirt again.
For a couple of examples, my Necky Arluk 1.9 has only moderate primary and secondary stability and is even less stable when standing still. Just last week while paddling along the seawall at the Annapolis Naval Academy a large boat wake combined with reflected waves to create a wave that completely overwashed the hull by several inches. Without a skirt I would have had quite a few inches of water in the boat and being near the rock seawall it would not have been a good place to stop and pump out the boat. A few years ago on the Bear river a wake from a large fast moving boat threw up a wake that combined with a shoal produced a wave in excess of 2½’ that hit me in the upper chest. In that case, the boat would have been completely swamped. My boat does not like to stay upright like that.
In rough water with waves constantly washing over the deck, the water in the cockpit will accumulate, and in those conditions I would not like to stop to bail the water out, but would want to keep paddling and being prepared to brace.
One can say that they would not paddle in conditions where you might get a lot of water in the boat, but one can never know when the conditions may suddenly worsen while far from shore. The Chesapeake Bay is infamous for sudden violent pop-up thunderstorms in the summer where there may be little warning. Ocean going ships have sunk in the Bay.
The other reason to wear a skirt is if you are paddling with other people and someone capsizes and needs to get back in their boat. For an assisted rescue when you are stabilising the other boat this will often put your cockpit rim very close to the surface of the water, and may even dip below it, especially in the rough water that caused the capsize to begin with. If your boat swamps, you are both going to be in the water.
I’ve been paddling for so long with a skirt that I do not even think about it any more. It keeps the sun off my legs in the summer, is warmer in the winter, and keeps biting flies and mosquitos out of the cockpit.
If you ever plan to learn to roll, a very valuable skill especially when paddling solo, you need a sprayskirt. Being upright in a fully swamped boat with waves still washing into the boat has little value.
I like my skirt for all of the above reasons! I have been in some very rough water when the wind shifts and is then blowing hard against the tide raising short steep chop. I have been caught in a few thunderstorms that would have put a considerable amount of water in the cockpit. I can’t imagine launching in the surf without a skirt.
Thanks @kordate for the great info and nice to hear from some delta owners! I wish I had room for the 16. It seems like a great boat. Also good to know that they do hold their value! Appreciate you sharing your experience.
Thanks @rstevens15 and @castoff! I’ve really only gone in hot summer and with my kids, and getting wet is a more of a goal. Always good to hear from the people who have done it/lived it and are willing to share those experiences. I’ll definitely be getting a skirt with the new boat!
I get that. Especially with most of the boats that you guys paddle with the narrow bean and rounded chines. The one thing I like about the Wilderness System kayaks is the stability. I own every Tsunsmi model from from the 12 ft by 21 inch wide SP for my 12 yr old grand daughter to the 175. I prefer the 145, because the 175 occasionally needs a rudder, especially in the chop and side currents from the Bush around Poole Island with a SE wind and a falling tide. The 145 has a 16 inch deck and the 175 has a 15.75 deck, both hsve plenty of freeboard. I was out last Thursday with gusts to 25 mph. When I powered into the wave peaks, the bow would fly off the peaks and plunge in the next trough so water would wash over the deck. The remedy for me is to slow down so the boat just rides the waves like a cork. A few years ago, I typically took the 175 out because it has a longer deck and more freeboard. I haven’t taken it out in recent years because carrying the extra weight is hard on my knees. The 175 bridges the wave peaks better and the 18 inch longer front deck breaks the waves before washing into the cockpit. I’m certsin I haven’t experience conditions that you’ve encountered, but I don’t like fighting gusts over 25 mph so I either select a course with protection of a lee shore or launch at Joppatown and go up the Gunpowder. Last Thursday, I got about a quart of water after 3 plunges and got tired of getting wet, so I just slowed down and that solved the problem. The Tsunami is stable in all conditions I’ve encountered. I realize the stability will become a liability with waves that curl. So I don’t go out. I considered buying a faster boat, but know and appreciate the characteristics of the Tsunami, I just have to work harder.
I’ve posted these or similar pictures previously, but it illustrates the typical conditions and the stability of t even the 12 ft by 21 inch SP under the power of a 12 year old girl.
As a lifelong resident of the region, I’m aware of the weather changing. I monitor VHF weather and carry the phone for radar, but I find it more reliable to watch cloud development. Fair weather clouds have a systematic process that telegraphs a local storm cell by as much as two hours before it becomes a threat. I have pictures that illustrate development from a fair weather cloud in a blue sky to indication of developing instability. Most people have no interest in the topic. My kids used to laugh when I told them that a cloud is going to be a thunderstorm. Now they send me pictures of clouds and are getting good at interpretstion as well. We joke about looking for whispies. Radar apps are about 10 minutes behind conditions, so by the time you see a cell show green, it’s already too late to react.
Thanks for taking the time to explain. You have a wealth of experience and are willing to share.
It is. Those waves were pleasant, predictable, rolling and fun. Other times they can batter and turn the outing into a struggle. The shallows intesfy them, but you’ll notice there is less wave action in the open water shots. Last November, I posted a picture of the tide line near there. You can see how the wind interacts with the surface of the water on opposite sides of the flow, even on a calm day.
She loves the waves. First time out of the Middle River entrance, we encountered large 40 ft pleasure boats that frequent a Yacht Club. Those boats are outside the “no wake zone,” so they kick up a fair wake. I saw one zip by and she just rode it like a carnival ride and asked if any more would be passing by because it was fun. I have absolute confidence in the Tsunsmi for the conditions. I don’t go out in rough weather or the off season, between 10 November and1 May, but I have been out in mid-March and April.
This is her track and speed chart. She hasn’t developed a rythem yet
Those were fantastic photos you posted. I love that she finds it fun to play in the waves. It helps in learning boat control and handling. Looks like she is a strong paddler there toward the end of the graph. I had a chance to paddle a Tsunami in Maine a few years back out to some islands in East Penobscot Bay. They are a capable kayak for sure.
I don’t know if this will help you or not, but you might take a look at the FeelFree Aventura 12’-6 or the 14’ …I love my 125 it’s a great boat for Lake Tahoe. It’s heavier than the Eddyline, but nicely equipped for a price that is well below Eddyline pricing. It’s a nice go between recreational/touring boat.
The reason I like the Tsunami is the steadiness. I can close my eyes and sit without losing my balance. There are far better boats for the purpose, so I haven’t tried to perfect the surfing technique, just the effort to survive the ride.
Surf kayaking the ocean is a whole different level than waves in the Bay. Not to diminish the dangers that @rstevens15 pointed out about the Bay, for the most part, its important to understand the environment. Despite my comfort and knowledge about the Upper Bay, I’ve paddled rivers, creeks and tributaries,
but wouldn’t venture into open water below the Bay Bridge around Annapolis. I don’t know the conditions or the environment nor do I have the technical kayak handling skills. It’s too late in my game to try. I can watch videos posted on the forum.
@castoff, yes, but they are more suited as a recreational kayak. I compare them to a closed cockpit Pungo. Rather than use the foot pegs and thigh braces for increasing paddling effort, I use them exclusively for edging control.
There was a forum member who hasn’t posted for a while (NTrucker) or close to that. He was a big guy who paddled his 175 Tsunami off the coast of New England and was thrilled with how his performed in the ocean. All I can say is that he must have been talented. The 175 is the proper weight class and size for me. I look forward to trying the 180 Tempest Pro, but I’m afraid I’ve been spoiled by the comfort of the Tsunami line. The advantage of the Tempest is the backband. The back support on the Wilderness Phase 3 seating is great. I selected the Tsunami for that reason, but the high back will interfere with reentry from the rear. The top.of the back shoukd be redesigned to drop below the cockpit rim.
You nailed it. Buy a used composite for less than a thermoformed. Seats in Eddyline hulls are horrible. Friend had a raven it ended up a planter in short order. Deck lines are thin and cheap. We have a Journey not impressed.
Years ago (in 2007) I was in a position of choosing between a Delta and Eddyline for different models than yours. I chose the Eddyline because of the “sleek” Greenland upturned prow and hard chines. I could see in the Eddyline design that it was a fast boat with good tracking. No regrets! The comparable Delta at the time looked like a giant children’s bathtub toy. Look at the “geometry” or “architecture.” An up-sizing to Eddyline’s Fathom is on my wish list, but I have tried the Fathom. It would be my ultimate favorite kayak for touring. Best wishes in your choice!
Thank you @khettich. Feels like I can’t make a bad choice but the eddyline has an edge in performance. Think I’m going that way. Appreciate your perspective!
I REALLY like my Fathom. I have no complaints at all, BUT I have an older one that does not have the adjustable seat pan Eddyline uses today. That seat is a source of many complaints because it seems impossible to really keep it from moving. My friend Sig has it in his Sitka and I have paddled his kayak and found it to be a problem. If I owned it I am sure I’d find some way to use screws or pins to hold it in place once I had it places where I want it to stay.
I have a fantasy that Eddyline would come out with one more kayak, being 17’ to maybe 17’ 4" and with a lower back deck and foredeck, similar to some of the kayaks made in Europe. Not that the Fathom needs to be replaced IT DOES NOT! But one more a bit longer, lower and a smidge barrower would be wonderful.
I have short legs and I find the thigh hooks on my Fathom are a bit higher then I like, but that’s not a criticism of the craft. To make it responsive the way I like it to be I just made a Masik out of some foam and that makes it like a part of my body.
The fathom edge turns like a dream. it turns like it was 2 feet shorter then it is when I have it edged to a point the water is touching my spray skirt and yet it tracks better then my other 16.5’ kayak even without the skeg down Put that skeg down and it’s like running on rails and yet edging hard over even with it down I can still get a 180 degree turn in 3 paddle strokes without trying all that hard.
In the 16.5 foot class I have to say my Fathom is the best I have tried so far. I am a bit sad the new ones have the problems with the seat, and I am really hoping Eddyline fixes that soon. It’s the ONLY thing I can find to bad-mouth about this kayak.
Thank you @szihn for taking time to share your experience. The pan on the one I am looking at is adjustable but I expect I’d have it fully back most of the time. If not, like you said, I’ll find a way to make it stay put!
I’ve had no issues with the adjustable seat in my Raven. If I ever do, I’ll adapt a Redfish seat or make my own out of foam. I had the fixed seat in my Night Hawk and Falcon and prefer the Infinity seat in my Raven.
