I know I bought cheap kayaks. Hey I got 2 kayaks outfitted with paddles pfds etc for $500 total. I bought two Potomac 100ESs at Dicks. I bought 2 spray skirts for these. The combing on these kayaks is lacking to say the least. The spray skirts fit but pulls away rather easily on the sides of the cockpit. Any suggestions on how to aid the adhesion of the spray skirt? Can I add to the combing?
velcro
I bought a spray skirt for a big open cockpit tandem Old Towne Loon 160T in 2005. I use it occasionally on cool rainy days, but it doesn’t get used very often. I think it was waterproof 3M velcro. For what it’s worth, that stuff is still stuck on both the kayak coaming and the skirt, and it has done the trick for keeping the skirt in place. I think it was a similar problem. The skirt is long, and the sides along the center of the cockpit opening didn’t want to stay wrapped around the coaming. It’s not sea-worthy, but neither is the Loon. But that Loon still takes friends and large dogs paddling and camping. I’m starting to think my dog Otis might even go for the skirt on a rainy day.
Anyway, if it doesn’t have to be a tight waterproof seal, that waterproof velcro may just do the trick.
What kind of skirt
– Last Updated: Jul-27-11 4:04 PM EST –
did you find? I have a potomoac 100 we use as a creek boat. I did not know you could get a skirt. Can you shorten up the elastic at the back? You need to be careful taking that boat anywhere a sprayskirt is really needed, if you swamp it the only way your getting the water out is pulling it ashore.
If you are talking about a splash guard like the one I bought at Dick's, on my potomac 120 I got some of those stick up keyholders from Lowes and wedged them under the coaming, one on each side. I thought they would come off when they got wet but they haven't. Be sure to put them where you won't hit your hands on them.
Again, if the potomac fills with water the foam inside is not going to float it with the coaming above water so you can't bail it out. Be careful anywhere you think you need a sprayskirt. I took mine places I shouldn't have with confidence built on ignorance. It's OK for what I use it for now, which is paddling anyplace I can walk ashore.
Dump the skirts
If you are doing anything over Class I, don’t use the skirts at all. Those huge skirts become a hazzard in real whitewater. If you just need a aplash skirt, dump them and get something that just attaches to the boat. Some of those have small supports that help repel the water away from the cockpit.
$0.02
Not so importaint
The sprayskirt is not so importaint unless you’re out in cold weather or dealing with lively conditions. My Daughter paddles a Tsunami and refuses to use the skirt. Other than a lap full of water and some occassional sponging out it’s no big deal. She does not go with us on open water paddles. What’s more importaint is that these kayaks have some sort of built in flotation. I’ve seen kayaks with no bulkheads or flotation fill with water and pretty much sink. Not a pretty sight.
Gary
Spray Skirts
The skirts aren’t for any real rough water. They are just nylon with a zipper. They are really just to keep the drips from the paddle etc off. I have heard that nothing sticks to polyethelene. I’m not sure how to attach velcro. I have tried tightening the shock cord as much as possible but it still doesn’t hold very well. They can certainly stay attched to the boats as that was my intention if I just knew a way to make them stick.
OK
I updated my post at the same time. Get the peel and stick keyholders, wedge them back under the coaming with the adhesive side against the hull. Been working for me to hold a splashguard on as long as you are only using it to keep paddle drips out. FYI a longer paddle, and lower paddle angle, will help with paddle drips. They land on the side of the boat instead of on your knee.
try this
I have a woodframe kayak with a hoop coaming that the sprayskirt tends to pop off of. I stretched a blown out skinny bike tire tube around the coaming flange (you can probably get one from a bike shop that they were going to throw away) and it’s just “sticky” enough that it helps the skirt flange grip. If the cockpit is too big for the bike tube, you could cut a strip from the outside of a car tire tube if you can find one. That textured non-slip tape for steps and floors could work too – just something to make the underside of the lip less slippery.
great idea willow!
Let us know how it works
I have a friend with a Potomac and, it seems to me, the lip on the coaming is practically non-existent, so I can understand why you have trouble getting the skirt to stay put. She had a spray deck and just gave up. A few of these suggestions sound like they might help. Let us know which one you use and how well it works and I’ll pass along the information.
The skirt for our Loon 111 came with
velcro already sewn onto the inside edge of the skirt and had the matching piece that affixed onto the outside of the combing. This piece had a paper covering that was pulled off, put in place, and preseds the sticky part onto the outer edge of the kayak combing. The pieces can be mated prior to getting into the boat as it has a large opening due to the zipper being quite long. I only use this skirt in the winter and it works well. I use the Loon 111 as it’s very stable and I only paddle on water I know very well.
Unfortunately, I don’t know the manufacturer and the vendor it was purchased from has gone out of business.
Spray Skirt
The lip on the coaming around the side is almost nonexistent. According to Pelican and other sources almost nothing sticks to this type of plastic. The innertube sounds like a possiblity although it may not have much grip either. I was looking at a plastic welder at Harbor Freight, less than $15, to possibly weld more plastic to the coaming. I may try the velcro approach with some stainless steel bolts and lock nuts to hold it in place.
Peel and stick
keyholders been on mine since last fall
you post-changer you!
Pelican PS-1026
Customer Service from Pelican says they don’t make a spray skirt for this Kayak. Dick’s website says the PS-1026 is for the Potomac 100ES. It does fit. It has a zipper down the front for easy entry/exit. You will have to do a search for it by model number I don’t think it shows up otherwise. They say it is for the 8 foot model but the cockpit is the same size. I’ll give the keyhooks a try, sounds easy and cheap.
with malice
and fore thought.
You got a pass to be on this board Slushly?
Pelican skirt on Pelican kayak.
The lack of combing could be improved I thought by riveting on some rubber half round to make it taller and I and I almost went this route but decided to try the Velcro instead. I used the industrial strength and the lip of the skirt sticks to the glue very well , seems like it is holding.