How tight (around torso) should a neoprene touring skirt be?

Mine has mysteriously gotten tighter over the years and I think I may need a new one. I use it to sea kayak and usually do a few rolls every outing. Should it be just tight enough to stay up, tight enough to push my guts up into my diaphragm and show every contour of every roll of fat, or something in between?

Well, I guess it depends…

If you’re dancin’ at the Gnome de Plume,
and your stage name’s Yak da Stripper,
then perhaps skin-tight must cause crowd fright
when your rolls in role catch zipper,

but if your rolls are out to sea,
then God bless the neoprene rubber,
when its cling does save from orcas crashin’ wave,
as if a Zip-Loc to seal blubber.

lol :smiley:

Mine always got LESS tight with age (theirs, not mine). It sounds like you simply put on some belly fat!

Skirt tubes should be more than just tight enough to stay up, but not so tight as to restrict breathing.

Neoprene tightens up after drying, or maybe that should read it stretches after getting wet. After a long absence from paddling, they tend to feel tighter but I think it is psychological, unless I have in fact put on some fat.

Good one, CWDH!

At last tight enough to hold up. After that depends on your preference for dryness. Looser means more water slips in during your rolls. Tighter means less. Having an overskirt built in to a paddle jacket, dry top, or dry suit would help reduce the water ingress whether skirt is tight or loose.

Mine slips on and I drag it down or up depending on the way I get it. It’s not like a stocking for sure. Dry suit comes over the top of it. I use snap dragons. They will make a custom size if you need it also.