I’m trying to find spray skirts for my two Loon 138T kayaks. Anyone have any suggestions? Old town says they don’t have accessories for these anymore. The only place I’ve found that seems like they might be able to help is Oak Orchard Canoe, but the website says it would be a custom order for the 138T. Waiting for a reply back from them as their custom order person is out today. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Maybe someone has some old skirts they’d be willing to part with?
How big is cockpit? (Width, Length)
Cockpit is 86"x19"(at it’s widest point). Seals shows them as made to order, though I don’t see any pricing or way to buy.
Why do you want an 86" long spray skirt?
I think you’ll be disappointed. Normally we say kayaks with 56" long cockpits are too long. A wave, a capsize and rain puddling can collaspe the skirt. But 86". Cover maybe. But you’d likely need battens to support the middle.
Now there is a half cover if you want to keep drips or sun off the legs.
I want a spray skirt because while we’re out I want to have the seats covered. and something to keep water out. Last time we went through the intercoastal a power boat swamped one of our yaks from the rear and we had to pull it up on an island to empty the water out.
You will likely have to have a custom skirt made.
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The problem is that being long will allow water to pool in the center. Once the water pools it gets heavy. The coaming isn’t likley made for retention of the skirt and it will “implode” letting water into the kayak.
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OK I’m a little old and belly-ish. I can reach the front coaming of my 33" long cockpit. I could never reach a 56" much less a 86’’ coaming. Remember you sit in and put the rear of the skirt on first. Note its awkward working behind you. Then stretch it forward to the front of the coaming.
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I would work on how to handle waves more than a skirt I could not put on the boat.
PS…the way you get out of a skirt is to lean forward and pull the front tab of the skirt off the coaming. (86" is 7ft 2")
These are tandem kayaks so that’s why the cockpit is so long.
Tandem rec kayak?
Maybe you need a real Sea kayak single(s) or Sea kayak tandem. Something about making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
Then again you might consider more of a ww canoe float bags and skirt. They call the skirt something else. Not my experience.
Well, these are what I have. I have a family of 5 so we needed something to get everyone on the water. We do have a canoe, but the kayaks are much faster on the water.
Keep in mind, the skirt would limit the seating positions on the boat. I believe that boat allows for the seats to move so it could be used solo or as a tandem? If tu di want to change, you would need a different skirt of solo versus tandem. And if you are putting little kids in between adults, that would no longer work (they would be under the skirt.
As mentioned, such a large skirt would pop off easily. A boat wake taken over the boat could likely pop the skirt off also, defeating the purpose of the skirt.
I am guessing here, but the boat wake that flooded the boat - did you take it from the side? Aiming your boat straight into larger waves would reduce the chance of flooding and/or flipping.
The wake came in from the rear actually. We had crossed the intercoastal and it came over the stern of the boat after we crossed.