First post here but have been lurking around over the winter.
A friend brought me along to the Great Lakes Symposium last summer and I had a blast in a rented kayak. I wanted to get my own gear so I hung out on craigslist and picked up a Wilderness Systems Tempest 165 that came with a paddle and sprayskirt. I’ve been patiently waiting for water temps on a local slow wide river to get up into the 50’s at least and yesterday was the day. So being the total newbie I am, I hop into my new to me kayak decked out in all my gear (wetsuit, pfd, etc) and try to put my sprayskirt over the combing. And I could not get it on. Not even close. I had never tried it on dry land to practice. Ooops. So back in we go, I needed to adjust the foot pegs anyways. And even on steady dry land I could net get it. So I paddled around without it.
Not sure how the previous owners managed with it but I don’t think I want to struggle with it even if I can get it stretched out a bit. I feel a too tight sprayskirt could be a safety hazard for me being so new to the sport. So I’m in the market for new spray skirt. I’ve been reading some and it seems like sometimes the manufacturers recommended sizes are not always a very good fit. So how do you all shop for sprayskirts? Do you risk ordering online(where you might find a deal) and have it not fit well or do you only buy at a real store where they might let you check the fit? Anyone out there with a WS Tempest165 that has a nicely fitting skirt? Any advice/input would be greatly appreciated!
It’s great that you obviously fell in love with the sport.
Did you practice wet exits at GLSKS in your rental skirt and boat?
What brand is the skirt that came with your Tempest? It could be that the bungee needs to be replaced.
As to where to shop: a trustworthy outfitter who actually paddles and knows boats and gear. I purchased my Seals skirt from Marshall at The River Connection. He’s an ACA L4 coastal kayaking instructor and am sure would be happy to help you. http://www.the-river-connection.com/
Well, they usually come off easier than they go on. But they can be tight, especially if they have a rubber rand. Try wetting the skirt first. You may need a helper to hold the skirt on at the back while you use both hands on the grab loop at the front. After you seat the skirt at the back of the coaming, work your hands around the sides of the coaming from back to front, stretching the rand forward as much as possible, Your assistant can help with this. After the skirt has been on a while, it usually is easier to put on a second time.
Wet exits were pretty much the first thing we did at GLSKS in the beginner class. The rented kayak, a Venture Islay, had a nylon skirt with it. It felt snug but I didn’t struggle with it at all.
The skirt I have now is a blue neoprene Immersion Research one, not sure of which specific model. How would I know if the bungee needs to be replaced?
I’ve seen Marshall’s name come up quite a bit on these forums but unfortunately I’m in Michigan. There are a few local places I can look into though.
Where in Michigan? There are some good options in lower MI. RKC in Wyandotte, Power of Water in Lansing, Earth’s Edge in Grand Haven, Bill & Pauls in Grand Rapids. I know the people at RKC & Power of Water but not the others. Rookie’s posts say that she is in the Traverse City area however, she has had good experiences working with Marshall.
AFAIK Seals & Snap Dragon’s fit lists are pretty good.
@Birdie said:
Wet exits were pretty much the first thing we did at GLSKS in the beginner class. The rented kayak, a Venture Islay, had a nylon skirt with it. It felt snug but I didn’t struggle with it at all.
The skirt I have now is a blue neoprene Immersion Research one, not sure of which specific model. How would I know if the bungee needs to be replaced?
I’ve seen Marshall’s name come up quite a bit on these forums but unfortunately I’m in Michigan. There are a few local places I can look into though.
I live in northern Michigan - paddle in the Petoskey/Harbor Springs area. Marshall is my outfitter - place an order and it’s out the door that day and at mine two days later. My Seals skirt is stretch nylon.
I’ve been to RKC once; it’s a nice shop. I’ve emailed Bill and Paul’s. Never went there because of distance, but they were quite friendly and willing to arrange a demo for me.
As to your current skirt, you could contact Immersion Research and ask. Maybe take a photo and send it to them.
If you can, find somebody who is used to neoprene skirts and have them watch you (try to) put the skirt on, just to make sure you’re not doing something wrong. As someone else mentioned, soaking the skirt before you put it on will make it stretchier. Neoprene shrinks as it ages. I’ve got an ancient IR bungee skirt (pale blue/gray) that has shrunken enough over the years that it’s now really hard to put on when dry.
Somebody mentioned replacing the bungee. That’s impractical to impossible with a neoprene skirt - the bungee on a neoprene skirt is sewed/glued to the deck material.
How old is the skirt to start with? If it shows a lot of UV fade in the color, or abrasion, I wouldn’t try to get it adjusted regardless of anything else. And some guys go for really tight skirts which are frankly dangerous to someone who may have trouble getting it off, especially someone new to the sort. You may have purchased this setup from someone with considerably more strength in their hands than you. Get a new one that fits your needs.
And get one with a bungie, not a rand. The latter is very dry but very unstretchable as well for weaker hands, really something that lives best in the world of whitewater.
Sizing is easy for a Tempest 165, if a manufacturer doesn’t have something on their web site indicating what size fits what boat just call them. Most kayak stuff makers are smaller, very accessible companies. I go mostly Seals these days, but I have had very good luck with Snapdragon and Immersion Research as well. I have had at least one skirt from these three, and in all cases I could just call someone on the phone to get an answer if I had a problem.
I tend to paddle with a skirt that runs on the slightly wetter side than some, but I don’t want to be worried about whether I can get the thing off if a problem occurs when I am already tired.