sprayskirt fit

Help me out here…I’ve got a Boreal Fjord with a skeg and I’m looking for a good spray skirt. First how are the sprayskirts sized in relation to the cockpit of the kayak…are they onesize fits all or is there more precise sizing system? Also is neoprene necessary or can I get by with a nylon skirt? I live in Maine and paddle mostly large lakes and very protected coastline in new england.


they are sized differently
most sprayskirt companies have sizing charts on their websites. If you don’t see your kayak listed give the company a call.



I would go for a neoprene sprayskirt.

skirt
I have Seal’s book in front of me and it says size 1.4 in both.

sprayskirts
Great thanks fellas

Size is usually listed on skirt labels
When I bought mine, it listed the circumference of the cockpit that it fits on - something like 87" to 91" or whatever the range was. You should be able to measure your cockpit circumference to make sure. Different manufacturers have different sizings, so a size 2 from one source may not be the same as size 2 from another.



Then you need to get one with a torso opening that would fit you.



As for neoprene vs. lighter-weight, I would like to find out myself. So folks, do share, please. I only have one skirt and it is a neoprene (so I can use it on my WW and my Touring kayaks - it fits both). I’ve only used it in relatively warm weather (50+ degrees to up to 70 degrees air, about 60 water) and it feels OK there but it seems like I would want to have a lighter one for summer. But Maine? I have no idea how cold it is there in the summer…

skirts and temperature
to some people it is very important. I wear a neoprene spray skirt all year round, every time I kayak. It gets pretty warm here in South Carolina and it doesn’t bother me.



As far as ‘lighter weight’ for the sake of saving weight (if that is what you meant), it probably doesn’t matter.

Neo versus nylon sprayskirt
The biggest reason that people go looking for a neoprene deck skirt is when they decide to learn rolling, or if they find they are in bigger waves/seas where the dumping water can cause a nylon skirt to implode. If you are never in either of those situations, you are likely OK with a fabric skirt.



The other critical diff between the two is that in case of a capsize, you have to think about pulling the neo deck skirt off where the fabric skirt will usually just push off.



That said, we have paddled in Maine for two to three weeks each July for well over a decade now, and I find those waters to be a pretty good argument for a neo skirt.

Heavier weight as in sturdier
The message below seems to explain the benefits of neopren vs. fabric.



When I think I’m going to hit rougher water or just want to practice “risky” moves that might lead to a capsize, I do put my neoprene skirt on. But in calm water sometimes just have it around my torso and not attached to the cockpit coaming so I get some air in the cockpit for cooling. It is usually cooled by the water enough thru the boat, but I have not yet had a chance to experiment in 90 degree sun with it…