I have a nice heavy duty Brooks neoprene sprayskirt I’ve given to my GF but the tunnel is very tight on her torso so we’re contemplating ideas for loosening it up a bit. We were thinking of cutting and sewing in an elastic stretchy material. Has anyone have any alternate or better ideas?
Bert
If it’s a neoprene tunnel, you can
splice in a section, but you’ll have to use neoprene cement to do it. Sewing is not helpful if you do a good job with the cement.
First, however, see if you can’t cut down the tunnel, removing any tunnel height not necessary for the paddling clothes she wears. Many tunnels are ridiculously tall, multiplying the effect of constriction produced by the tunnel diameter.
303
How about using 303 to try to stretch it?? My spray skirt is very tight on my cockpit and I was told to put 303 on it and to stretch it right on the boat for a few days. Perhaps you might want to try that and stretch the tunnel with something before jeapardizing its quality!!
Mia
Just buy another one.
Maybe G2D’s suggestions will work. But a tunnel that is either too tight or too loose is a PITA. Too tight: uncomfortable and interferes with breathing. Too loose: water gets into the cockpit down your back. It is true that tunnel height is generally excessive, even for men. For women it is ridiculous. But a too small diameter is something I would not DIY.
Could buy another one
but I’m reluctant because it’s a really nice skirt otherwise…fits the cockpit nice and solid.
Also because she hasn’t got lots of money and I don’t need this skirt as I don’t have a boat anymore that it fits.
I hadn’t thought of shortening the height of the tunnel but it is taller than neccessary…I have to go behind her and yank it up to her armpits all the time.
Great advice.
I’ll start by shortening it and then try to stretch it a bit with some sort of jury rigged
stretcher. Does 303 make it more stretchy?
Bert
Neoprene is very easy to work
with and adding in a piece to make it larger would be pretty easy and a good solid fix. I would call Brooks and tell what your problem is and I’m sure that they would be happy to send you a piece of neoprene to enlarge the tunnel for free. Glue the neoprene into place and apply Melco heat tape along the seams and your ready to go.