Hi, I just bought a new Epic 18x and would like to know what is a good fitness skirt for this boat? Also, I currently have Malone’s “Sea Wings” kayak rack but I think a rear loading rack may be better for such a long kayak. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Congrats
Hey Marco, congrats on picking up a fitness boat after all the interest shown earlier. The 18X is a nice-looking ride, I hope you enjoy it.
I’m not sure what you mean by a fitness skirt, exactly, but I picked up a new boat a while back and bought an Immersion Research Excursion skirt for it - a really nice product. Quite thin and stretchy, pretty dry, nice breathable tube with removable suspenders, should keep you from over heating.
Anyway, it’s a good light weight skirt that I prefer to my Snapdragon and for much less money. Apparently it’s on sale everywhere for a great price as it’s been discontinued - see the IR site for sizing. The prices at Austin Kayak, Backcountry and Campmor are really good right now.
I like Snap Dragon for a skirt
I am on my second one.
The first one got thousands of miles and ten years of use before finally developing a few leaks.
I like the one with the neoprene deck and the rubberized nylon tunnel.
Jack L
Extreme Seal 1.7
– Last Updated: Jan-25-12 12:15 PM EST –
Neoprene works well for me. The cockpit is a little longer since it is designed for paddling with knees centered, so the seal on the sides will not be as tight as a rounder cockpit, but it works.
I use the Yakima Bow Down J racks, but for years I just used large foam blocks on the factory crossbars. I taped sandpaper to the underside of my Epic and shaped the foam blocks so that they exactly matched the hull. I still use the blocks for the short - 2 mile trips to the local boatramp and I use the J racks for longer trips. I don't like to keep the J racks on because I drive a lot of miles each week and it reduces milage and increases wind noise. The boat is long but extremely light. I have no problem just lifting it onto my Jetta Sportwagon.
The Epic 18X is a great kayak and I am circumnavigating the Chesapeake Bay in it (2/3 done at present)
Pete
excellent boat
Span is the key to safely moving a long boat. On my taurus I pop riveted up thru the door frames to hold the yakima clips. No problem to do 1,000 miles at 70 mph. The front rack is by front windshield. The back rack is by back windshield with about 4 ft of span.