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JayN
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  Quote JayN Replybullet Topic: Spray Skirts
    Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 12:57pm
Hello All,
 
I've been having some issues with skirt implosions and I'm paddling harder water now, so that just won't do.  That said, I'm in the market for a new skirt, anyone have any recommendations?  I'm paddling a large villain, which has an exceptionally large cockpit, so keep that in mind. 
 
Cheers,
Jay
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phil
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  Quote phil Replybullet Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 2:10pm
The choice is pretty much a randed skirt or a normal skirt with an implosion bar.

I like the rubber rands myself and currently use a Skirtworks that fits all my boats. I've had zero implosions in the last 5 years, including waterfalls, plenty of hole rides and more dumb mistakes than I really want to admit. The tradeoff with the randed skirts is they can be harder to get off the cockpit when you need to exit. So if you switch you might want to practice a few wet exits and get a sense for what it takes to pull, kick out with your knees, etc.
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Jed Hawkes
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  Quote Jed Hawkes Replybullet Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 2:26pm
It all comes down to skirt fit, if your stretching a medium deck over a large cockpit, your going to have implosion issues. Snapdragon has a comprehensive fit list letting you know which size skirt goes on which boat.

http://snapdragondesign.com/fit-lists/ww-fit-list/

If you boat is made in the last 20 years, it's probably on this list.

I'm partial to snapdragon, but IR, bombergear and Skirtworks also make a quality deck. I'm not pluggin waterfalls, but I've never had any issues with my deck imploding. I have a L deck for a couple of my boats and an XL for my creekboat.

Edited by Jed Hawkes - 05 Feb 2013 at 2:26pm
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tiziak
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  Quote tiziak Replybullet Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 2:42pm
Snapdragon all the way. And, if in doubt, you could email Rich or Mike and ask their opinion on a skirt in question.
 
Rand is my prefered skirt as well.
If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.

Daniel Patrinellis
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pottert
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  Quote pottert Replybullet Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 4:51pm
Have a little trouble on the Tilton on Sunday Jay?
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JayN
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  Quote JayN Replybullet Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 5:09pm
Nothing serious, just plugged a hole and got swamped.  It was at the end of the drop, so i just paddled over to an eddy... but this is like numero cinco for skirt implosions, so I think it's time to buck up and use some of this real job money and buy something bomber before it goes on me in somewhere serious.
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Sam_Graftton
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  Quote Sam_Graftton Replybullet Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 5:23pm
Snapdragon! Bars work fine, as of now I'm more stoked on bars than rands that could change in time.
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water wacko
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  Quote water wacko Replybullet Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 7:19pm
I've always used a Snapdragon w/ implosion bar for creekin and never had one blow. Also Snapdragon is a local company so if there's ever a problem Rich and Mike will take care of ya!
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ~Howard Thurman
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JayN
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  Quote JayN Replybullet Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 9:53pm
Thanks for all the advice everyone! Sounds like I'm going snapdragon with an implosion bar.
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Travisimo
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  Quote Travisimo Replybullet Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 11:41pm
There is no such thing as a implosion proof skirt (on the market... I think Bradt custom made something )

Here is a snapdragon implosion bar imploding

Bememoth implodes a skirt!
H2O please
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Ellingferd
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  Quote Ellingferd Replybullet Posted: 06 Feb 2013 at 7:26am
I like both snapdragon and IR skirts. However, the dryness of IR skirts is incomparable to snapdragon, especially when playboating. The absence of a bar also allows you to use the skirt on both playboat and creeker if they have relatively similar sizes (l and xl vs xl and m). Right now I use an large deck lucky charm on a wavesport project x 64 and a recon 93. X has a bigger keyhole than the recon, so it is a little hard to stretch over, especially with a beach ball, but works great.
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