Spray Skirts
Printed From: ProfessorPaddle.com
Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12845
Printed Date: 17 Jun 2025 at 8:29am
Topic: Spray Skirts
Posted By: JayN
Subject: Spray Skirts
Date 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 |
Replies:
Posted By: phil
Date 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. |
Posted By: Jed Hawkes
Date 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. ------------- The line will become apparent 978-273-7723 |
Posted By: tiziak
Date 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 360.434.4616 |
Posted By: pottert
Date Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 4:51pm
| Have a little trouble on the Tilton on Sunday Jay? |
Posted By: JayN
Date 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. |
Posted By: Sam_Graftton
Date 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. |
Posted By: water wacko
Date 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 |
Posted By: JayN
Date Posted: 05 Feb 2013 at 9:53pm
| Thanks for all the advice everyone! Sounds like I'm going snapdragon with an implosion bar. |
Posted By: Travisimo
Date 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 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=oXINFouNZvw#t=202s - Bememoth implodes a skirt! ------------- H2O please |
Posted By: Ellingferd
Date 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. |