recommend a spray skirt

[Deb Millar]

Chris Mitchell at Second Wind Sports is a Reed dealer. He can get you what you need and fast. I've used him to get Reed skirts -- which I found did not work that well on my RomanyLV, but then the XS skirt wasn't made for the boat, either -- and Chillcheater.

Great guy, too; he taught me to roll on my "other side".

http://www.secondwindsports.net/

Deb M

[cgr]

This is an interesting thread -- I have always liked my Snapdragons; but now I read all you guys who say that your various sprayskirts keep you totally <dry> and that makes me start thinking...that that is a state with which I am unfamiliar! I always get wet underneath my Snapdragons. Perhaps you guys don't spend enough time upside-down? Or are my sprayskirts simply not as good as yours? They are <rugged> enough; but watertight? Hardly...

I <was> thinking, earlier this year, about the feasibility of spraying Scotchguard (or similar) on to the skirt: any opinions?

Regarding the scotchguard, one of my friends puts some kind of waterproofing on his skirt and it works for him(he also puts in on neoprene gloves). I have a bombergear skirt that has a silkscreen finish on it that is supposed to help keep it waterproof. These are randed skirts, so you probably wouldn't want to put in a composite boat.

[jdkilroy]

As far as getting Reed equipment:

I have taken to ordering directly from Reed in the UK. I have had multiple interactions with local (wet coast) supply source that seemed to end in a black hole without repeated requests for attention to my order. (No comment at all personally but I think that rep may just be trying to manage to many things alone)

Order from Reed on the web at chillcheater.com and enjoy excellent prompt and, if needed, custom service. (you'd think I was workin' for 'em)

Re: the pump tunnel: I think the Reed material lends itself well to this particular feature so its not a major production problem to add. Neoprene decks would likely need to add the tunnel in a different material so perhaps not worth it as far as additional cost. To be honest, Ive only used it when fully loaded on day-long paddles in conditions where I'm accumulating water slowly and I want to get rid of it. If I've been in the kind of crap that dumps me out of the boat in the first place, I reenterandroll and paddle with a full cockpit with my attention to managing my craft (both hands on the paddle) not messin" with a pump. It would be great feature tho with another paddler to stabilize you while pumping and not getting any more water in cockpit from seas.

Another thing I like about the Reed equipt: I can patch in a couple minutes with a piece of McNett "clean Tape" no mess, no fuss... ('course, I'm known for patching my hull with tarp tape so take that for what its worth.)

If we paddle together this winter ast to use one of my decks to try it out.

I might add: A very important detail to attend to on any kayak with a fiberglass cockpit flange is to sand the edge of that flange all around to make it smooth and rounded. Really decreases the wear on your spray deck wher it rides on that edge.

Jon