What is the right spray skirt for me?

As people near the end of their construction project, and begin looking forward to getting out on the water, a common question we hear is; “What is the right spray skirt for me?”  To answer this question there are a few considerations to make.

·        What size skirt will fit your boat
·        What sort of material will be best for the type of paddling you will be doing
·        Are there any special features you want in your skirt

 What size will fit your boat?

Perhaps the most important consideration to make when choosing a skirt is fit on the boat.  You want to be sure the skirt you choose fits firmly enough around the cockpit coaming to prevent leaks and unintended release.  However, it should not be so tight that it is a challenge to remove, particularly in a capsize situation. 

The best way to determine if the skirt you want will fit properly is to take your boat with you while shopping, so you can try the skirt on.  To test the fit, sit in the boat, with the skirt on, and move your torso around to mimic a paddle stroke.  Be sure that the skirt is comfortable around your torso, does not inhibit movement, and that the skirt deck does not tend to pull and slip off the coaming edge.  The next, very important, step is to lean forward, grab the loop at the front of the skirt, and pull forward, then up to release the skirt from the coaming.  You should be able to release the skirt without a great deal of effort. Try it with both hands, if you are right handed you want to be able to pull the skirt off with your left hand as easily as your right.  If it is a challenge to release the spray skirt, try a larger size.  Remember, what is a bit of a challenge to remove on a showroom floor, can be dangerously challenging in a rough water capsize.  

If taking your boat with you is not an option, know the cockpit coaming size (width x length) when shopping, and enquire if the dealer has a fit list that will guide you to the appropriate size skirt for your boat model.  Another helpful tool might be to make a cardboard template of your cockpit coaming to compare to the skirt. 

We offer a great selection of Snap Dragon Design spray skirts.  All are custom sized for the cockpits of our boat designs.  

What material is best for you?

Common material options for spray skirts are nylon, breathable nylon fabric, and neoprene.  The main things to consider when it comes to choosing your fabric are the water conditions, and weather conditions you like to paddle in. 

If you are an extreme surf zone paddler, who likes rough water conditions, you will likely prefer a neoprene deck spray skirt.  A neoprene deck fits very snugly around the coaming, to minimize leaks.  The neoprene deck is fairly stiff and taut, which will limit the tendency for water to pool.  A neoprene deck will provide a superior seal so that you will stay dry while executing your roll. Drawbacks to a neoprene deck are; they can get quite warm on hot sunny days, and the stiffness of the material can make it a bit more challenging to remove in a wet exit situation.  Because neoprene decks work best when they are well fitted to your cockpit, many manufacturers will custom size their neoprene skirts for a small up-charge.  All of our Snap Dragon Design neoprene spray skirts are custom sized for our cockpits.  We offer 2 different neoprene decked spray skirts. An all neoprene tube and deck for the paddler who likes to roll and paddle in more extreme conditions, and a neoprene deck with nylon tube. This skirt gives the dry, taut fit of neoprene with the comfort of a looser nylon tube. 

Nylon material has the advantage of being cooler to wear on hot paddling days, and they are easier to remove during a wet exit. Recreational day paddlers and touring paddlers will often prefer a nylon skirt for these reasons.  Breathable nylon skirts offer a similar fit to a basic nylon skirt, but with the added advantage of a breathable fabric, making them the most comfortable choice for those long paddling days in warm weather conditions.

Special Features? 

Popular features that may be included on a spray skirt are chest pockets, mesh deck pockets, implosion bars, or paddle park loops.  Any of these features may or may not be useful to you so it really comes down to personal preference.   Never opt for a skirt that is only a marginally good fit on your boat, but has some special feature that you really want.  Your spray skirt is part of the safety equipment needed for your boat, so fit should always take priority over bells and whistles. 

All nylon skirt

Waterproof Breathable

All Neoprene

Neoprene Nylon

To add a perimeter line to your boat as shown in the diagram, you will first need to create and install two soft pad eyes and line guides made from your hatch straps.   

To make the soft pad eyes, cut two 3” lengths of webbing.  Use a lighter to seal the cut ends of webbing; this will prevent the ends from fraying.  Fold the webbing pieces in half, then with the heated tip of your soldering iron, make a hole, 3/8” in from both ends of the webbing. 

To install the soft pad eyes onto the deck sheer panel, drill a 3/16” hole in the center of the sheer panel, about 5” forward from the front edge of your cockpit opening.  This should put the soft pad eye in line with the nylon pad eyes nearest the cockpit opening on your bow deck rigging.  Seal the plywood edge of the hole with epoxy and let cure.  Then bolt the webbing loop onto the boat.

To create the line guide loops on your hatch straps, fold the end of your hatch straps with the pre-made hole over so that you have a 1 ½” diameter loop.  Then, using the existing hole as a guide, use the soldering iron to create an additional hole through the webbing.  Install the hatch straps back onto the boat per the instructions included with your bulkhead and hatch kit, except this time you will bolt through both holes in the folded end of the straps, so that you are left with a loop on the end of the strap.  This will act as your perimeter line guide.  

To install the perimeter lines, first determine the length for the bow end of the boat. Add 4 feet for the knots needed to secure the line.  Cut the amount needed. Seal the cut end of line using your lighter.  Run the line through the toggle hole in the bow end of your boat.  Making sure that the ends of the line are even with each other, tie a figure 8 knot on a bight in the line, so that there is a loop at the end of the perimeter where it exits the toggle hole.  Run the line along the sheer panel on either side of the boat, through the guide loops in the hatch strap ends, and then tie off to the soft pad eye installed on the sheer panel with a figure eight. 

The stern perimeter line is installed in the same way as the bow line, except it is tied off to the nylon pad eyes at the aft end of your stern deck rigging assembly.

The above diagram shows the figure eight knot.  To create a "bight" with a double figure eight, pass the working end through the toggle hole or soft pad eye and then reverse the direction of the line. See the photo at the upper left of this section.