Using a Sea Kayak Spray Skirt

Video Transcript

"In this clip were going to talk about the importance of the spray skirt. We wear a spray skirt th keep the water out of boats. Russel is going though show you how to put on a neoprene spray skirt. First were going to start and always start in the back. Fully engage it in the under cut of cockpit coning work it around the sides and then pull it on. This is a pull loop so if you should capsize you can pull this loop and it releases. Russel's going to show you haw to remove a spray skirt. Pull forward then up. He lets go of the spray skirt reaches around and pushes the back of the kayak and out he comes. What is real important about the loop on your spray skirt is to pull it forward first instead of back first. Russel here is pulling on it and you can see the skirts not coming off immediately. This could set you into panic. So always practice pulling that skirt forward then back. This will release the tightest skirt. Now there?s different types of spray skirts. People this may be a little bit to tight so you can get a nylon skirt comes off very easily. We prefer neoprene because when were in rougher water like waves and serf and white water it doesn't come off as easily. This may come off but on regular day paddle if you just want to keep the sun and water off your legs a nylon skirt works really well. We also want to show you another way to remove a spray skirt. Often times were in a hurry to get on the water because others ore waiting for us. So we may inadvertently put our loop in. So what we want to do is not be depending on the loop to pull the spray skirt off. It's like a shower cap it's just a bunch of cord around the undercut. You just pull it off. Russel here is going to show how to pull it off without using the loop. He turns to one side digs in and pulls the skirt away from the cockpit coning. See how easy that is. This is something that you really should practice. And we challenge our self that if we should capsize we try not to pull the loop at first we practice by not using the loop."