Re: [Paddlewise] sea socks

I am finding myself defending sea socks when I don't particularly care
for them for myself.

Phlopz_at_aol.com wrote:
> 
> Excuse me, Tom.  That is sea SUCK.

> I call them Sea Sucks because of my experience with one.

> My experience:
> It sags and clings clammily to your legs.

You have to burp the sea sock before getting into the boat.  That will
greatly reduce the clinging which results mainly from air pressure
within the boat pressing the sea sock on to you.

> It scrunches up and is hard to get into.

Ditto, burp the seasock will eliminate most if not all of this.

> The coating wears off in a few minutes of use --allowing water to pass
> through into the boat.

The Feathercraft ones work quite well for years and years from what I
have seen of them.  The place where your feet press against the sock and
footpegs is made of a heavier material.  The Feathercraft sea sock in
general has been beefed up in the last year with thicker material all
around and the seams are now sealed.  Even before they were seam sealed,
little water got through the stitches.

> There is enough flow resistance to keep the water in the boat from coming
> back through the sea suck to be pumped out of the cockpit.

I am not sure I understand the statement.  Obviously, the sea sock works
to keep water from moving through in either direction.  

> 
> I also worry about the sock pulling off of the coaming and making a mess in
> case of a wet exit --although that Murphey's Law prospect did not happen to
> me.

To my knowledge what you describe doesn't happen to anyone.  In
addition, when getting back into the boat, you will have very little
water to pump out as Phil Torrens pointed out earlier today.

> 
> Various fixes to my complaints are possible.  One is to place a foam bulkhead
> inside the sea suck to prop it up off of your legs.  It might also be really
> tightly installed (say with a stiff drawstring) to make certain (that the
> spray skirt releases without pulling the sock off of the coaming).

The stiffening board is one fix I know that some of my readers have
tried with good results.  Also a number of other fixes which I don't
need to go into here.

> 
> The problem of coating wear-off might be reduced with higher quality
> materials.

Yes.  A cheap sea sock is like a cheap condom...oops, there I go again.
:-)
> 
> My sock is in the care of my son, who uses it as a second line of defense in
> rough conditions; or does he?

Mine was used for a laundry bag and eventually I think I gave it to
someone from Feathercraft who was visiting.  I now want one back for
rolling practice.

-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
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