Re: [Paddlewise] What is a sea sock?

From: ralph diaz <rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com>
Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 20:52:37 -0700
Again in defense of sea socks which I don't particularly favor for
myself but for which I do see a practical use.

Erik Sprenne wrote:
> 
> > I am not sure you could get one to work well on your plastic kayak.  The
> > cockpit coaming is probably too rounded to be able to accept both a sea
> > sock and your spray skirt.  Fiberglass boats have sharper edged coamings
> > and deeper grooves than do plastic boats and the combo of sea sock and
> > skirt tends to stay on better in them.  This is also true of the
> > Feathercrafts folding kayaks all of which have fiberglass coamings
> > absolutely like those on fiberglass boats with the exception of the
> > inset groove to which part of the folding kayak skin goes.
> >
> If the sea sock fits over the same coaming that the sprayskirt is attached
> to, what prevents the sea sock from being released when the spray skirt is
> released from the coaming?  Especially if the sprayskirt fits tightly and is
> a neoprene skirt??

To my knowledge, this has not happened at least with Feathercrafts.  I
have been contact with hundreds of Feathercraft owners who use
sprayskirts over their seasocks on their coamings and this has not
happened.  This goes for the nylon sprayskirts that come with most
models of Feathercrafts and with the optional neoprene ones that come as
standard on the Khatsalano (I think).
> 
> The concept of a sea sock sounds very practical, but the descriptions so far
> indicate that the sock *might* pop off when the spray skirt is released -
> thereby negating the main reasons for using the sock.
> 
> What am I not understanding?


It won't or at least hasn't for hundreds of users who I have been in
contact with.  I am not certain however, as I stated earlier that this
would be true of a sea sock used on a plastic boat's round non grippy
coaming in conjunction with a spray skirt.  I am not saying that it
won't work with a plastic boat.  I am saying that I don't really know
but suspect that given the round contuours of plastic boat coamings and
the difficulty they sometimes have in hold even a sprayskirt, it makes
me wonder. 


ralph diaz 
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Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
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"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
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Received on Wed May 31 2000 - 17:53:22 PDT

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