I have gone through 3 sprayskirts in 2.5 years. I would like to get something that fits and lasts. I have the Wilderness Systems Artic Hawk with the 24 in cockpit (the smaller of the two sizes offered). 1st skirt was a nylon version from Wilderness Systems. It fit the cockpit fine without me in it. However the center of the tube was forward of the seat. When I put it on it was too long in the rear (sagged lots) and too short to reach the front (hard to get on and tube top pulled down to waist level). Wilderness Systems gave me a refund and suggested buying a custom skirt. 2nd skirt was a nylon/neoprene combination from Snapdragon. I specified a 24 in cockpit but what I got was designed to fit both the 28 and 24 in cockpits (adjustable bungee). I tightened it up enough to stay on and it was okay for about 7 months. The fabric was so bunched that the stiching holding the bungee in place came completely undone. I had a shoe shop restitch it but it only lasted a month. Rutabaga said it was out of warranty and there was nothing they could do. 3rd skirt was a Palm Quasar nylon/neoprene combination. A little tight fitting but ok. Waterproof coating wore off in less than a year. Also the combing cut the neoprenene on each side of the front of the cockpit. I used a tube of aquaseal on it. but it still is a very wet skirt. I think the cutting is due to too tight a fit since I sanded the combing and still got new cuts. No stores in the area have anything to try so it will have to be mail order. I would appreciate any recommendations on skirts and stores especially from anyone who has one of the 24 in cockpit Artic Hawks. I am down in South Texas so I prefer a nylon tube due to heat, but will take all neoprene if that is what I need for a good fit. Thanks for your help. Mark J. Arnold MJAkayaker_at_aol.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Hi Mark > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > [mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net]On Behalf Of > MJAkayaker_at_aol.com <SNIP> > 2nd skirt was a nylon/neoprene combination from Snapdragon. I > specified a 24 > in cockpit but what I got was designed to fit both the 28 and 24 > in cockpits > (adjustable bungee). I tightened it up enough to stay on and it > was okay for > about 7 months. The fabric was so bunched that the stiching holding the > bungee in place came completely undone. I had a shoe shop > restitch it but it > only lasted a month. Rutabaga said it was out of warranty and there was > nothing they could do. They made this decision on a skirt that was only 7 months old without seeing it? Sounds funny to me. I sold Snapdragon skirts for years and have never seen them refuse to handle anything that was a defect no matter how old the skirt. My experience with them was always that they went out of their way to make sure the customer was well served. Sounds like you may be having a problem with the retailer not the skirt. Try contacting Snapdragon directly and explaining the problem to them. (425) 957-3575. Cheers, Rob Cookson -- "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 5/15/00 12:15:24 PM Central Daylight Time, rob_cookson_at_mindspring.com writes: << Sounds like you may be having a problem with the retailer not the skirt. Try contacting Snapdragon directly and explaining the problem to them. (425) 957-3575 >> I was just starting a month long trip when I stopped at Rutabaga (I had driven 1400 miles and had another 300 to go to Lake Superior. When they said they could not do anything about it, I went on with my "repaired" skirt. It broke again about a week later and I had to buy something else on the spot or not paddle. Since Rutabaga had said it was out of warranty and I had a new skirt I never did talk to Snapdragon. That was over a year ago so I do not feel right bothering them now. Mark J. Arnold MJAkayaker_at_aol.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
If it was me I would go ahead and let them know. I don't think they will consider it a bother. My bet is that they would rather have you as a happy customer than one who has unresolved problems with the quality of their product. They can't fix problems if they don't know they exist. I don't think the time frame is as important as you do. Snapdragon sees hundreds of used skirts per year and they can tell by looking at it how much it has been used, which is much more important than how old it is. Go ahead, give em a call, they're nice people and you'll be helping them as much as yourself. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Cheers, Rob Cookson "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" Benjamin Franklin > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > [mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net]On Behalf Of > MJAkayaker_at_aol.com > skirt I never did talk to Snapdragon. That was over a year ago > so I do not > feel right bothering them now. > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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