My Snapdragon has worn out, after about 2 years of heavy use. I suppose that is about average, no? I liked that skirt good enough, although it did seem to let in a lot of water when rolling or going in through surf... Anyway, I'm looking for a new all-neoprene skirt, and before going back to a Snapdragon, I was wondering what people think of Bomber Gear or Mountain Surf sprayskirts, or any others. I'm looking for heavy duty. My boat is a NDK Explorer. Any opinions and specific model recommendations? Josh (who is off to another night paddle) ============================================================================== Dr. Joshua Teitelbaum, Senior Research Fellow Tel: [972] 3-640-6448 Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and Fax: [972] 3-641-5802 African Studies Tel Aviv University Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978 Israel E-mail:teitelba_at_post.tau.ac.il www.dayan.org ============================================================================== *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Joshua Teitelbaum wrote: > Anyway, I'm looking for a new all-neoprene skirt, and before going back > to a Snapdragon, I was wondering what people think of Bomber Gear or > Mountain Surf sprayskirts, or any others. I'm looking for heavy duty. Mountain surf is heavy duty. We have two WW skirts we've yet to wear out. The rand is a rubber tube rather than a bungie like the Snapdragons. But I should point out that I've just swapped my MS skirt to my son for a Snapdragon, because the latter fits my rims better. I'm using it on both the Godzilla and the Latitude. -- Steve Cramer Athens, GA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Anyway, I'm looking for a new all-neoprene skirt, and before going back to a Snapdragon, I was wondering what people think of Bomber Gear or Mountain Surf sprayskirts, or any others. I'm looking for heavy duty. My boat is a NDK Explorer. Any opinions and specific model recommendations? I really like my Wildwasser skirt I like having a pocket directly on the the skirt and not on the tube where you can't use it. It has held up well, you can easily remove the suspenders if you wish, and the tube is breathable and it stretches. I owned a Snapdragon before but I like the Wildwasser much better, only drawback is that it is expensive. http://www.wildnet.com/decks.htm# *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Thu, 19 Sep 2002, Mary Z wrote: > I really like my Wildwasser skirt I like having a pocket directly on the the > skirt and not on the tube where you can't use it. It has held up well, you > can easily remove the suspenders if you wish, and the tube is breathable and > it stretches. I owned a Snapdragon before but I like the Wildwasser much > better, only drawback is that it is expensive. > http://www.wildnet.com/decks.htm# i will have to agree, the wildwasser skirts are pretty durable. i bought my first one used, at a sale, and brought it home, only to find out they are made here in colorado. she used to make them... the irony is she was working for a horse blanket repair/manunfacturer, and to fill some of the slack time, they did some sewing for the owners' son's friend... landis!! that was years ago, and they bought all the blanket companies sewing machines, and probably still sew them inhouse. [landis, you still on the list ;--]? absolutely no affiliation with them for years now, except as a very satisfied customer. mark z [of no relation to mary z either 8-] -- # mark zen, po box 474, fort lupton, colorado, usa, 80621-0474 #-------seakayaker[at]dotzen[dot]org-------------------------------- o, o__ o_/| o_. o__/ </ [\/ [\_| [\_\ [\/ (`-/-------/----') (`----|-------\-') `\--------/--------/' #~~_at_~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Colorado Paddlers' Resource http://www.dotzen.org/paddler A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner. ~~ English Proverb *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> My Snapdragon has worn out, My several Snapdragon skirts always leaked around the coaming on rolls and braces. My Mountain Surf does not, but it fits very tightly and you must be sure you can remove it. Also, I find I prefer the all neoprene because it lets in much less water during roll practice. I also like not having adjustable straps over my shoulder. But the all neoprene does not have a pocket as the Snapdragon did. Jerry *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
FWIW -- my own recent sprayskirt replacement experience. I ordered an all nylon bomber gear tour du jour from NRS. Even though I asked for a "small" cockpit size, the one I got had a tag with an "L" on it. I cranked the bungee down hard, but it slipped and leaked badly when I rolled and the "Implosion bar" did not keep it from puddling. THe folks at NRS were really good about taking the bomber gear skirt back, and suggested I try a snapdragon "glacier" neoprene and nylon. (my old skirt that wore out was a snapdragon, which got tired after five years and puddled and leaked a lot at the seam). Then NRS called back and said that they wanted to get the size exactly right so could I send a template of my cockpit (boat is a home built Guillemot Coastal, so the cockpit dimensions are OOAK). Sent them a template and they sent it on to snapdragon and I finally got the skirt about 5 weeks later . . . I am pretty happy with the new snapdragon "custom" skirt -- it is the dryest skirt I have had yet -- I can roll without taking any more than a few drops of water. Havent tested it in really gnarly conditions, but now that I have learned to keep the chest tube really high up it stays dry when waves break into my lap. (Couldnt keep the chest tube high enough on my old skirt because the tube then pulled the skirt off when I leaned over in a roll). I say I am pretty satisfied because, despite the "custom" fit with a template of my cockpit, the fit is a tad looser than I like. OK, a lot looser than I would like. I have not had a problem with it coming off -- but for a while, I could see the elastic peeking over the edge of the coaming instead of being taut inside the lip. You cant adjust the sewn-in bungee on the Glacier. I have more or less adjusted for this by (1) leaving the skirt stretched around the cockpit for two weeks, hoping to get the neoprene to "learn" the shape of the cockpit a little better and (2) I have found that by taking care to center the skirt and also stretching the elastic at the sides of the cockpit toward the stern, I can get the skirt to tighten up a little. But I still occasionally look over and see that elastic band peeking over the edge of the lip and it drives me crazy because I am not sure it would hold in real serious conditions. I havent contacted snapdragon about this issue because the skirt works OK and I dont want to wait another five weeks for a replacement. I suspect if I made noise about it they would offer to fix it. Maybe this winter ! --Karl Coplan *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Snap Dragon did a custom fit to my Romany on an all neoprene (tube & deck) skirt. No leaks, great fit, no shredding....and I've spent a good deal of time upside down while learning rolls. The skeg box on my romany leaks more than the skirt.... -Will *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Thanks to all the Paddlewisers who answered me on this thread. Basically, it seems that the problems I had had with leaks with the Snapdragon may have been because I had an off the rack model. Two responders with the same boat as I have (NDK Explorer) indicated great satisfaction with the Snapdragon in a custom model. I also got one endorsement for Bushsport, which I will check out. Also, several reported that Mountain Surf was very heavy duty. Thanks again, Josh ============================================================================== Dr. Joshua Teitelbaum, Senior Research Fellow Tel: [972] 3-640-6448 Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and Fax: [972] 3-641-5802 African Studies Tel Aviv University Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978 Israel E-mail:teitelba_at_post.tau.ac.il www.dayan.org ============================================================================== *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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