Check this: http://www.seakayakermag.com/2008/Feb08/cold-shock.htm

For whatever it may be worth:
I use to imagine that wearing a spray skirt was optional. Once, on a warm, calm, no-spray skirt day a wake from a passing boat curled over my deck and left two quarts of water in my cockpit. Two more boat wakes like that could have sunk me. I now wear a spray skirt even in a duck pond. Mostly it just keeps my seat dry and I don't worry about conditions changing before I can get home.

Habits make life so much easier. No need for long philosophical introspections: "Should I, shouldn't I?" Go kayaking? Wear sprayskirt and PFD. Water cold? Wear wetsuit or drysuit. Bring chart. Have compass. Have decklines. etc. etc.

It is gratifying to see that novices entering an activity new to them quickly and almost automatically pick up the behaviors, equipment, etc. that they see experienced people using in the activity. Everyone in our local paddling group shows up for a trip (just happened again yesterday, 3 different groups) in wetsuits or drysuits, sprayskirts, PFDs, whatever, and it's no biggie, because that's what everybody is (correctly, in my opinion) habituated to bring or wear. And that's the way they'll paddle, solo.

I do agree that a PFD is mandatory and will not get in my boat until I have put one on, even when fishing on my SOT.

So I got a couple of skirts for a comically low price last w/e. I was wondering who I should to contact on this forum to find out what is appropriate as far as mentioning a store by name. I don't want to be accused of advertising and I have no personal or financial connection with the place, but they are selling new, top of the line, full neoprene skirts by "Gul" for $10.00 Canadian and they have lots. Neoprene/nylon upper with suspenders for $40.00 and lots of Gul clothes at half price. It is freaky actually. What is the rule on this sort of sharing?
Steve

Steve, send mikekayak a Message. He's an Administrator, and you can find him on the User List.

Thanks Magic, I'll do that.

SS

I sent a personal message to "mikekayak" concerning the ethics of me posting this info, but since it is to help out other like minded individuals (ie: kayakers in Southern Ontario who want a deal!), he said I could post this. I started this thread to ask for advice on spray skirts. Since then I got the greatest deal at the Paddleshack in Oakville, Ontario (Toronto). Seriously... $10.00 for top of the line Gul neoprene skirts. Nice touring skirts (neoprene deck/nylon upper with suspenders for $40.00). They got a huge order from Gul of overstock and are unloading this gear at crazy prices. I have no connection with this store, but wanted to pass along the info to paddlers in this area. I didn't know if it would seem like soliciting business. I am just a happy customer and I am going back for the $40.00 dry pants. Anybody around this area, check it out. Maybe they ship, too. Just sharin' SS

This thread is like a kayaker without a paddle. It has seen some serious drift.

scoutersteve, you did great, it sounds like. I'm a little envious. I just shelled out a lot more cash for two skirts, the Seals Extreme Tour you mentioned in your first post and the low-end nylon skirt that Seals makes. My logic was: one for colder weather and learning to roll, the other for summer-time floats where I want to be cooler.

I've been out with the Extreme Tour and found it to be a good fitting, dry skirt. I have not yet rolled with it.

Being an ocean paddler I always have a skirt BUT my son and I went for a 2 day paddle on a lake and I thought I would leave the skirt at home. First thing I did was lay the kayak over on edge to turn it around and promptly flooded it!! and then all of day 2 it rained like crazy!! Next time I will take the skirt. Having used a few I now LOVE my REED Chilcheater deck. Very light and very comfortable. Best one I have had so far. http://www.seakayakforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=209
If you go to the above thread you can see the guy in the surf has one as does the last guy. That shows how thin and light they are.

got a Snap Dragon skirt today and it is neo and nice.