A whitewater spray skirt is a critical piece of kit for for anyone kayaking rivers. Without one, water will easily splash into your kayak and it won’t take long till you’re floating in a bath tub with no control
Whitewater spray skirts come in many different types, with different features, and at different price points. There’s a range between cheap/easy to use but not as water tight, all the way to the top of the line skirts that cost the most, are a bit more difficult to use, but do an excellent job of keeping water out (and have better implosion resistance -- more on this later).
The 3 main types of skirts we carry at AQ Outdoors are: bungee, bungee with flange, and rand. These describe how the spray skirt seals around the cockpit rim of your kayak, as this is an important factor determining how the skirt performs.
Whitewater Spray Skirt Collection
Bungee Whitewater Spray Skirt
Level Six Jack Bungee Sprayskirt
$170.00
The Level Six Jack Bungee Sprayskirt is a bungee sealed whitewater skirt based on the fit and construction of the high-end Level Six Ace. The Level Six Jack Bungee Sprayskirt employs a super stretchy neoprene deck and a bungee seal… Read More
Spray skirts using a basic bungee to secure the skirt to the kayak cockpit are the most basic, and affordable kind of skirt. The tradeoff is that they don’t keep water out as effectively has higher range options.
Whitewater spray skirts can be tricky to put on, as you have to wiggle into your kayak, roll a section of the skirt onto the cockpit rim behind you, and then lift the front of the skirt over and around the cockpit rim in front of you.
As a beginner it can be challenging doing this, especially if the skirt is a tighter fit like the higher end models, because it wants to “pop-off” the back as you bring it forward
Pro Tip: Get your skirt wet before trying to put it on! This makes it much more elastic and easier to stretch. A dry spray skirt is more stiff, and therefore takes more work (or a lot of finesse) to get around the cockpit rim.
Bungee-only skirts are good for Class I/II water, and Class III as long as there aren’t too many waves crashing down and you aren’t playboating in holes…just pack a sponge to soak up any water that finds its way in so you don’t have to get out of your boat to empty it.
This kind of skirt isn’t implosion resistant. Implosions can happen in dynamic environments that push down with enough force to break the bungee off the cockpit rim. You typically only find these issues in bigger, crashing, strong river features or waterfalls.
Bungee skirts are a great budget, entry-level option that will get the job done for people just starting whitewater kayaking, or for anyone who is just going to do up to cruisy Class III without too much dedicated time playboating.
Bungee Whitewater Spray Skirt with Neoprene Flange
IR Klingon Empire Sprayskirt
$339.95
The Immersion Research Klingon Empire Sprayskirt is a rugged, advanced bungee skirt that creates an extremely dry and secure seal. For paddlers looking for a tough wearing, super dry and long-lasting skirt, the IR Klingon Empire Sprayskirt is hard to… Read More
This type of whitewater spray skirt is similar to the pure bungee style with the main difference being the flange. The flange is an extra extension of material running around the outside of the bungee/skirt.
This extra flange keeps the water out better than just the bungee, and provides a tighter seal. The tradeoff is that these kinds of skirts are a bit more difficult to put on, and cost more than an entry-level whitewater bungee spray skirt.
Rand Whitewater Spray Skirt
IR Royale Rand Sprayskirt
$369.95
The IR Royale Rand Sprayskirt is a rugged, implosion resistant skirt made for hardcore paddlers who can't afford to have a skirt fail in extreme paddling conditions. For those who value security over dryness, the right choice has to be… Read More
A spray skirt with a rand instead of a bungee is your highest performing, but most costly, option.
The rand is much stiffer and more solid compared to a bungee, which goes a long way in providing as strong a seal as possible to keep water out. Rand skirts are also much more implosion resistant, so you can have confidence the skirt will stay in place even in the gnarliest whitewater or off bigger drops/waterfalls.
But a rand skirt is also more difficult to put on, which means beginners will likely struggle putting them on. If you are a beginner who finds themselves with a rand skirt, definitely make sure you get it damp first! Or pray that you have the upper body strength to force it on. Consider spending time practicing on your kayak on dry land...no one wants to be that person holding up their group because they can't get their skirt on.
For paddlers who will regularly paddle Class IV+, running bigger drops, or for playboaters who plan on spending plenty of time doing freestyle in holes, you can’t beat the dependability and waterproofness of a rand skirt. For those who are on the water several days during the season (and especially if paddling year-round), the price easily pays for itself for the improved confidence and less water seepage into your boat.
Whitewater Spray Skirt Summary
So that’s a rundown of the 3 main types of whitewater spray skirts we carry here at AQ Outdoors.
For beginners, budgets, anything under Class IV, or just cruising around without too much playboating, a simple bungee skirt will do the trick.
Looking to be on Class III most of the time, or parking and playing at your local wave or hole? Then a bungee with a flange is a great choice to help minimize the amount of time spent emptying water out of your boat.
Gonna be on Class IV+, or spending long days surfing your local spot? Then a rand is the go-to choice for its tight water seal and high performance in challenging conditions.
If you have any further questions about whitewater spray skirts, feel free to contact us below or visit us in store!
Whitewater Spray Skirt Collection
AQ Outdoors Contact
Edmonton: (p) 780 463-4892 (e) info@aquabaticsedmonton.com
Calgary: (p) 403 288-9283 (e) info@aqoutdoors.com
