The Immersion Research Kling On Spray Skirt

Kayak design has become a little bit "cockpits gone wild" in the past few years. There seem to be more and more boats with funky designs (like really flared knee wells for extra volume), XXL oversized and elongated cockpit rims, etc. It's often tough for spray skirt manufacturers to keep up with the latest boat designs, create skirts that will stay on the boat in all conditions, and keep you dry. Immersion research created the SBD (simple but dry), which is an apron style skirt, meaning that it has flap of neoprene on the outside edge of the skirt. This piece of neoprene goes into the cockpit combing and creates one more barrier for unwanted water. It works really well. The IR Kling On is an apron style skirt too,and it is also articulated, which makes it much easier to put on and take off. Demshitz Dave has been using the Kling On for a little while now, and he says that it stays on well, and keeps him dry.

Specs:

Here's a video from Demshitz' most recent Glenwood session. Epic water levels and crushing it. Done in true Demshitz fashion...

Pros:

• Bright green grab loop. Easy to see. It has a plastic cover on it to make it even easier to grip.
• The extra flap of material on the edge, does do a stellar job of keeping you dry. Jackson's, have really well designed cockpits. If you use this skirt with a JK, you will be bone dry.
• Some apron style skirts are tough to get on the boat, because the bungee is 3 inches inside of the skirt. It often takes 2 people to get one on. The articulated design of the skirt solves this issue, and makes it a breeze to put on.
• There is some rubber material on the inside of the skirt. It adds a redundancy for keeping the skirt on.
• Does a good job of staying on a boat that has an elongated or odd shaped rim. Pyranha's are a good example of this.
  

Cons:

• A bungee skirt does not always stay on like a randed skirt. If you are paddling hard class V, you may want to look at a randed one like the Lucky Charm. The Kling On is good for play boating, and class III and IV and easier class V. Once you get into padding really big drops, you may want a rand to help keep the skirt on. After all, Tyler Bradt wore one off of Palouse Falls. But that was only 186 feet.

The Verdict:

The IR Kling On is a progressive spray skirt. It takes the best of the bungee, rand and apron style decks, and combines them together. The latex bungee is thick like a rand, but goes on like a bungee. The flap of neoprene material around the edge of the skirt is reminiscent of apron style skirts, that have been around for awhile. Lastly, the Kling On has an articulated shape to it, which aids the process of putting it on. If you are having problems staying dry in your boat, give the Kling On a try.