Slate Black
Our most rugged whitewater spray skirt with a rubber rand. Made with stretchy, durable Supratex neoprene throughout and a unique Kevlar™ laminated neoprene in high wear areas, as well as an extra layer of abrasion resistant tape over the thigh brace area. Specially formulated rubber rand to stretch well even in cold temperatures. Makes a dry seal on a wide variety of cockpit rims. All seams are glued and taped.
We have also made an 8 minute video to help with rand skirt fit- this can be tricky, and the video goes into some detail about why rand skirts can be so tough to fit properly and offers a lot of specific fit info. The video can be see below. However, here is the condensed, “executive summary”:
1) measure the circumference of your rim- length and width measurements alone will not guarantee a good fit with a rand skirt.
2) Large cockpit: 85″ circumference. XL cockpit: 90″ circumference. XXL 98″ circumference.
44 responses so far ↓
1 Jess // Jan 21, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Which will likely last longer – this or the toughskin rand? I’m tired of buying skirts every year or so – hoping that switching to an IR will help.
Also, how much extra to get a double tunnel on these skirts? Sounds like a great option when wearing a drytop.
2 Roger // Jan 22, 2009 at 9:48 am
Hi Jess
thanks for the comment. If you are the kind of person that is really hard on gear, especially spray skirts, then this the special k was designed for you. what boat do you paddle?
Roger
3 Jess // Jan 22, 2009 at 9:53 am
Thanks for the quick reply. I paddle a 2Fun and a Punk Rocker, looks like large cockpit on the chart.
4 Dorian // Feb 8, 2009 at 1:50 am
I have a Jackson 4 Fun. Is that an XL keyhole size?
5 John Weld // Feb 9, 2009 at 10:06 am
Hey Dorian,
With a rand-style skirt, that shape is a “tight” fit with our Xlarge skirts and an easy fit with our new XXL size. In our bungee skirts, it’s an XL.
Let me know if you have any other questions,
-J
6 Dorian // Feb 9, 2009 at 3:18 pm
I’ll be paddling class 4 rapids and maybe some day class 5. Is a tight fit better for these conditions?
7 John Weld // Feb 9, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Hey Dorian,
I would suggest the Toughskin Rand skirt. Here’s why:
1) For class V paddling, a rand skirt is a really good choice- they perform well in big water.
2) That boat has a really wide rim, which makes it a difficult rim to fit in general, and the toughskin rand is a little easier to get on then the kevlar special K
3) The special K is really only worth the money if you are really abusive with skirts. The toughskin rand is perfectly adequate for 95% of our customers.
I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any questions,
-John
8 John Weld // Feb 9, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Oh- and I would get an XL toughskin rand..
-J
9 Berry // Feb 10, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Hey guys,
I just got my IR Special K in the mail, looks great and can’t wait to try it out.
I have a 33-34″ waist, so I went with the large. It seems a bit looser that my old MS skirt, but not so loose that it slips down.
My only concern is the skirt loosening up over time? Should I swap it out for a M, or will it remain pretty well consistent in tightness.
Thanks!
10 John Weld // Feb 11, 2009 at 9:05 am
Hey Berry,
The neoprene will stretch out *a little bit* over time. If you like, you can switch it out now for a new skirt. Or, if you think it might be OK, you can use it and if over time you think that it’s too big, you can send it back here, and we can switch the tunnel for you.
Let me know if we can help,
-J
11 morgan // Mar 24, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Where are the plaid sprayskirts? Bright red plaid! Like a kilt. It would be cool.
Also, I am a hemophiliac kayaker who works on the Salmon. Bruising at the hips is a common problem for me. If cockpit padding could be built into the skirt so that it hit the boat… rather than the hip shifting to meet the pad… has it ever been done?
12 John Weld // Mar 24, 2009 at 1:54 pm
no plaid skirts from us… I think NRS made them for a while though. I think they were even called the kilt. The problem with adding hip pads to a skirt is the same problem with adding pads to anything (like elbow pads to a jacket). Most people already have hip pads and don’t want to pay for another set when they go to buy a skirt.
-J
13 danny // Mar 28, 2009 at 3:41 pm
4fun size? i thought it was an xl but roger sent me an email and said xxl works great?? so with one? im a mostly ocoee kind of guy but to chattooga sec 4 sum and tellico ledges. i want a skirt that is sumwhat easy-on however dont want a blown skirt if i get stuck in “sock-em-dog”
also, the outfitters never have my size and they say a couple of weks to gt it in. can i order dirctly from you guys??
thanx,
danny
14 danny // Mar 28, 2009 at 5:05 pm
sorry, my “e” key is messin up, im sure u will figure it out.
ty,
danny
15 rloughney // Mar 30, 2009 at 9:53 am
thanks for the note. We are currently re tooling all of our skirt patterns are the cockpit sizes on new boats gradually get larger and larger. I know that our XL will fit the 4Fun, but it may be too much of a hassle to put on every time, from the sounds of your email. What I could do is send you an XL and XXL cockpit Special K, and you could determine for yourself what skirt you prefer. How does that sound?
16 SC // May 2, 2009 at 9:41 am
Thanks for the outstanding customer service IR. I bought a Special K skirt in 2004 and it finally needed replaced last fall. It was by far the best, most reliable skirt that I’ve ever owned and stayed amazingly dry considering how old it was.
Naturally, I went with another Special K to replace it. Unfortunately, I had a collision with a super sharp overhanging rock that came over the deck of the kayak and sliced up the skirt. I mailed it from NC on a Wednesday and received it back in exactly one week. The repair was so good that it is impossible to see where the rip was, unless you know exactly where to look. After using it for the last few weeks, I’m happy to report that, if anything, the skirt is even drier than before I sent it in.
I know people have sent skirts in for repairs and waited two weeks or more just to hear from the company that it was received, and then had to wait another 2-3 weeks or more before they got it back. 7 days door to door is incredible and allows me to say without hestitation that IR has the BEST customer service in the industry. Thanks again for such a great repair job on a truly great skirt. With any luck, I’ll get several years out of this skirt, too.
17 Jay R // May 30, 2009 at 10:30 pm
How does this skirt do on a Sea Kayak. I have am NDK Greenlander Pro and am looking for something of this quality for playing in large surf.
18 John Weld // Jun 1, 2009 at 10:00 am
Hey Jay,
I think skirt has two problems in regards to your boat- 1) The special K is a rand-style skirt, and on many composite boats the rim is too close to the boat for the rand to fit well- sometimes it doesn’t even fit at all. 2) The special K has kevlar in it, and as such, it is our most expensive skirt. Kevlar is really good for serious rock abrasion, but not really helpful in any other way. The point is I think you would be paying a lot of for something you don’t need.
The best match for a composite rim is always a bungee-style skirt. Here’s a couple of possible solutions- either buy an off-the-shelf bungee (like the Shockwave), which would work under really challenging conditions, or if you would like to get a super-beefed up bungee skirt, we can custom make you one. It would probably end up costing less than the special K. If this is of interest to you, let me know, and we can talk about some details.
Thanks,
-John
19 Cian // Jun 30, 2009 at 6:39 am
Hey,
I’m from the west of Ireland, and to the best of my knowledge you guys do not sell your skirts in the UK or Ireland. I was wondering if you ship these decks to this part of the world? Or if you have any plans to open up to the European market?
And do you know if the Large size deck will fit a Jackson Fun?
Cheers,
Cian.
P.S. I’ve had a thicksin thermal top for the past 2 years and it is the absolute business! Thanks for all the toasty days paddling on cold miserable days in Ireland!
20 John Weld // Jun 30, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Hey Cian,
Thanks for the note. We are working with our UK distributer to bring skirts to the UK and Ireland, but in the meantime we can send you one. The shipping would be around $24.
In terms of size, that rim- like many Jackson boats- is unique. All things considered, I would call that an XL cockpit for our rand skirts. The good news is that I have a few XL cockpit toughskins on closeouts here:
http://closeouts.immersionresearch.com/2009/06/19/reconditioned-toughskin-rand-skirts-75/
This would help off-set the shipping costs a bit.
Let me know if you have any questions,
-John
21 Zach // Jul 29, 2009 at 10:54 am
Hello IR.
My girlfriend loves the tunnel on the J-Lo, but wants the dryness and toughness of the special K. She tried on a small special K on the cockpit size recommended for her 07 Jackson 2Fun and loved it…except for the tunnel that came up over her chest. Any chance of getting a custom special k with the shorter tunnel for her? Much thanks!
22 John Weld // Jul 29, 2009 at 11:00 am
Hey Zach,
Piece of cake. Give us a call, and we’ll get that taken care of. 814-395-9191
23 Jase // Aug 2, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Hi, Fluid Element, – What deck would you best recommend?
Thanks in advance.
J
24 John Weld // Aug 3, 2009 at 10:27 am
That would be a large.
-J
25 Eric // Sep 26, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Hi, I’m looking for a skirt to fit both my super star and super hero. My current skirt fits the star great, but upon going off of a 15-20 foot waterfall it imploded on my hero. What would you recommend for this?
26 John Weld // Sep 28, 2009 at 11:59 am
Give how big the super hero rim is (I think it’s the biggest whitewater cockpit out there right now) A randed skirt would be a good choice. Bungees have a hard time gripping the long, straight sides of rims found on cockpits that size.
From IR, I would recommend the Lucky Charm- our new randed skirt- it’s the replacement for the Toughskin Rand skirt. I don’t have them on the site right now, but they will be up this week. You can also call us for more info on this product.
In terms of cockpit size- those are two different sizes- you can get an XXL and it will be loose Super star, or you can an XL, and it will be tight on the Super Hero.
-J
27 Fletcher // Oct 26, 2009 at 9:50 am
I have a Liquidlogic Skip and am hopefully about to get a Dagger Nomad 8.1 or a Jefe. What would you suggest for the skirt size that would fit both? I also need one that will fit the most boats possible because I like to demo different boats, I think the large is the best option, is that correct?
28 John Weld // Oct 26, 2009 at 10:23 am
Hey,
Well, rand skirts fit a much smaller range of boats than bungee skirts, for sure… If you want to fit the Jefe and the skip, get a large cockpit- it’s a perfect fit. If you want to fit more boats, get an XL- It will fit somewhat loose on the jefe, but fit well on the nomad and many other common whitewater boats. The problem is that over the past few years, most rims have gotten much bigger than older liquidlogic boats- particularly the skip and jefe. Even the bigger remixes are XL rand skrts for us.
Let me know if you have any other questions,
-John
29 Kim-lien Dinh // Nov 2, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Hi,
I bought the J Lo last year but this one seem thinner than the one my boyfriend have and it leaks after 3 or 4 roll-over in kayak polo game.
Do you have a nice skirt that keep me dry ? I only 5 feet and have 2FUN Jackson boat.
I m going to buy the standard Kayak Polo boat, do you know what size of skirt that I will need ? Will it be the same size of the skirt of 2FUN Jackson boat
30 jbecker // Nov 3, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Hi Kim,
The J-lo skirt is a skirt that we have designed specifically for women. With that said, it is designed to be a bit easier to get on, and to be a bit easier to get off. Most bungee skirts are going to leak a bit after 3-4 rolls, there is no getting by it, unless of course you use our SBD (bungee on outside of the neoprene) or a Rand skirt, such as our lucky charm or Special K. A rand skirt allows you to have the driest possible seal that can be offered, as it is a solid rand of rubber creating the seal, as opposed to several strands of rubber that are woven together, creating a bungee. Also make sure all of the screws in your kayak are tight- a lot of times, that is the cause of a leaky boat as well. As for the “standard” kayak polo kayak, simply try your skirt on to the new kayak, if it seems to be too loose or too tight, we will ask for the cockpit dimension, and ask that you give us a call and we will help you size it properly. Thank you!
31 Isaac Moore // Dec 30, 2009 at 11:23 am
Hi. My daughter just got a 2010 2-Fun, that we have converted to C-1 with a Dagger Saddle. She’s going to whitewater playboat with it. Her coach recommended that we get a rubber rand sprayskirt from you guys. What do you recommend?
32 jbecker // Dec 30, 2009 at 11:55 am
Hi Isaac,
We recommend the new Lucky Charm rand skirt. It will be a little easier for her to put on than the traditional rand skirts that you have seen on the market thus far. A Large cockpit will fit nicely, but you will want to be sure that the spacing between the back rim of the cockpit and her back is the same as it would be for standard K-1 outfitting. If it is longer, we may have to make a skirt for you. Thanks!
Jesse
33 J.D. // Jan 5, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Anxiously awaiting the arrival of my 2010 Jackson 4 Fun. I also have a Liquidlogic Remix 79. Looks like XXL Special K is the right choice for the Fun, will it work with the Remix too?
34 John Weld // Jan 6, 2010 at 10:00 am
Hey JD,
So, The Remix 79 is squarely a XL cockpit for our rand skirts, but the 2010 4Fun is right in between an XL and XXL. If you want one skirt, I would get an XL cockpit Special K or Lucky Charm. I would also make sure that the Special K that you get is from the shipment of skirts we are getting in here in a few weeks- they are the first generation of Special K’s that we have re-designed for the the wide jackson rims. Sorry that this has to be so complicated, but thats the way boat designers make it….
-J
35 andy // Jan 27, 2010 at 6:13 pm
hey guys, im looking to get a special k rand skirt what size would fit an eskimo salto large?
would it be the same fit for my liquid logic scooter?
thanks guys!
36 andy // Jan 27, 2010 at 6:39 pm
large meaning skirt sorry not large boat
37 jbecker // Jan 27, 2010 at 6:41 pm
Hi Andy,
We will have the new Special K’s in stores around March 1st, 2010. If you are not in need of something quite that burly, check out the Lucky Charm- it has basically the same features, minus the kevlar edging that the Special K has, and is available now. Now for sizing. The Salto will need a XL cockpit, and the Scooter will need a Large. The Salto has a 3 inch longer rim than the other. Also check out the SBD skirt for the Scooter- it has been a popular skirt for playboaters, it is the driest bungee skirt that we have had to date!
Jesse
38 Vlad // Feb 3, 2010 at 6:29 pm
Hi John,
I need your advice on best choice skirt for two boats I have: Dagger Mamba 8.5 and Dagger Kingpin 6.3. I’ve seen that you recommend SBD as a better choice to fit on Kingpin. I am looking for a driest skirt, since both boats tend to leak with Shockwave, that I currently have. I was ready to buy L size Lucky Charm, but at this point I am not sure if that is the best choice. You mentioned that could be a tight fit. I assume that both boats have the same rim. Price is not the issue, just the best choice. Thanks a lot.
Vlad
39 John Weld // Feb 3, 2010 at 6:42 pm
Hey Vlad,
The Lucky Charm would be a better choice for creek boating and/or running serious (like if your skirt implodes you will be in big trouble) whitewater- because rand skirts tend to stay on rims much better than bungees. If you are running easier whitewater (class 4ish), and/or really focusing on playboating the SBD is a better choice- it will be much drier on those two difficult rims. All things considered, dry skirts are good for playboating, but when creeking or river running, you usually don’t notice leaky skirts that much.
It stinks that there has to be a trade-off here- no one “perfect” skirt- but the rims on dagger boats from that era are just not that great.
40 Vlad // Feb 3, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Great advice John,
cheers from Colorado!
41 jason pomeroy // Feb 10, 2010 at 12:24 pm
would a large rand work with a perception java?
42 John Weld // Feb 10, 2010 at 12:40 pm
Hey Jason,
Yeah- a large would be correct.
-J
43 vito // Feb 10, 2010 at 6:16 pm
hi
i paddle a riot astro 54, and hav strugled to find a deck which fits since i got it, i saw on the video abouve your decks going on riot decks and wondered what size i needed
cheers
44 jbecker // Feb 11, 2010 at 11:41 am
Hi Chris,
Riot boats often have a slightly smaller cockpit rim than the average kayak in todays boat market. You will need a Medium skirt for the Astro 54! Thanks
Jesse
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