The only fabric you listed I have experience with is the 8 oz. polyester from Dyson. I like it, but its not that easy to sew. Like Kudzu wrote, you have to sew it a bit loose and shrink it tight; trying to sew it on tightly opens up large holes which are a pain to deal with later. I do the shrinking with a household iron (I set the temp to 350F with a digital thermometer) although others use a heat gun. The polyester should stay tighter than nylon when cold and damp (the polyester can slacken just slightly when very cold) although I have had polyester fabric (upholstery fabric, not "skin boat" material) wrinkle pretty badly and have one boat covered in 12 oz. nylon that stays more taught than polyester...

As far as coatings go, Zar is popular for good reasons. It is easy to tint and to apply, but finding it can be problematic (although a lot more retailers carry it than are listed on the UGL website). I've used an inexpensive (~$20/gallon) oil-based polyurethane from Home Depot - Pro Finisher by Parks - that is easier to apply than Zar, but not quite as abrasion resistant (its also an "indoor" product, so you would want to store a boat coated with it inside or at least protected from direct sunlight exposure).

: I know this has been discussed and debated ad infinitum, but...I
: NEED to discuss this again. I really would like to know what
: everyone is using to skin their kayaks and why? I know the
: beloved 8 oz nylon is not available so...is the 7 oz nylon
: better than the 8.9 oz primo? Is nylon better than polyester,
: ie. 7 oz/8.9 oz nylon vs 8 oz polyester? Don't think I want to
: use a 12 oz product unless there are definite advantages...we
: are paddlers and rollers and don't do the surf/rock garden
: thing.

: Also, what is everyone using to coat their kayaks and why? Goop vs
: Zar vs Coelan vs Dura-tuff?

: Thanks...don't mean to try everyone's patience.

: Rosanna