OK, at the expense of looking like a complete noob, which I am when it comes to kayaks, what is the advantage and drawbacks of having a spray skirt? Have read that they keep you warmer and dryer, very important in Spring and Fall kayaking, but what else. I do not do white water and only plan to go kayaking on local rivers and ponds in good weather. The only con I have heard is spray skirts can make exiting the kayak more difficult in a flip over, unless you grab the release tab quickly. I realize this is a matter of training and experience. Just want to make sure a spray skirt will be a real value, both for how I plan to use the kayak and how someone else may want to use the kayak should I sell it. This is an important question for me because it determines if I add the combing for a spray skirt or not.

The first photo is how the kayak could be finished without the combing. Just what is the material used to trim the cockpit opening and where do you get it? Also, any idea what the seat and backrest assembly are and where can I buy it? The other photos are my temporary make shift seat and back rest.

Hi Tom,
Exiting upside down is easy with a spraydeck, just make sure the grab loop is outside.
A coaming adds strength to the weakest part of the kayak, the part with the big hole in it. :) To go without a spraydeck, you just leave off the coaming lip.

If you can get/borrow a spraydeck you can make the coaming to fit that model of spraydeck, but remember the model/type because they do vary in shape. I got a spraydeck that looked like it would fit but pulled off at the sides of the coaming in use, the shop replaced it free-of-charge for the correct one.

For the seat, beg or borrow a kayak that has a seat and make a mold of the seat. Cling-film/Saran wrap the seat, smooth it down and spray PU foam on it, don't over do that or it could fill the entire cockpit :( You can then make a seat from the mold using F/glass.
Or if you feel up to it, get a block of minicel (if possible) and carve it to shape.

Mike Savage
South West Cork