I'm away until tomorrow evening, but will find out what size Lomo deck I've got and the dimensions of my cockpit. The other option you've got is a Reed deck, however I've borrowed Nick's and I found it much more difficult to get on and off.

I bought Lomo's standard ocean cockpit spraydeck. It's in thick neoprene and seems as tough as old boots. However on a previous keyhole deck from them, a run of stitching unraveled, which ultimately led to a seam coming apart, although the external cloth was still intact so you couldn't see it. This...

I don't think they're the right tool for whitewater. They let water in through the seals, and two of my sea kayaking buddies have found their nearly-new suits were leaking like sieves through the arms and feet because of loads of pin-prick holes in the fabric. Some sea-kayakers swear by them, claimi...

If, as Mike says, you're in a 'buy another boat' situation, then you've got nothing to lose trying a home repair. I'd get some sail repair thread and stitch along those two seams that run the full length of the floor. I'd probably do it by hand, but you might even be able to get it through a sewing ...

I don't have any photos, but I know that, for the Shrike, Nick used the dimensions from the same historical boat that was the basis for the Anas Acuta. Nick's got a very early Anas Acuta which I've paddled and it felt very similar to a standard Shrike, but with an ocean cockpit. Nick's been poorly f...

Plymouthdamo I like what you have done there, Skeg slider further back in the rear section but still in reach, and hatch sunk into the front deck...nice. My next boat is gonna be a shrike Thanks - moving the slider back so the entire mechanism was contained in the rear compartment was the only non-...

A full-sized Shrike is the same length as any standard sea kayak, and you can then make it high or low volume by setting the deck height. I now much prefer very low volume boats, for rolling etc., but my 3-piece is a standard high volume one - exactly the same dimensions Nick quotes for his prototyp...

My route into sea kayaking was similar to yours. I started out with an old knackered plastic Perception Dancer before moving on to a surf/white water boat and using that extensively, for medium-distance sea kayak trips. (I also have an inflatable, but was only using that for paddles up rivers or can...

Silentjay - you strike me as the kind of guy who'd appreciate a good game of 'spot the 17.5 foot, skegged Shrike'...

Help please. I have inadvertently cut my 3mm plywood panels (all 10 ) at 214 mm as opposed to the correct measurement of 244 mm. After realising this I cut a 60 mm strip thinking I could insert this between the 214 mm panels. 1. Is it feasible to insert a 60mm panel at the bottom of the hull and wh...

I appreciate Greenland sticks are a bit 'marmite,' but surely we should respect individual preference and certainly shouldn't be beheading someone just for going against the prevailing view. Very impressive by the way. Going from nothing to a self-built Greenland boat in a week must feel like such a...

I've got the latest version of The Twist and can confirm it's bomb-proof, despite the material being much lighter than the heavy rubbery stuff used in the previous incarnation. The only problem I had was that the inflatable back and foot rests are a bit Mickey Mouse, so I replaced them with a commer...

The quarter turn covers - when I have had them, a stick with a couple of knobs, stick long enough to give leverage, knobs to go in the indentations where you grasp the cover to turn. The little holes definitely help prevent your hatches being vacuum-locked in position - I use a slightly posher vari...

That photo only shows the circular hole cut out for the day hatch - any circular recessed hatch of the right diameter could fit. However, you'd want to choose carefully as some are no good. You definitely want to avoid the sort which aren't fully threaded. (Difficult to explain in writing but essent...

Could anyone kindly identify the manufacturer? https://media.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/uploads/4998/1545757690148-2384.png I'm not sure you've posted the right photo. The one you've posted is of a Shrike built by Neall in Devon, and was originally posted in Nick Crowhurst's Shrike thread here: https:...

D) I could go out on my friend's borrowed kayak (hard structure, with borrowed friend). Is the canaltrust license only good for a specific vehicle? What about the BC membership? Is BC membership ok for multiple vehicles or only one specifically registered? Is BC membership a more flexible licensing...

I'd consider changing your post title to include specific boats. Using 3-letter acronyms (or initialisations) in adverts reduces your audience at the best of times, but it's a real own-goal if the majority don't recognise them. I've spotted a few performance boats being flogged off on here and Gumtr...

OK so I priced roof rack for motorhome for sea kayak nearly fainted.. Today I was in decathlon they have an inflatable one man kayak which seems OK anyone had any experience of them. I've got a good quality, small inflatable kayak. (A Gumotex Twist.) It's very robust and packs down ridiculously sma...

Is it worth doing this, and fixing the suit oneself? ... If so, how easy is the tape to get hold of? If your only problem is a leaking seam, then it's definitely worth buying some tape and doing it yourself. However, my experience has been that heat-applied tape doesn't work unless you've got some ...

Backband: I've ditched mine in all my boats. Replaced with a small foam block that just pushes on my backside to stop me sliding too far back and upsetting the trim of the boat. Fantastic for lay-back rolls and lying on your back-deck watching the stars, but obviously offers zero back support so you...

Hi, If you are considering inflating a drysuit, one problem is that because the BA holds the top close to your body you end up inflating the legs. I have seen people float upside down in a drysuit unable to get their head to the surface because they forgot to purge the dry suit of air. This happene...

The wind would take you for miles though.... Then you'll be interested in the skeg/rudder kit that I'm selling at a time-limited price of.... The only problem I can think of with the idea is that, unlike diving suits, quality surface drysuits are breathable. When searching for leaks on my Goretex s...

I took the plunge and bought a selection of 8 different sized Ortlieb bags (PD350 with valves) which came to £120 on the cheapest online vendor I could find. Go Outdoors would only have been marginally more expensive, but only if you've paid for their membership card (and I can never bring myself to...

Here's another invention that should earn me millions: a little oral-inflate tube fitted somewhere near the neck of your drysuit. (Before anyone gets excited: I'm not proposing this as an alternative to a BA or lifejacket - just as an additional layer of protection.) After surfacing from a scuba div...

I kayak a lot and have tried loads of different drybag brands. Last year I scrapped them all in favour of Ortlieb - I reckon you can't beat them. ... I'd previously discounted Ortlieb as my only experience of them is their cycle panniers, which are excellent but made me think their products would b...

There's neoprene and neoprene... Just before Christmas, I did a 2-hour dive and, as usual, my neoprene neck-seal didn't let in a drop (unlike my crotch, foot and hip...) If you get the stretchy sort which has a smooth rubber surface against your skin, you get a wide band of adhesion to your neck, as...

Thanks for all the replies. It was well worth asking as I at least now know that there aren't any 'buy and forget' solutions if you want a small, stowable dry bag. I hated the idea of throwing away the junk dry bags I've already bought, so I'm instead going to buy some of the suggested lightweight b...

Having just searched, there doesn't appear to have been a thread on drybags for a couple of years, so I started this as I'm in the market for some new ones and want to know about any good deals currently available. Over the years, I've picked up some budget junk from Mountain Warehouse, Trespass and...

If Hammond drysuits have been recommended by Sweet and System X, then you can't go wrong using them. However, re. your concerns about companies that haven't got experience with Goretex: I've been buying/repairing old Goretex suits for a couple of years and I can confirm they're exactly the same to w...

Very common problem with latex neck seals but only affects some people - it's your skin reacting to the latex and it will only get worse the more you use it. My neck used to end up bleeding after repeatedly using my first diving drysuit over a short period of time. People will suggest using all sort...