Reed Aquatherm Spray Decks are a great choice for composite sea kayaks. Made from a lightweight, waterproof and stretchy PFC free material, that Reed make here in the UK, they have several attributes that help them to significantly outperform neoprene decks in certain areas.
Aquatherm is less than a millimetre thick and yet it is fully waterproof even when stretched. In comparison neoprene below a certain thickness is pourous which is why a good neoprene deck is quite thick and heavy. When comparing them I found Aquatherm spray decks weight approximately a quarter of an equivalent neoprene deck, a saving of about half a kilogram. While to build a weight saving like this into the construction of a composite sea kayak would have significant cost’s, Reed Aquatherm spraydecks cost less than most quality neoprene spraydecks.
Around the waist the thinness of the Aquatherm offers less bulk and gives more freedom of movement than neoprene. For those that like to paddle against the clock this unrestricted movement is a real benefit, for the rest of us the increased comfort is a nice bonus.
Then there is the stretch. Due to the way it is constructed Aquatherm has 360 degree stretch compared to neoprene’s two way stretch. While the two way stretch of neoprene is perfectly adequate for spray decks, giving a firm contact with the front and back of the cockpit rim, as well as the widest points on either side, I found the 360 degree stretch of Aquatherm gives the spraydeck a good seal with the cockpit rim throughout the circumference. I particularly appreciated this when practicing rolling where after several rolls you can see the spray deck concave due to the airtight seal that it forms.
I also found the stretchy property of Aquatherm a benefit in another significant aspect. Some paddlers can find neoprene decks hard to stretch on and off a cockpit rim. The combination of Aquatherm’s 360 degree stretch and the variety of different deck shapes offered by Reed can make their Aquatherm spraydecks substantially easier to fit onto a cockpit rim.
Both the twin shockcords and the stretch in the material give the Aquatherm spraydecks a strong and positive fit to fiberglass cockpit rims, making them suitable for use in rough water. However the rounder edged cockpit rims of polyethylene kayaks don’t provide as positive a fit. You can increase the decks grip by rubbing surf wax on the cockpit rim however if you are planning on paddling a polyethylene kayak in heavy seas, such as surf and tide races, I would recommend using a neoprene spraydeck instead.
While being more than tough enough for the everyday wear and tear of sea kayaking, Reed recommend not using these decks for practicing rescues as the material is liable to be damaged when another boat is dragged across the cockpit coaming. I found that if I lift instead of dragging then its fine, but if the boat you are rescuing is too heavy for you to lift properly this is an issue to consider. I did find the decks less likely to wear through around the front of the cockpit coaming, something that neoprene decks are particularly prone too with the relative sharpness of fibreglass cockpit rims.
The decks come with options like 'Map Loops' and 'Bale Holes'. The former being to attach a map case to the deck and the latter being to help pump out a flooded cockpit using a hand pump, while preventing waves from refilling the cockpit. With a fibreglass cockpit rim I found the side of the spraydeck can be lifted off enough to fit a pump while still mostly covering the cockpit so you don't necessarily need this feature, but it's in interesting option that to my knowledge no other manufacturers offer.
As well as many 'off the peg' options Reed specialise in custom fitting the deck to both you and your boat for no extra charge. If they don’t have your cockpit shape in their database of over 1700 templates you can send in a tracing of the outline of it to them and your waist measurement and they will custom make it to fit.
Reed Aquatherm Spraydecks are available from:
By Philip Clegg
With over two decades of working in the sea kayaking industry, Phil can be found on a daily basis coaching on the sea around Anglesey. That's when he's not researching and writing on all things sea kayaking.