Gear Review: Bomber Gear K-Bomb Rubber Rand Whitewater Spray Skirt

Value Rating: 10 Durability Rating: 8 Overall Rating: 8 Location of Test: Clackamas River Duration: One Day Product Name: K-Bomb Rubber Rand Whitewater Spray Skirt Product Brand: Bomber Gear Best Use: Creeking Sizes Available/ Specs: The cockpit comes in L and XL The Full Review Recently, I had the chance to try out the K-Bomb sprayskirt from Bomber Gear. The K-Bomb is Bomber Gear's top of the line sprayskirt. Meant to stay on in the biggest of whitewater, this skirt has a rubber rand rather than a bungee. Also, the part of the skirt that stretches over the cockpit rim is reinforced with Aramid, which is used in body armor. When first trying the skirt on, I noticed that the tunnel was not quite as stretchy as a Snapdragon or IR skirt. At first, I wasn't sure what to make of it but after further consideration, I think this would help to keep more water out of your kayak, especially on those "suns out, guns out" days. The Good: There are two things that really stick out about this skirt that I like. The neoprene deck is injected with Bomber Gears Sub-Screen Technology which essentially seals off the neoprene to make it more durable and more waterproof. The other thing I really liked was the small buckle on the grab loop. This may seem a bit silly but I hate having my sprayskirt knocking me in the knees as I am walking to the put-in, scouting a rapid, or setting safety. This little buckle made it super easy to clip the grab loop to my PFD and keep it out of the way. The Bad: The sizing seems to be a little off. I was trying the sprayskirt on a Liquidlogic Braaap which takes a large cockpit from any other brand but with the K-Bomb it required an XL. Even then the skirt was still a bit tight. It wasn't too hard to get on but it seemed like the deck may have been a slight bit too narrow. All this being said, Bomber Gear recommends leaving the sprayskirt on your kayak overnight and this will stretch it out slightly. I've heard from other people that this works great and does indeed stretch the skirt out slightly. The Bottom Line: All in all, I have to say that I liked this sprayskirt. I liked the tunnel fit and I like the construction technology. Most of all, I like the price. For $100 you are not going to find a better skirt than the K-bomb.