Gear Review: Level 6 Ace Kayak Sprayskirt
Value Rating: 10
Durability Rating: 10
Overall Rating: 10
Location of Test: PNW Rivers
Duration of Test: 1 month
Product Name: Ace Sprayskirt
Product Brand: Level 6
Best Use: Whitewater of all kinds. Suitable for CLASS 5
The Full Review:
The Level 6 "Ace" is one of the highest quality skirts on the market. I have been using mine for about a month now and absolutely love it. The first thing I noticed about it was that it fit true to size. I am a medium waist normally and it fits well with my drysuit and a layer below that. Some other brands out there with less quality neoprene often have issues with the neoprene not stretching enough. The second thing I really liked about this skirt was the rounded rubber rand around the rim of the skirt that goes on to the cockpit of your kayak. The "Ace" was easy to get on around the rim and didn't fold over onto itself like some of the other brands tend to. You can really tell this skirt has a bomber grip to it and there’s no way it would be coming off accidentally.
I also like that there is not any extra fabric hanging off the end of the skirt which often prevents you from having a perfect seal. Lastly, one feature that sets this skirt apart from some of the other leading brands it the "implosion bar" that you can take in and out of your skirt. This, of course, prevents implosions by not allowing a lot of pressure to be build up on the tensionless parts of a skirt while in a hole or turbulent water. I say all this to say...this skirt is BOMBPROOF.
The Good:
quality material
durable construction
fits true to size
implosion bar
implosion resistant rubber rand seal
looks fly!
reasonably priced!
The Bottom Line:
The bottom line is this skirt is straight up BOMBPROOF! If you're looking to step up your whitewater game as well as step it up a notch with the quality of skirt you use, I'd recommend the Level 6 Ace. It is highly implosion resistant and forms a great seal to keep your kayak dry inside. Its also looks pretty darn cool too!