Reed Aquatherm spray deck review

Reed Aquatherm Spray Decks are an excellent choice for composite sea kayaks. Made from lightweight, waterproof, and stretchy PFC-free material made in the UK, they have several attributes that help them significantly outperform neoprene decks in certain areas. 

Aquatherm is less than a millimetre thick, yet it is fully waterproof even when stretched. In comparison, neoprene below a certain thickness is porous, so a good neoprene deck is quite thick and heavy. When comparing them, I found Aquatherm spray decks weigh approximately a quarter of an equivalent neoprene deck, saving about half a kilogram. While building a weight-saving system like this for the construction of a composite sea kayak would have significant costs, Reed Aquatherm spray decks cost less than most quality neoprene spray decks.

Unrestricted movement
Around the waist, the Aquatherm’s thinness offers less bulk and more freedom of movement than neoprene. For those who like to paddle against the clock, this unrestricted movement is a real benefit; the increased comfort is a nice bonus for the rest of us.

Then there is the stretch. Due to the way it is constructed, Aquatherm has a 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 spray deck a good seal with the cockpit rim throughout the circumference. I particularly appreciated this when practising rolling, where you can see the spray deck concave after several rolls due to the airtight seal that it forms.

I also found Aquatherm’s stretchy property a benefit in another significant aspect. Some paddlers find neoprene decks hard to stretch on and off a cockpit rim. The combination of Aquatherm’s 360-degree stretch and Reed’s various deck shapes can make their Aquatherm spraydecks substantially easier to fit onto a cockpit rim.

Kayaking in heavy seas
The twin shock cords and the stretch in the material give the Aquatherm spray decks a strong and positive fit to fibreglass 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 deck’s 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 spray deck instead.

While being more than tough enough for the everyday wear and tear of sea kayaking, Reed recommends not using these decks for practising rescues. The material can be damaged when another boat is dragged across the cockpit coaming. I found that if I lift instead of dragging, it’s fine, but if the boat you are rescuing is too heavy to lift correctly, this is an issue to consider. The decks are less likely to wear through around the front of the cockpit coaming, which neoprene decks are particularly prone to with the relative sharpness of fibreglass cockpit rims.

Options
The decks have options like ‘Map Loops’ and ‘Bale Holes’. The former is to attach a map case to the deck, and the latter to help pump out a flooded cockpit using a hand pump, preventing waves from refilling the cockpit. With a fibreglass cockpit rim, I found the side of the spray deck 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.

Reed offers many ‘off the peg’ options and custom-fits the deck to you and your boat for no extra charge. If your cockpit shape is not in their database of over 1700 templates, you can send them a tracing of the outline and your waist measurement, and they will custom-make it to fit.

Price: Aquatherm spray deck with adjustable waist: £88.00
Aquatherm spray deck with fixed waist: £84.00