Wet neoprene is no problem - I windsurf, so unsightly bulges and wet neoprene are not entirely unfamiliar ;-)

The part about wet neoprene which I don't like in this application is that every spray skirt I've ever used has dripped through once it's been wet. Dry kayaking in rough water is a rarity I know, but one can only try!

I'm building a kayak of my own design based on elements of many of the kayaks whose designers (and builders) lurk on this board, of course with a large element of my own interpretation.

I have used the skirt and coaming extensively in other kayaks, but one of the key elements of my design is a smooth flowing shape both above and below the waterline. This means that a straight coaming protruding out of the cockpit, while brilliantly functional will clash with my goals.

The current plan is to build a flush coaming with recessed lip. This way I get the benefit of the neoprene escape (as Rob has suggested), but without the aesthetic of an external coaming.

: unsightly coaming, and all that wet neoprene??????????
: This might not be your sport.

: The general consensus is that a coaming and neoprene skirt is superior to any
: other system. You will not see the beauty of the system until you have
: used it.

: What are you building?

: Reg