: You're really going to put that nylon to the test if you hit something
: submerged when the current has a grip on your boat in a fast
: section.

Don't worry, don't worry! Nylon skin with various polyurethane coatings has been proven durable and reliable by many rock garden paddlers in coastal waters. If it can survive rocks, barnacles, and shells, it'll do fine. Thin HDPE rub strips on high wear areas like bow/stern keels and chines is a good idea, and will certainly prolong the life of the skin.

One year at the South Sound Traditional and Inuit Kayak Symposium, Mike Hanks had made a panel of 8oz nylon coated in 2 part Corey Goop polyurethane from Spiritline. It was in a wooden frame, so it was reasonably tight. As a fundraiser, we all paid a buck try to drive various pointed things through it, culminating with a knife. As I recall, the kitchen fork just bent, and you had to go really really hard with the knife in order to do anything more than dent the skin.

It's durable!

Brian