Arkansas Canoe Club Forums

So after two days of testing out my new drytop, I've decided that the neck gasket is way too tight and have decide to cut a bit off to loosen it up some. Before I take a knife to it, does anyone have any suggestions? Anything I should avoid doing?

Stretch it before you cut it

Try a metal coffee can

If you decide to cut it and not stretch, BE CAREFUL!! Cut very small amounts and try each cut after. Otherwise you may cut too much and it will leak and you will have to get a new gasket. My advice would be to try and stretch it like Regud says and if that doesn't work make small cuts. If you cut use a very sharp pair of scissors not a knife. Just past experience take as you will.

Don't stretch it. All that does is deform the latex. If the latex is too tight out of the box, stretching is not going to give you a comfortable long lived latex neck.

Use a sharp set of scissors, only cut one ring at a time. Do your best to make one nice even cut. Do not nick the latex. Nicks will set you up for a latex tear. If you do a nick, you can trim it out but it is best not to nick.

Trim it down till it is a bit snug and then let it naturally stretch over time. That is the time you let the latex stretch IE a natural stretch not a forced one.

Make sure the latex is warm and supple as you do the initial try ons and cutting.

In my limited work on latex neck gaskets in my jackets, stretching hasn't worked, even after a month of stretching over a gallon glass jug... Prior to my first kayak trip on the Upper Buffalo with my new (then) Kokatat 'Whirlpool top, I followed these stretching instructions but never checked the fit before I got to the put-in, pulled the jug out, and left it in the truck. At riverside I realized the gasket was still going to choke me 'Beet-Red', but did think of this prior and brought a small, sharp, pair of scissors :) I too think scissors are the better way to cut neck gaskets without nicking. Especially in a hurry


Best Regards
Jim Moose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5i1mRhm9Jk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; here! this takes the guess work out of it.

PB, that is exactly the method I use and recommend. Except I got to this method by trial and error. The stretch over a pot and cut with a razor blade method did not work out for me. Good video and thanks for posting.

Thanks everybody I ended up using an xacto blade and a cutting mat. I tried scissors at first but I didn't feel like i had very much control so I switched. Looks like I did a pretty good job and it doesn't choke me anymore.