The Tuilik, pronounced too-e-leek, was once a vital piece of the Inuit’s kayaking gear. Like our modern spray skirt, the Tuilik was designed to keep water out of the kayak. But unlike our modern spray skirt, the tuilik served another vital function; it provided full upper body protection from the harsh freezing conditions of the North Atlantic.         Today’s high-tech dry suits and wet suits now provide this protection, but with the resurgence of traditional style kayaking, many are now looking into the past at what worked for Inuit paddlers for so many millennia.

        The Tuilik’s purpose was to keep the hunter dry, to insulate him from the cold and to provide a waterproof seal between him and his kayak. The Tuilik was sewn from seal skin. The particular type of skin used is call waterskin. It is a dark, hairless skin of uniform thickness. This choice proved to be the best suited skin of the seal for making Tuiliks. To properly waterproof the skin, it was treated with blubber oil, which acts much like mink oil or bees wax that we use today to waterproof boots.

The Tuilik has laces also made from seal skin which tie off the wrists.

The hood was designed so a snug fit around the face may be achieved by tying the cord at the back of the head. When properly tied, water infiltration into the Tuilik is kept to a minimum.

        The cockpit coamings of most Inuit kayaks have round or elliptical shapes and, more often than not, are not much larger than the kayak owner’s waist. From the reading I have done, the bottom hem of the Tuilik had to be stretched and worked to get it over the edge of the coaming. Once in place, it was tied tightly on with lace.

        In the video, "Greenlanders at Kodiak", which features John Peterson, it takes him a minute and a half to stretch his Tuilik over his coaming. The importance of this fit cannot be overemphasized. During a capsize a failure of that precious connection between paddler and kayak meant certain death. With water temperatures at or below freezing, the Inuit hunter had to stay in his kayak at all costs. It is interesting to note that the Inuit kayaker could not swim. The word, swim, was not even in the Inuit language. The Tuilik was only effective when properly worn and sealed onto the coaming.

        The Tuilik is windproof and waterproof, but has no more insulating properties than a well made waterproof windbreaker. A wet exit meant water flooding into the once dry clothing underneath the Tuilik. Therefore, I must point out that it is imperative that the kayaker wear thermal protection under the Tuilik when venturing out onto cold water. No one has a 100% bombproof roll. I prefer wearing a wet suit and neoprene hood under my Tuilik. When the conditions warrant, I will even wear my drysuit under the Tuilik. Some will say this is redundant, however, I find it keeps the traditional look and provides ultra violet protection for the latex gasket seal of my dry suit.

        I have seen some homemade Tuiliks out on the water but the majority out there were made by Superior Kayaks of Whitelaw, Wisconsin. The owners, Mark and Celeste Rogers, have been making them for years now. Originally sewn from canvas and then treated with a blend of linseed oil and bees wax, the canvas Tuilik had a very realistic feeling. Seal skin is hard to the touch when dry and sometimes must be soaked in sea water and worked in the hands to make it pliable again. The canvas retains this feeling. Although I like the canvas, when I heard Superior Kayaks came out with a Tuilik in gortex, I was on the phone instantly to order one for myself. Mark discussed the options with me: choice of color - black, navy, white and more; canvas or gortex; rope or shock cord for the cockpit coaming; neck zipper; chest pocket; and most importantly, dimensions. I felt as though I was being fitted for a suit. If you are an avid roller, when considering dimensions, be sure to specify having the Tuilik cut long enough so you can easily lay back, forward, and in all other directions with total freedom of movement. Another bonus of a long cut is that it allows you, in a capsize, to come halfway out of the cockpit. This will enable you to reach the surface to breathe and await rescue without breaking the cockpit’s seal. This feature has saved many an Inuit paddler’s life. Make sure you also allow for enough room inside the Tuilik and hood for adequate layers of thermal protection.

        Don’t worry - Mark and Celeste will ask all the right questions. According to Mark, the Tuilik, which works best on small cockpits, can fit up through 24" long cockpits. Some Inuit Tuiliks I have seen have what resembles a pair of suspenders to keep the lap portion of the Tuilik pulled up to prevent puddling. I have not had this problem on my 22" cockpit, however, on larger cockpits it may be a useful feature.

        My gortex Tuilik performs beautifully and is very comfortable. The seams are flawless and waterproof. I have worn it for rolling in the summer with no insulation, as well as in the winter with insulation. In camp it becomes an anorak. Mated with a large heavy duty garbage bag from my survival kit, it becomes an emergency shelter. And lastly, it doubles as an emergency spray skirt.

        The Tuilik allows a sense of freedom because it is worn loose - you feel as one with the kayak and kayaking roots. To see how the Tuilik is put on, please look at the diagrams that are included here, courtesy of Mark Rogers.

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