Use & Safety Guide
Everything you need to get your deck on the water — from first install to years of hard use.
Your RedLeaf expedition spray deck was custom-patterned to your hull and built for serious conditions. This guide covers installation, tunnel fitting, on-water features, care, and the safety practices that make a spray deck a trusted piece of equipment instead of a liability.
Attaching the spray deck
Each deck section is labeled on the underside with your boat's make and model, plus its position — bow, center, or stern. Orientation is straightforward once you know where to look.
- Connect the Velcro seams between deck sections. For a solo deck, this joins the bow, cockpit, and stern panels into one unit. For a tandem, it joins the bow cockpit, center, and stern cockpit.
- Lay the assembled deck on top of the canoe, making sure that the cockpits and section joints are aligned with your seats and thwarts. The deck was patterned for your boat and everything should line up easily.
- Slip the bow and stern loops over the stems and lightly snug with the strap adjusters. Just finger-tight — you're setting position, not cinching down.
- Attach the snaps on one side, working from one end of the boat to the other. Then repeat on the opposite side. Working end-to-end keeps the fabric taut without bunching.
Using a partial deck: You don't always need the full deck on the boat. On a solo canoe, the bow and stern sections can be used without the cockpit tunnel for warm-weather protection. On a tandem, the center section alone keeps your packs dry. Remove the unwanted sections, lay the remaining panels on the canoe individually, and follow steps 3 and 4.
Using the spray tunnel
The spray tunnel is anatomically cut to follow the contours of your knees, legs, and torso — minimizing excess fabric while keeping water out of the cockpit. Getting it right takes a minute the first time and becomes second nature after that.
- Insert the plastic battens into the pockets sewn inside the tunnel over your knees (if desired). The battens arch the fabric, shedding water and preventing pooling in your lap. They're optional — some paddlers prefer the tunnel without them in mild conditions.
- Close the front Velcro seam, starting at the bottom where the tunnel meets the spray deck and working upward to the hem. The hem sits under your armpits and around your chest.
- Check the red pull tab. The tab at the top of the Velcro seam is your quick-release. Confirm it's visible, accessible, and in good condition. Know exactly where it is before you leave shore.
- Snug the draw cord gently to prevent the tunnel from slipping down your torso. Comfortable tension — not tight.
The tunnel is always the outermost layer. It goes over all paddling clothing, including your PFD. Nothing goes over the tunnel. The PFD should be free of snag points — buckles, straps, or webbing loops that could catch on the tunnel fabric during a wet exit. If your PFD has loose ends, tuck or tape them before fitting the tunnel.
Exiting the tunnel
The quick-release system is the most important safety feature on your spray deck. Practice this on flat water until it's automatic — you should be able to find and pull the tab without looking.
- Pull the red tab at the top of the Velcro seam. The seam separates in one motion, opening the tunnel from chest to deck.
- Push the tunnel fabric away from your torso and PFD. The fabric will fall to the sides.
- Exit the boat as you would without a spray deck. The open tunnel should not impede your movement in any way.
Before every paddle: Check the red pull tab and stitching at the top of the Velcro seam. Confirm the tab is out, visible, and easily gripped. Practice the exit on shore before launching. This takes ten seconds and should be as automatic as putting on your PFD.
Stowing the tunnel
When conditions are mild and you want deck protection without the body tunnel — warm-weather lake paddling, for example — the tunnel rolls away neatly and secures flat against the deck.
- Open the Velcro seam completely.
- Remove the plastic battens from their pockets, if installed.
- Roll the tunnel from the top hem down toward the base where it joins the spray deck. Roll it tight and flat.
- Secure with the four toggle-and-cordlock assemblies. Slip the cord loop over each toggle and tighten the cordlock down to hold the rolled tunnel in place.
The deck is now flush and clean — full bow-to-stern weather protection without a body tunnel. Ideal for day trips, warm-weather training, and anytime you want the deck on the boat but not on your body.
Built into every expedition deck.
Every RedLeaf expedition spray deck includes a set of standard features designed to keep your gear organized, your painter lines accessible, and your boat easy to handle on the water.
Paddle parks
Slip the blade into the holder — bungee cord lacing on bow and stern sections (solo), fabric pockets on the center section (tandem) — and secure the shaft with the paddle tether tab. Bungee ball closure: loop over ball to close, pull the webbing tab to release.
Scramble handles
Grab points at the bow and stern for launching, landing, and handling the boat in the water. Snap-attached for convenience — suitable for light boat contact, not for carrying or rescue loads.
Map case D-rings
Sewn into the back edge of the bow section (solo) or center section (tandem). Secure a map case, GPS, phone case, or any accessory you want within reach while paddling.
Painter line tether tabs
Bow and stern tether tabs secure a coiled painter line with bungee ball closure. Coil the line, set it on the tab, and loop the bungee over the ball. Pull the webbing tab to release the painter when you need it.
Painter line grommets
If your deck was ordered with grommets, the painter can be tied to the carrying thwart beneath the deck, then passed through the grommet so it's accessible on the top side.
Section labeling
Every deck panel is labeled on the underside with the boat make, model, and section position (bow, center, stern) — so setup is straightforward, even when you're rigging in the rain.
Painter line safety: The bitter end of the painter should always be attached to a secure point on the canoe itself — a bow loop, lining hole, or carrying thwart. The bitter end should never be secured to the spray deck or a scramble handle. These are snap-attached and are not structural tie-off points.
Built to last. Easy to maintain.
Your deck is made from marine-grade, vinyl-coated Aqualon Edge fabric with solution-dyed ripstop polyester reinforcements and rub strips. These materials are built for years of hard use on the water. They will not stretch or shrink when wet, and they require no pre-soaking before installation.
Cleaning
Rinse with clean, cold water after use. For stubborn dirt or stains, hand-wash with warm water and a gentle detergent (Dawn dish soap works well) using a cloth or very soft brush. Rinse thoroughly with cold water.
Storage
Always dry the deck completely before storing. Roll or fold the dry deck and place it in the included stuff sack. Store in a cool, dry location out of sustained direct sunlight.
Repair
The oval fabric scrap included with your deck is the cockpit cutout — keep it for future patches. For field repairs, use a quality vinyl repair tape on the Aqualon Edge surface. For permanent repairs, use a vinyl patch with vinyl cement.
Questions?
We designed and built your spray deck, and we're the best people to answer questions about it. Reach out anytime.
Ready for your next deck?
Custom-patterned to your hull. Made to order. Made to trust.
Every RedLeaf expedition spray deck is built from your canoe's specific measurements — with anatomic cockpit tunnels, quick-release safety closures, and marine-grade materials throughout.
Purpose-Built Gear for Paddlers Who Refuse to Settle
Designed from real experience on the water. Built in our Michigan loft to outlast the trips it goes on.
We make gear for paddlers who have already made the decision to invest in quality boats and who understand that outfitting and protecting that investment is not optional. Every product in our line was born from a specific need encountered while paddling. We don't make gear for catalogs. We make gear that solves problems we've experienced firsthand.
Every Maker Has a First Spark
When Jeremy was four years old, he wandered into the basement of the Lake Fenton Sailing Club and discovered a North Sails rep repairing torn sailcloth with a walking-foot sewing machine. Mountains of ragged fabric fed in one side, perfect sails emerged from the other. The clickety-clack rhythm and the transformation locked in his memory.
A decade later, as a teenage sea kayaker paying for his gear by mowing lawns, he couldn't afford factory dry bags. His mother, a lifelong sewist and quilter, taught him to make his own from patterns in Sea Kayaker magazine and fabric mail-ordered from Seattle Fabrics. Over the next twenty years — through careers, marriage, raising a family — he kept sewing: dry bags, spray decks, deck bags, tool rolls, fitted cloth diapers, portage packs.
The flame that sparked at four never went out. It was waiting for the right kindling.
Workshop photo
Bag Lady legacy photo
Stewarding a 45-Year Legacy
In 2019, Sue Audette — the legendary Bag Lady who had protected canoes for over four decades — decided it was time to retire. She chose to pass the legacy to Jeremy and Cassandra rather than let it disappear. A few weeks later, RedLeaf Designs was born and the Bag Lady line of canoe covers moved from Sue's Connecticut garage to a sewing loft in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
We didn't just buy a product line. We accepted responsibility for a tradition. The Original Canoe Cover has protected boats for 45+ years, and we honor that by maintaining the standard Sue established while expanding the vision with new materials, new designs, and new boat categories.
In 2020, Jeremy and Cassandra stepped away from corporate consulting and voiceover work to focus entirely on RedLeaf. Since then, it's been the family's sole income. You'll regularly find all four of them — Jeremy, Cassandra, and their two kids — in the shop, working together.
Three Lines, One Philosophy
Every product starts on the water with a problem that needed to be solved. Some are custom-fitted to individual hulls. All of them are designed from direct experience and built with uncompromising materials and care.
Outfitting & Accessories
Purpose-built gear that keeps your boat organized and your hands free. Gunwale Bags, Tether Tabs, Paddle Pockets, portage packs. Stock designs, ready to ship, solving specific problems most paddlers didn't know had solutions.
Expedition Spray Decks
Custom-patterned to your hull for precision fit in real conditions. Anatomic tunnels, quick-release safety features, marine-grade fabrics. Made to order because a spray deck that doesn't fit your boat doesn't keep water out of your boat.
Protective Covers
Hull-specific storage and transport covers patterned from a proprietary library of hundreds of canoe, kayak, surf ski, and outrigger designs. The 45-year Bag Lady tradition, expanded with new materials and modern construction.
Small Is Intentional
We are a small operation because the work demands it. Our size is not a limitation — it is the reason the work is precise, personal, and uncompromising. Limited production means every piece gets the attention it deserves.
Jeremy designs every pattern, runs the CNC fabric cutter, and operates the sewing machines. Cassandra handles strategy, customer relationships, and operations. Two contract sewists help with high-volume production runs. The kids pitch in on shipping days.
We cut fabric with an Autometrix CNC cutter, often run by our 17-year-old son Hale. We sew with industrial walking-foot machines. We use the best marine-grade materials available: Sunbrella Marine, YKK #10 marine zippers, WeatherMAX 3D, welded stainless hardware. We specify by performance, not by price.
Made to order in our Michigan loft. Shipped when it's right, not when it's fast.
Workshop photo
Six Principles That Guide Everything We Make
Design starts on the water
Every product in our line was born from a specific need encountered while paddling. That direct knowledge is what separates purpose-built equipment from generic accessories.
Fit is everything
For covers and spray decks, we pattern to specific hull designs because anything less is a compromise. A cover that doesn't fit the hull it's protecting is a liability.
Materials matter
Our gear lives outdoors, on highways, and in the harshest conditions our customers can find. We use marine-grade fabrics, zippers, and hardware because performance matters more than price.
Small is intentional
Our size is not a limitation — it is the reason the work is precise, personal, and uncompromising. Limited production means every piece gets the attention it deserves.
Legacy deserves stewardship
The Bag Lady canoe cover has protected boats for over 45 years. We didn't just buy a product line — we accepted responsibility for a tradition. We honor it by maintaining the standard and expanding the vision.
Gear should earn trust
Every product we ship should work so well that the customer forgets it's there — until they notice, years later, that their hull still looks new or their portage routine has become effortless.
Designed, Built, and Shipped in Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Jeremy handles design, pattern development, CNC programming, and sewing. Cassandra manages strategy, customer relationships, and operations. Their two kids help with shipping, quality control, and keeping everyone honest. Two contract sewists support high-volume production runs.
We're not a shop, not a retailer, not a warehouse with a logo on it. We are designers and makers. Some of our products are custom-fit to individual hulls. All of them are purpose-built from direct experience on the water. Our capacity is limited by design, not by circumstance. That's what makes the work good.
Team photo
The RedLeaf Dispatch
Shop notes, paddling stories, gear tips, and first look at new products. One email a month from our loft in the U.P.