The NRS Cottonmouth Nose Plugs are average plugs for whitewater boating. The rubberized grip is slick when brand new and may slip off your nose, but the grip gets better with time. I had a trip were I wore brand new cottonmouth plugs while whitewater kayaking the Nantahala River in North Carolina with hand paddles. The plugs kept slipping off and my hands were strapped to paddles, giving me quite an annoyance during the trip. I ended up switching to Smileys nose plugs in the middle of the trip. I have sense used the cottonmouth plugs and they are working just fine.