Re: [Paddlewise] Tangled Up In Blue, Self Rescue in Kleppers & Velcro

>From: Peter Osman <PeterO_at_ambri.com.au>

>Velcro fastenings seem to be regarded with suspicion. Maybe like knots, 
>they
>can be good or bad? The paddling gloves I once used were fastened with
>Velcro and were hopeless. Fell apart in water as soon as you looked at 
>them.
>My Klepper spray deck is fastened to the coaming with Velcro and it's 
>worked
>for a year very well, but mostly under light sea conditions. The personal
>and paddle tethers I use are made for surfboards and are fastened by
>sandwiching 3 separate strips of Velcro together. They seem very secure.

Right you are Peter, the problem of good and bad Velcro has puzzled Catholic 
theologians for centuries.
Seriously, though we use the term Velcro for any "hook and loop fastener" 
(the proper generic term), Velcro is in fact a brand name, and was the 
orginal (the Swiss boffin who invented it is said to have been inspired by 
various plants whose seed pods hook onto the fur of animals for wider 
distribution.)
Anyway, like any other product, what's available varies widely in quality, 
durability, and gripping power. Reputable manufactuerers (Klepper etc.) are 
undoubtedly careful to source only quality stuff, propably actual Velcro, 
rather than one of the numerous knock-offs now on the market.
How can you tell the good from the bad? Simply test it as you did the 
gloves. If you're buying your own to use in home projects, test the male and 
female halves in the store to see how strongly they resist being torn 
assunder from side-to-side and vertically.

Happy sticking.

Philip Torrens
N49°16' W123°06'

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