I have been asked, back-channel, to explain the difference between retro-reflective tape and plain old old fashioned reflective tape. There is a big difference between the two. At its simplest the difference is this: Reflective tape reflects light.in, basically, all directions. Retro-reflective tape reflects l ight back along the same path it took to get to the tape. The result is that more light gets reflected back to the source and less gets scattered into nowwhere. Here is a Wikiepedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retroreflector Google for retro reflective tape for sources to buy it. It's great to put on paddle blades to make you more visible to the dru.... er, I mean powerboaters. :P Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Craig Jungers wrote: "Google for retro reflective tape for sources to buy it. It's great to put on paddle blades to make you more visible to the dru.... er, I mean powerboaters. :P" Another way to be sure you're getting the best reflectivity in tape is to go with SOLAS-certified (Safety of Life at Sea) tape. It has physical characteristics that work well for maritime applications -- flexibile, conformable -- and it should give you optimal light return. (There's a significant variance in the reflectivity of tape, but be cautious about "retroreflectivity"; it's more an adjective than a category. For example, 3M, possibly the leading producer of retroreflective tape, refers to all their tape as "reflective" in their product titles, but will sometimes refer to their tape as "retroreflective" to emphasize its performance.) The other thing to consider is that your reflective tape will make you more visible to "the powerboater" only if he sees you illuminated by a light coming from his approximate location. Reflective tape -- and more importantly the highest performing tapes categorized as "retroreflective" -- require a light source at or near the viewer to be effective -- and more so for retroreflective tape than other levels. You need contrast -- a dark environment and a light source in the vicinity of the viewer that illuminates you -- to make this deal effective. The tape, in and of itself, just looks cool; the tape in combination with a dark environment and a light shining at you from the viewer's position is very cool. And bright. In an overall bright environment, the tape just looks grey. That said, one thing that I haven't noticed in this thread is the advocation of flourescent surfaces for kayaker visibility. Wearing a bright flourescent cap or painting your paddle blades with a hardware store flourescent yellow "high-visibility" or "day glow" spray paint provides any viewer in any daylight or dusk scenario with an enhanced visible signature of you as an object of interest; you are passively bright and stand out from the visual clutter of the water. This is especially true in low-light -- dusk, dawn -- or obscured environments -- fog, haze. Just try it at your next outing, particularly if you're launching in early light or paddling into dusk. One kayaker with a flourescent ballcap or paddling with flourescent blades will stand out from the crowd at great distances. (On a personal note, I place great value in reflective tape; as a combat search and rescue pilot in the Navy, I have first-hand knowledge that having reflective tape in evidence on a downed aviator provides all the difference. Three of my rescuees are still walking around because of it.) Jack "Joq" Martin Canoe Neck Creek Abell, Maryland *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Jack said: Another way to be sure you're getting the best reflectivity in tape is to go with SOLAS-certified (Safety of Life at Sea) tape. I got a couple rolls of SOLAS type tape on eBay a couple of years ago and have plastered it on the sides and deck of my single sea kayak. Very bright stuff. If you are patient, it can be a good bargain on eBay. Jim Tibensky *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 5:57 AM, James <jimtibensky_at_fastmail.fm> wrote: > > I got a couple rolls of SOLAS type tape on eBay a couple of years ago > and have plastered it on the sides and deck of my single sea kayak. > Very bright stuff. If you are patient, it can be a good bargain on > eBay. > Thanks for the tip Jim... I just asked the chief eBay browser of the family (my wife) to be on the lookout for this. Hmm.... actually she's the assistant chief... our daughter is an eBay pro. But Sue is good enough. :P Me? I'm a craigslist kinda guy. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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