• Hints for using Shockles
  
• Shockles Features
  
• Shockles Selection Guide
  
• Shockles Safety & Rigging
  
• Marine Uses for Shockles
  
• Caring for your Shockles
  

• Practical Boat Owner
• US Press Reviews...

Hints For Using SHOCKLES™ Effectively

Shockles are more than just grown-up bungie cords. They are a VERY strong, secure and versatile system for attaching things, holding things down, and stopping stress, shock loading and vibration on things. Before the Shockle there were only three choices for securing something to a car, truck, trailer, boat, etc.: rope, straps or bungie cords. Each has it's limitations.

ROPE

You need to tie knots that may become impossible to untie over time; need to secure loose ends so they don't flap in the wind or get caught in something; rope lashings will loosen up over time due to stretch, moisture and vibration; rope will lose it's strength and break over time, especially if wet or in direct sun.

WEB STRAPS

Metal buckles may rust or scratch a surface; plastic buckles are weak and will deteriorate quickly in direct sun; you need to secure loose ends so they don't flap in the wind or get caught in something; straps will loosen up over time due to stretch, moisture and vibration; nylon or polypropylene straps will lose their strength and break over time, especially if wet or in direct sun.

BUNGIE CORDS

These are inherently weak since they get their strength from the outer sheath covering the rubber-band inner; there's no back-up if they fail; weak metal hooks on ends will rust, bend and scratch things; shock-cord has no sun protection; will not stayed securely hooked on itself.

Shockles do not have these limitations. Their strength is derived not only from the marine-grade elastomer (the internal stretch member), but also from the nylon covering (rated to 2,500Lbs). This outer covering also protects the elastomer from sun degradation and abrasion.

USING AS A TIE-DOWN

You can use a Shockle in conjunction with rope to add a shock-absorbing member to your tie-down system. Add a Shockle on one end or a rope, one on each end, or one in the middle (use a clove hitch on the carabiners). The beauty of using Shockles is that they won't loosen over time (vibrating engines, bumpy roads, wind gusts, etc.); they will maintain constant, shock-absorbing pressure on whatever you are attaching. If you need more tension, just rig two Shockles side-by-side for double the pressure

VARIABLE LENGTH

Shockles can be rigged many different ways to give the perfect tie-down tension. Clip them end to end to make a long one (the secure carabiners will not bend of come undone). Double them up for more tension. Clip one to the middle of another to direct the direction of pull. Clip it back to itself to make it shorter. The trick is to have the Shockle stretched to approximately 1 1/2 times it's static length to insure good hold-down pressure as well as leaving enough stretch to absorb and bumps.