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thinwater · 26-06-2017, 12:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

Be sure to give the whole unit a detailed inspection if the cover is DOA, especially the webbing integral to the collar, & the floating/tow line. As the polypro line which comes with them fairs about as well in sunlight as does your average vampire.

I know that when (before) it's time to replace the cordage on mine, it'll be with something more UV resistant, that floats. Like Samson's Ultra Lite. It's still brightly colored for ease of visibility, but a bit better at resisting the ravages of El Sol.

Properly packed, the line should have no more chance of seeing UV than the average (?) vampire.

The webbing is destroyed. The rope is fine, except for a few spots where the webbing had tiny chafe holes--just a few rays of sun fatally damaged the rope. Fortunately, that was the last few inches, near the knot, so I just cut it off.

The line should be packed under the sling and inside a sleeve (triple protection).
The webbing straps must be on the bottom and should be wrapped up inside the sling (double).
The exposed portion of the rope (to the anchor) should be 100% encased in tubular webbing, including the knot. This should be replaced at 10 years (any climbing store has 1-inch tubular webbing).

But yeah, if the cover has actually failed, the Lifesling is very likely toast. I've seen too many boats with the Lifesling cover open, the rope covered, or the sling packed upside down. Some of these are so ba they can be torn apart by hand.

zboss · 26-06-2017, 13:10

They are junk. We upgraded to the fiberglass case.

bvander · 26-06-2017, 16:24

Ours lasted 5 years, replaced with hard plastic container.

UNCIVILIZED · 26-06-2017, 18:19

Part of my point about inspecting both the sling, & the rope, is that it takes quite a lot of protective material to fully stop all of the Sun's rays. Several feet of lead will (mostly) do it, ditto several hundred feet of water, etc. But then again, there are cameras that can see installations built inside of mountains... from space.

Witness the whole Ford Explorer rollover issue a decade+ ago. It was due to the use of PBO (Zylon) as belt material in their tires, instead of steel or Kevlar. With the PBO failing, despite the it's being fully encase in rubber, plus a few other materials in addition to that.

So Lifeslings are vulnerable to Sun damage too. Regardless of the type of case used, or how well they're packed into it. And it's also why a more UV resistant, positively buoyant line, probably wouldn't hurt either. I'd also be tempted to coat any of the line that exits the case with Maxi Jacket, covered with webbing or no.