Cord Lock

From $0.79

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Available in store. Online ordering is paused — call or stop by the shop and we'll set this aside for you.

Ships nationwide · or free in-store pickup

The little spring-loaded barrel on a drawstring. A cord lock squeezes to open, slides to where you want it, and grips when you let go. They are trivial until one breaks, and then the hood, the dry bag or the deck line it was holding stops working.

What They Hold

Drawcords on dry bags and hatch covers. Bungee on deck rigging where you want the tension adjustable rather than fixed. Hood and hem cords on paddling jackets. The neck of a stuff sack. Anything where you want to clamp a cord without tying it, and untie it without picking at a wet knot.

That last point is the real argument. A knot in cold, wet, salty cord with cold hands is genuinely difficult. A cord lock is not.

Sizing a Cord Lock

Size by the cord diameter, and match it properly — a lock too large will slip, and one too small will not thread:

• 3/16" — light drawcords, jacket cords, stuff sacks

• 1/4" — deck bungee and most dry bag cords

• 3/8" — heavy shock cord and thick drawcords

If you have the cord in hand, bring it. We stock deck bungee and accessory cord by the foot too, so if the cord is as tired as the lock we can replace both.

Two Practical Notes

Seal the cord end with a lighter before you thread it — a frayed end jams inside the barrel and is miserable to clear. And on deck rigging, put the cord lock where you can reach it sitting down, which usually means nearer the cockpit than looks tidy on the driveway. Rigging you cannot reach afloat is decoration.