Shock Cord Bungee 1/4"

$0.50

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The heavy one. 1/4 shock cord is what you want across a tankwell, over a crate, or anywhere the job is holding real weight down rather than tidying a light item away.

When to Step Up to 1/4"

Most kayak decks are rigged in 3/16", and for the foredeck that is right. But the stern tankwell on a sit-on-top is a different problem: a crate, a cooler or a dry bag sitting in open water, taking wave slap and wind. Light cord stretches, the load shifts, and the whole lot starts to move.

1/4 shock cord has the section to hold that. It is noticeably stiffer to stretch by hand, which is the trade — you would not want it as a hood cord — but across a tankwell that stiffness is the feature.

1/4 Shock Cord in Black, and Why That Matters Here

Black bungee is pigmented with carbon, and carbon black is one of the better ultraviolet blockers available in a polyester braid. On a boat that lives in Florida sun, plain black cord generally outlasts a bright colour of the same construction.

If you want a colour for visibility or for coding one line against another, we stock coloured 1/4" too — just plan on replacing it a little sooner.

Rigging a Tankwell With 1/4 Shock Cord

Photograph the existing run before you cut it out; the path through the pad eyes is easy to get wrong from memory. Cut generously, seal both ends with a lighter, and thread it slack. Tension it only at the end, and leave a little give — cord held at maximum stretch permanently fatigues far faster than cord with some slack.

Check it every season. Shock cord fails by going hard and losing its return, and it gives no warning before it lets a crate go.