# Dangerous situation - Shoelaces Snagging in Zippers



## LSB (Mar 23, 2004)

I didnt need another reason to hate zippers but I'll add this one to the list. TAL


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## 76763 (Jul 16, 2018)

Would a river knife have helped? I know, I know...20/20 hindsight, and it'd be sawing awfully close to a chamber. Just curious. 

I've wondered about laced shoes as an entrapment...facilitator? before. Fwiw, I have a simple square knot tied on the end of my river shoelaces so I can grab and untie them underwater a bit easier. In theory, anyway, never had to do that. Eh, I see no downside to my paranoia. 

-Tom


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## nmrajotte (Jan 31, 2016)

Tom Pierce said:


> Would a river knife have helped? I know, I know...20/20 hindsight, and it'd be sawing awfully close to a chamber. Just curious.
> 
> I've wondered about laced shoes as an entrapment...facilitator? before. Fwiw, I have a simple square knot tied on the end of my river shoelaces so I can grab and untie them underwater a bit easier. In theory, anyway, never had to do that. Eh, I see no downside to my paranoia.
> 
> -Tom


I always carry one, but upsidedown underwater it might have been a small target to hit. That's a great idea to have a knot to untie quickly and potentially with one hand. I will most likely be doing that from now on.


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## 76763 (Jul 16, 2018)

Yeah, just near the ends of the lace where those plastic tube things are. I pull the knot taut with a couple of pliers to make sure it doesn't work its way loose. Again, paranoid, but...

-Ton


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## elkhaven (Sep 11, 2013)

It sure seems to me that one really hard yank of the foot and either the lace or the zipper would fail.... neither are particularly strong - I get it would be freaky but seriously doubt that something wouldn't have given pretty quickly


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## FlyingDutchman (Mar 25, 2014)

Thanks for the heads up..I routinely R2-R7 with thwarts with zippers.

Maybe send a message to AIRE. Maybe for future models they can cover the zippers even better with pvc flaps. 

Not zipper related but, I have had a few potential entrapment issues over the years commercial guiding and private boating . Seems if it’s not one thing, than it is another, and it is usually something you can’t possibly foresee ahead of time.


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## zbaird (Oct 11, 2003)

Those zipper cars love to break, always when I don't want them to. I think in a real panic situation you could have broken free with some more yanking. Kinda surprised it didn't break since it cinched so tight on your foot. That said there are lots of other things to snag a lace or a strap on a sandal. Rafting is dangerous as hell.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

zbaird said:


> Those zipper cars love to break, always when I don't want them to. I think in a real panic situation you could have broken free with some more yanking. Kinda surprised it didn't break since it cinched so tight on your foot. That said there are lots of other things to snag a lace or a strap on a sandal. Rafting is dangerous as hell.



Perhaps put a strip of "Tear Aid" tape over the zippers, would be easy to cut in the event you needed to use the zippers functionality in a repair and stop things from getting caught in them.


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## LSB (Mar 23, 2004)

Heres an idea. 
DONT BUY A BOAT THATS HELD TOGETHER WITH ZIPPERS BECAUSE ZIPPERS SUCK.
Zippers on my Jeep top FAIL, zippers on the front of my jeans FAIL, Zippers on my sleeping bag FAIL, Zippers on my jacket FAIL, 
ALL ZIPPERS ALWAYS FAIL BECAUSE ZIPPERS SUCK


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## zbaird (Oct 11, 2003)

I don't love the idea of a strip of tear aid across the whole zipper. That would be a real night mare to deal with; shit is STICKY. I would think a small piece of that or duct tape over the offending spot on the zipper would suffice.

I tend to agree with LSB in that zippers suck. That said AIRE has it down pretty well. If I didn't have to fight 20 Y/O zippers all the time that haven't been opened or cleaned in 20 years I may not be so zipper adverse. The key note there was that some AIRE boats are still on the water after 20 years.


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## LSB (Mar 23, 2004)

Good point about the 20 YO Aire zippers. Compared with the Bestop zippers on jeeps. They only last about 5 years max. Especially since I would expect raft zippers to be under more stress.


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## zbaird (Oct 11, 2003)

I don't know man, those tops get stretched pretty damn tight and don't get much sun protection. I think the UV makes the jeep tops brittle. Mine are still doing pretty well after 6 years but I don't open them much, on purpose.

AIRE does a good job to keeping them out of the sun by where they are on the boat and the flap that covers them. They are also a double zipper so the stress gets spread out.


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## elkhaven (Sep 11, 2013)

LSB said:


> Good point about the 20 YO Aire zippers. Compared with the Bestop zippers on jeeps. They only last about 5 years max. Especially since I would expect raft zippers to be under more stress.


I can get my Bestop zippers working flawlessly with 303....just a little tip. and BTW, I hate zippers too! but 303 has moderated my hatred a little over the years...

Edit.... oh, and my Bestop is on a FJ40, no jeeps for me either


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## markchengr (Nov 1, 2013)

I always avoid wearing any footwear with laces in a raft. in fact, I hate laces, don't have any shoes with laces.


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## nickstrauss (Dec 17, 2004)

I hated getting toenails and feet caught on zipper flaps or pulls when paddle guiding. When I bought a raft I just turned my thwarts around so the zippers face the bow. You can always move the bowline and run the raft backwards if you are borrowing.


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## LSB (Mar 23, 2004)

elkhaven said:


> I can get my Bestop zippers working flawlessly with 303....just a little tip. and BTW, I hate zippers too! but 303 has moderated my hatred a little over the years...
> 
> Edit.... oh, and my Bestop is on a FJ40, no jeeps for me either


303 huh
I always used wax, I'll try 303
I dig those old Land Cruisers too but my TJ is my second favorite toy,,, except that i drive it to work everyday


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## fcpnorman (Nov 16, 2014)

We had that happen while do a water rescue drill with our new Super Puma. We had the boat on highline(MCP) and we were pulling upstream into a series of waves to see how it would behave. The person in the guide seat had his foot under the thwart, and the boat began to take on some water over the bow, we were in the process of moving it back downstream when I saw some commotion in the boat and knives coming out in the brand new boat.
The same thing occurred with the split ring that held the key chain item onto the zipper, separating and capturing the top of the shoelace.
We removed all the split rings on the thwarts and replaced them with heavy duty UV resistant zip ties. We cut them off tight and filed down the sharp edge from the cut. No more issues...


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