[quote=rattlenhum][quote=MN3][quote]For the record, I don't agree that this is absolutely true. I've seen some aftermarket tramps that were fine..[/quote]
can you be specific -
what brands worked best
what stunk?
side note: aren't the hobie tramps vinyl ? and most after market are mesh[/quote]
I've seen Sunrise and SLO tramps that appeared to be fine quality. Not sure of manufacturer names, but there have been several places cranking cheap ones out (primarily on ebay), and I've seen some of those that were pitiful with regard to fit and quality.
Hobie tramps are heat welded, not stitched (like all the aftermarket ones of which I'm aware). Stitching failures due to UV/wear have been mitigated somewhat lately with the use of Teflon thread....but that is typically an option and ups the price. Most anything that improves quality costs more.
All the Hobie manufactured tramps I've ever seen were made of vinyl. As Damon wrote, solid vinyl used to be the only option. For a very long time now, vinyl mesh has been the norm.
The OP's question was about lacing (line v. shock cord)....not which tramp to buy, but (as often occurs) the discussion diverged. He was told to skip the Hobie tramp and given a vague recommendation to go "third party" with the only basis for that recommendation being price. While I'm not up on pricing and quality of every tramp manufacturer out there today, I am of the opinion that this comment is misleading at best. A lower price for reduced quality is very often not the better value. If you want further clarification, perhaps you should question the author of that comment about its meaning (as you did my rebuttal).[/quote]
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