The tongue and groove connecting sections are designed to interlock and keep the watertight seal even in the event of an impact to the hull. See photo below.
We have tested our boats in temperatures from 30 degrees (Fahrenheit) to baking in the hot sun in the 90’s without any problem whatsoever. All of the latches and plates are made of either 316 stainless steel or steel coated with an enviro-coat which gives the same exposure resistance as the 316 stainless steel.
The band spring clamp design has been used successfully for decades in numerous applications without failure and is particularly good at handling vibration or impact such as collision with a rock as it is able to flex with the impact while holding its tension.
Each clamp is rated at 350 pounds of holding force. With 5 clamps in the cockpit section, those sections are held together with 1,750 pounds of holding force. We have intentionally over-designed our clamps with respect to the forces that could be exerted upon them to ensure the durability of our kayaks and the safety of our customers.
