Resistance Covered
Spa Covers Gone With The Wind?
Where is my spa cover? Ever have to ask yourself this question after a wind storm? I have had people tell me they have found their cover a quarter mile from their home. I do not know how they knew it was their cover. Maybe in some parts of the country people write things on their spa covers to help them recover them after a storm. I suppose you could write, If Found Please Call, on the bottom. Maybe, Hope This Spa Cover Did Not Land On Your Sister.
Personally I think it might be time for a different type of spa cover. I found a posting on a spa cover dealers website claiming that they had several covers that made it through Hurricane Katrina. That is a little like saying there were some calvary survivors after Custers last stand. There is a big difference between having some going undamaged and having no losses.
The question to ask is are they selling anything different? So far I have found stronger straps as their solution. Well you could build a solid roof that attaches to the spa but in case you did not notice solid roofs were flying right off houses. The answer is not stronger tie downs for the wing you use to cover your spa but get rid of the wing.
Find a design that does not offer a rigid surface for the wind to lift on. The reason rigid foam spa covers fly is that they make a good wing. Our armed services fly planes with less aerodynamics than the typical rigid foam spa cover.
What causes a spa cover to fly? When wind comes at the spa, some of it hits the side of the cabinet and has to go around. As the air is pushed around the spa it some of it goes up over. As it breaks over the top of the rigid foam cover it starts a little ripple or swirl action that begins to suck upward on the rigid surface. Like when your riding in a convertible, if you have hair like I used to, it does not blow backward like you expect but forward because of the windshield diverting the air flow. If you had no windshield your hair would be blown straight back. This swirl action pulls the foam cover up off the spa.
It does not need to move it very much, just enough to create enough of a gap for some of the air to get under the cover. The second reason rigid foam spa covers fly is they have a nice air space between them and the water surface they are supposed to be keeping warm. Once air starts to flood into this air space it creates pressure. The air rushing in can not push down on the water so it takes the only thing it can move, the spa cover. Once this action starts it is only a matter of what velocity is required before lift off occurs. The first movement of the flying spa cover is straight up.
The pressure in the space between the water of the spa and the bottom of the cover pops the cover straight up. It takes a lot less force than you might think because it is lifting on the entire bottom area of the rigid foam cover at once. Even a saturated rigid foam spa cover that is too heavy for one person to lift will fly when the air is pushing on the entire bottom surface. Once a heavy spa cover gets airborne watch out because anything it runs into is going to get damaged.
So are these spa cover dealers offing anything different? Are they offering a spa cover that is not designed like a wing? Are they selling a spa cover that does not require straps and truck ratchets to secure it to the spa? I propose looking for a different kind of spa cover.
The internet has put the world at your finger tips. Instead of settling for the same old thing, shop the web for a design that makes sense. Look for a design that does not use a rigid foam board resting across the top of the spa. A better design would rest right on the water surface first because the water is what you intend to keep warm and second because this would remove the void that would build up pressure to pop the cover off. If the flexible and dome shaped rather than flat and rigid it would resist lift and deflect even the strongest winds. If you are tired of worrying about your spa cover every time the wind blows, you owe it to yourself to find a better spa cover.
About the Author
The Author is a business owner with more than twenty years experience. A former Police Sgt, Pilot, Heavy Equipment Operator, Trained Mechanic that has written technical manuals and short stories. An accomplished motorcycle rider he enjoys riding the back roads of Washington on his Harley Davidson, with his wife riding copilot. Please visit SpaCap.com
Spa Covers.
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Foam Covered Plastic Handles for P90X Resistance Bands $7.99 |
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4 FIT CORD Resistance Bands Safety Sleeve Covered Exercise Tubes VL-H w/ Handles $40.95 |
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10 FIT CORD Covered Resistance Bands Fitness Safety Sleeve Exercise Tube VL-H $96.99 |
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Gaiam Covered Resistance Cord Workout Kit – Medium $11.98 |
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5 FIT CORD Covered Resistance Bands VL-VH Fitness Tubing Exercise Tube w/Handles $52.95 |
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New Gaiam Covered Medium Resistance Band Kit & DVD $14.98 |
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New Gaiam Covered Light Resistance Band Kit & DVD $14.98 |
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Heavy Covered Resistance Cord Kit $14.98 |
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3 Resistance Bands M-VH FIT CORD COVERED Exercise Tube $38.95 |
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3 Resistance Bands L-H FIT CORD COVERED Exercise Tube $35.95 |
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New Gaiam Covered Heavy Resistance Band Kit & DVD $14.98 |
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Gaiam Covered Resistance Cord Kit (Medium) $17.57 |
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Resistance Bands 4 FIT CORD Safety Sleeve Covered Exercise Tubes VL-H $40.95 |
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NEW Gaiam Covered Resistance Cord Kit (Medium) $13.46 |
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10 VERY LIGHT Fit Cord Covered Bands Resistance Tube $89.95 |
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OXO Good Grips SimplyTear Standing Paper Towel Holder, Brushed Stainless Steel $23.90 Pulling off paper towels only requires one hand; the days of stabilizing the holder with your other hand are long gone with this holder by OXO. Stylishly constructed out of sleek stainless steel and black accenting, the holder has a raised vertical arm which is spring loaded to push lightly against the towel roll at any diameter size. This pressure helps prevent the roll from unraveling and spinni… |
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B&E (TM) Stainless Steel Teakettle 2.5 Quarts Whistling Tea Kettle with Stylish Zinc-Alloy Handle covered with Heat Resistance Silicon (XM003) $39.99 B&E Home Essential is committed to bringing better living to your everyday life. Our products are designed with end users in mind and tailored in every way to create the style and functionality you deserve…. |
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Complete Professional 16 Channel H.264 DVR with 6 x 1/4 SONY CCD Outdoor Camera, 600TV line and 6 x 1/3 CMOS CCD Indoor Camera, 600 TV lines(1T HD) $1,180.00 Package Includes: GW2416SV DVR with 1T HD; 6 x GW651H -1/4″ Sony CCD Camera; 6 x GW714C -1/3″ CMOS Camera; 1 x GW1000RG59: 1000 Feet RG59 Siamese Power/Video Combo Cable; GW1218-10A: 1 x 18 ports power box; 12 x Power pigtail (GW082); 24 x GW10009: Twist On BNC Male Connector…. |
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SPEEDSTER® Arm Speed Training with Safety Sleeve ** 1 HEAVY RESISTANCE 8′ SAFETY SLEEVE BAND AND 2 BICEP CUFFS ** $44.95 This listing is for HEAVY RESISTANCE CORD. SHOULDER SPEED BUILDERTM Upper Body strength and speed trainer Develops: Powerful Arm Action The Shoulder Speed Builder can be performed in both the resistance and assistance directions. It helps the sprinter to develop quick and powerful arm action. Perform explosive running drills without compromising technique. SHOULDER SPEED BUILDER PACKAGE INCLUDES:… |
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SPEEDSTER® Dual Man Overspeed Chaser ** 1 SHOULDER X-HARNESS, 2 WAIST BELTS AND 1 MEDIUM RESISTANCE 20′ SAFETY SLEEVE CORD ** $89.95 This listing is for MEDIUM Resistance. SPEEDSTER® Dual Man Over Speed Chaser GUIDELINE FOR CHOOSING PROPER RESISTANCE LEVELS: MEDIUM resistance for Beginner and Intermediate athletes under 110 lbs. (HEAVY for Advanced athletes under 110 lbs.) – HEAVY resistance for Beginner and Intermediate athletes over 110 lbs. (ULTRA HEAVY resistance for advanced athletes over 150 lbs.) Take into account the a… |
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SPEEDSTER® TRAINING KIT: HEAVY RESISTANCE – Speed Overspeed and Resistance Trainer – 3 Covered Heavy Resistance Cords- 20′, 8′, 4′, 2 Waist Belts, 1 Shoulder Harness, 2 Handles $149.95 SPEEDSTER® TRAINING KIT provides safe and effective equipment to perform an endless variety of speed, overspeed, power, agility and lateral movement drills. GUIDELINE FOR CHOOSING PROPER RESISTANCE LEVELS: MEDIUM resistance for Beginner and Intermediate athletes under 110 lbs. (HEAVY for Advanced athletes under 110 lbs.) – HEAVY resistance for Beginner and Intermediate athletes over 110 lbs. (ULT… |
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Fashion Hard Carrying Case for Garmin Nuvi 1200 Nuvi 1250 Nuvi 1260t Nuvi 205 Nuvi 255 Nuvi 265t Nuvi 275t Garmin Nuvi 350 360 370 200 250 260 GPS 3.5 + Wall Charger for Garmin GPS + Screen Protector Kit Package includes a Hard carrying case for 3.5 inch GPS with wall charger…. |
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Cogage True Spirit CPU Cooler by Thermalright 1366 Cooler $25.59 Technical Specifications:Dimensions: L133 x W156 x H38 mmWeight: 670gHeat pipes: FourFan Specifications:Dimension: L 120 W120 x H25mmRated Speed: 1000-1500RPM+-15%Noise Level: 19.6~37.4 dBAAir Flow: 35~66.5 CFMIncluded Components:HeatsinkPWM 12c Fan1366 Push Pin Retention MountThermal PasteAnti-vibration Adhesive Strips x 212cm Fan Wire Clip x 2… |
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Navigator NMP1120 – Premium Multipurpose Paper, 97 Brightness, 20lb, 8-1/2×11, White, 5000/Carton-SNANMP1120 $121.84 For everyday inkjet and laser printing, Navigator premium-quality multipurpose paper has you covered. Special engineering helps you render crisp, high-contrast text and images. Smooth finish provides excellent jam resistance. Size: 8 1/2 x 11; Paper Color(s): White; Paper Weight: 20 lbs.; Sheets Per Unit: 5000…. |
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Bodylastics 13-Piece Maximum Tension XT Resistance Band System (5 Exercise Tubes, and 7 DVDs) $53.95 The original exercise bands system, proudly shaping bodies since 1998! Bodylastics Max Tension (134 lbs, 67 pounds per side) exercise Bands With DVD Super System is a complete home exercise system using resistance bands. Everything about this system is HEAVY DUTY, from the latex to the welded O-rings. Easy to use, this system is designed build or tone and tighten your body. By simply attaching a… |