Sola Hand Straps

[FlyinV]

I have a couple Sola 1200 that I got last January.

Do the new style hand straps fit on these?
The velcro straps are getting pretty worn out.

 

[lightandmotion]

Hi FlyinV,
Unfortunately the new ballistic nylon hand strap will not fit the 2011 lights. We had to revise the design of the body in order to redesign the strap for 2012, precisely because of the feedback we got about the 2011 velcro version. While we did look very hard at backward-compatibility, there wasn't a way to make it backwards-compatible without sacrificing the low-profile nature of the new strap.
-Blaise,

International Sales
Light and Motion

 

[disco1999]

Unfortunately the new ballistic nylon hand strap will not fit the 2011 lights.
-Blaise,
International Sales
Light and Motion

Would you have a solution for those who bought the 2011 Sola1200 model with quickly worn out velcros ?

 

[jrfox]

LDS suggested bungee cords to replace the Velcro, so this is what we're using. We bought a small bag of mini-bungee cords, used diagonal cutters to cut off the staples on the ends that kept the clips on, and tied knots at a distance that gives a snug enough fit over our dry gloves. I don't expect each set of cords to last too long, but they'll last as long as the Velcro does We'll have to adjust for warm water diving and no gloves.

The response from L&M seemed a bit chilly. I would have preferred something along the lines of "we thank the people who bought the first generation of the Sola lights and provided feedback that helped us improve the next version. While we know it isn't much, we'd like to offer (some token cookie - $20 off next purchase? ball adapter to use as video light?). We've found that (something like the bungee cord solution) can be used to replace the Velcro straps (and a disclaimer that owner is reponsible for attaching securely to keep the lawyers happy)."

I'm not too put off by the brusque handling by L&M and the failure of the Velcro: I've outfitted my commuter bicycle with head and tail lights from Light and Motion and the rechargeable lights with LED indicators of charge level are great.