Hi Shawn,

The German Lettmann cleats look the same as the Kayak Sport cleats from Malcoms kayak. I haven't had a problem with these yet. I think there is a life-span on the cleats do to uv light. Leave them on your kayak long enough and these will probably be prone to break.
But also note, all deck cleats and rigging should withstand the stress of a kayak loaded with water being grabed by the deckrigging and turned over (to empty the water out of the cockpit) in rough water. The two person rescue.
Also, consider an extra large washer under the deck to support the stress from the deck cleat.
A rather important thing to consider is the thickness of the deckline itself. 6mm. Thick enough to hold the kayak in rough water without the line cutting into your hands / gloves, thick enough to get a good grab when your hands are numb from the cold.

: Are these pretty tough? I broke a "spider" cleat off a student's
: kayak one time while doing a rescue.

Happy New Year from the cold North of Bremen,Germany.
Bryan Gorr