Tear around the central bladder on a Fuel.What do you think?

[cretan_runner]

You, smart ass... Who's bitching..?
In the first post, I asked if I worry for a good reason and if someone can tell me what I must do to prevent it from tearing completely...
I didn't ask Slingshot to replace the kite, I just asked if this problem is common...
Secondly, what makes you think that I can't or don't want to contact Slingshot directly..?
In fact for your consideration I had a problem with my bar and they replaced it immediately after 4 months of use...
Thirdly, do you think it's normal for a kite 4 months old to look like this..?
And being the only that looks like this, among 20 other 2009 Fuels...?

If I was bitching I would start a thread like this: "...Slingshot ripped me off... "And so on...

f***, what a flamer...
Comprende?

If I was talking to SS from the first signs of wear what do you think they would have tell me..? "It's normal wear..." My kite stopped flapping on the beach from the first month, as I noticed the first signs... None here does what I do to protect the kite...
And you completely bypass the response of a guy that admits that's his own Fuel canopy looks that fragile too...

[BWD]

maybe me3 cannot get date for junior high schoool dance or something, is in a mood.
Maybe me3 got nougat stuck in teeth?

I went to Xania once years ago.
Springtime and cold water, no wind.
Got chased by an ass in the mountains,
spent a week in plakias.
nice seafood, fat germans, interesting island.
Would be nice to kite down in Crete in summer I bet.

I don't know if this is common to have tears in the canopy.
I bought my fuel from a team rider so I am not sure how the few tiny little tears happened or how much it was used in the 6-8 months he had it.
He said he did not leave it flapping in the sun.
The tears did appear to be next to creases.
I say tears but really they were like tiny holes, 1mm size. Not really a big deal, so far.

The pictures of your kite look much more creased up than mine though.
It does look like it might have flapped too much in the wind.
There is a big difference in flapping in 20knots and flapping in 30 knots.
30 knots can just destroy a sail or a kite.

Hopefully the tears don't multiply, because it's an awesome kite.

[Safe_Cracker]

I don't see any tears BUT I do notice some nasty crinkling which means you are putting the kite away wrong. As bad as the crinkling is I would think you are rolling it into a ball and shoving it into the bag, bad move. If you aren't then maybe you are rolling it to tight try folding instead of rolling. Here is a little movie to give you an idea...




Polo...

[cretan_runner]

I don't see any tears BUT I do notice some nasty crinkling which means you are putting the kite away wrong. As bad as the crinkling is I would think you are rolling it into a ball and shoving it into the bag, bad move. If you aren't then maybe you are rolling it to tight try folding instead of rolling. Here is a little movie to give you an idea...




Polo...

This is interesting...
Thanks

[eree]

well, for your comfort it is not just ss fuel problem:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2352994


as for my gear i can say those wear marks didn't evolve into tears and rips so far.


winds

[hugoso]

C kites flap more on the beach. I have graphics worn out on 09. My 2010 looks more reinforced on wear spots. Yes u r bitchin without contacting manufacturer. Contact them then bitch puta.

[cretan_runner]

C kites flap more on the beach. I have graphics worn out on 09. My 2010 looks more reinforced on wear spots. Yes u r bitchin without contacting manufacturer. Contact them then bitch puta.

Excuse me, the problem is if I'm bitching or not..?
Jeez...

[cretan_runner]

Do you think I should trust this stuff..?

http://www.sailboats.co.uk/Product~Holm ... 25200.html

[superstoke]

Agree with Me3 here although he is a little harsh. But it's good that people post quality issues here.

That video of the guy rolling the kite is ridiculous. Yeah that's exactly how I do it in 25 knots of wind on a sandy beach. NOT. Could anyone be more anal retentive or unrealistic to the real world. Any kite that needs to be rolled up with such care should have been made with better fabric. Classic blame the consumer approach.

Cretian that sucks, but that will never be a warrantee issue. My friends Fuel looked 5 years old after a season. The one pump system didn't do much better. So far your damage looks cosmetic so the kite still has a lot of sessions left in it. Use it until if falls apart and next time around express your dissatisfaction with the product by buying another brand.

[skyte]

this happens on the cheaper ripstops like Everwell from Taiwan. Basically the coatings break down faster than with higher quality ripstops such as Teijin from Japan.

I'm not sure how much of a problem this is, but I do know your kite will look worn out faster, whether or not the structural integrity of the fabric is significantly worse is not really proven, but the coating is breaking down and the coating is there for a reason.

The 2 main coating killers are UV light and kites left flapping in the wind. Packing kites away wet and sandy does bot help either.

People have experimented with waterproofing spray on coatings but I've not seen anything official recommending any of these.