foam-n-fibre wrote:
Does the glue and mesh method last in the long run? I've seen shoes and wetsuit repairs with similar glue (basically Shoe Goo and Aqua Seal) get dry and harden over time. I'm not saying it WILL fail in time, but I'd like to hear that it lasts a good long time before I use it on a kite that I plan to keep or sell for a good price.
Peter
Peter,
I have a kite that was repaired with Kitefix 2 years ago and it's still holding strong. I used the kite hard for an entire season after the Kitefix repair (which was very extensive) and I never had a reason to think it was not going to hold. I've done another major repair over a years ago and that's holding well also. I've done a few other small repairs/ & pre-emptive reinforcements on other kites with total confidence in the product. While I still own many of these kites they have become my "back-ups" and I am flying newer kites now.
You can see the pink RRD kite that I repaired with Kitefix here:
http://www.kitefix.com/blog/may-09-hatteras-trip
Honestly I was almost ready to retire the kite permanently because a sewn repair would probably have cost $200 (plus down time, shipping, etc) and might not have been worth the investment. The Kitefix repair cost under $25...and was back on the water with it the next day.
As you said about the ripstop tape : proper prep and application is a must with any good product. Kitefix is pretty easy and the most important thing is cleaning the kite and aligning the fibers.
Dacron tape is super easy to use - even on uncleaned fabric the adhesive sticks really well. I imagine Tear-Aid is similarly user-friendly.
I'd be willing to bet that the Kitefix repairs I have done will outlast the rest of the kite.
Disclosure: I have no ownership interest in Kitefix, however I had the pleasure of meeting the guys who developed the product and who showed me/convinced me that it works. Almost any repair can be completed in an hour's time and you can be back on the water the same day. I never go anywhere without a Kitefix repair kit, some Dacron tape, bladder patches, and other repair tools/materials. Fate never fails - the day after you tear your kite the best wind and waves of the season are upon you and the perfect kite in your quiver has a big hole in it!