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Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2002 9:25 pm
by THE POWER
I have just blown my kite up in the garden to spray the sand off it and noticed there was a bubling noise coming from an area in the leading edge like that of a puncture in a bicycle inner tube. It has probably been there a while and to be honest it is a very slow punture and the leading edge never really looses a significant amount of pressure. Yet it is anoying it being there and I wondered if anyone knows the best way of repairing it. I have some glue supplied with the kite but no patch. What sort of patch is needed. Do you have to take the whole bladder out blow it up find the puncture and replace?

Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2002 9:52 pm
by sq225917
buy a foil.

Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2002 9:54 pm
by chicagokitesurfer
Its best to remove the bladder and do the repair correctly, otherwise you may not have solved anything. The kite should have come with a repair kit. Here's some help on removing the bladder:

http://www.chicagokitesurfing.com/tipsa ... s.html#Fly

V
http://www.chicagokitesurfing.com

Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2002 10:45 pm
by Royce
Its easy to repair. More than likely if you see bubbles from the leading edge but the bladder doesn't go down that fast then the bubbles are from air trapped inside the bladder not the actual leak. Undo the velcro on both ends of your kite and tie string to the ends of the bladder. Pull it out through the velcro opening on the leading edge of the kite. Tie the rops up so they don't get lost back into the kite. Blow up the bladder but not too hard. I sit in the pool and push the bladder under the water to find the leak. MArk it with a permanent marker and check the rest of the kite. It sounds like the hole is small so just cut a corner off the tip of the bladder where you tied the string to ( make sure you don't cut into the part pof the bladder that holds the air. Stick a little glue onto the hole and stick the little rubber patch onto it. Hold it tight between your fingers for 5 or 10 min. Give it 20 min and blow up the bladder and check for leaks. Then Lie the bladder beside the kite and line up the inflation point on the kite with the one on the bladder.tie the string onto one end of the bladder and feed the bladder back into the kite without twisting it. Once the bladder is back in make sure you fold the end of the bladder with the end of the kite and then inflate it about 1/2 way and check for twists. If there are twists pull the bladder back out and try sticking it back in again. Don't inflate the bladder too hard until you are positive its in correctly.
PS I'd rather swim with my inflatable every day that sail a foil. Just my opinion.
Aloha Royce.

Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2002 12:38 pm
by kitesurfingdude
yo! i used sailing tape for my 4inch long rip in my bladder.it worked a treat.it`s like duck tape but much stronger

Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2002 12:43 pm
by Jordanis3r
use talc to help guide the bladder back into the kite - use loads

plus when i had the kite / bladder lined up to keep the kite lei flat i placed numerous trainers/sneakers along the lei - keeps it perfectly flat whilst u pull the bladder thro' - easy! and does'nt restrict the flow of the bladder going into the kite ....