how to repair torn panel?

[tweekster]

a friend of mine showed me his kite the other day that had gotten torn in the surf. the rip is about 12 inches long, directly adjacent to and parallel to one of the struts. i have seen tape repairs when a tear is in the middle of the panel, but how do you repair when the tear is so close to the strut that the tape would actually be on the strut. can the repair be made by just taping the outside of the kite, or do you need to put the tape on the inside (where it would overlap onto the strut) as well? it appears that the tear stopped because it eventually hit the spanwise zigzag stitching.

thanks in advance.

[Guest]

Have it repaired by a sail maker before it turns into something worst.

[Guest]

That is one of the most dificult repairs. When the tear reach the bladders or the leading edge. Take it to a sail repair. They will have to open up the bladder and repair it. it will cost you a bit more. One of the best construction i've seen up to today is the new Slingshots. They have some kind of different material ( I think it's called mark stop)at all the struts and also at the leading edge, that will stop the tear before it reaches the bladders or the leading edge. That way you will save a lot on repairs. I think all kite brands should start using this style to construct their kites.
That way anyone can repair their own kite.

[Johnny TBKS]

Yup, take that kite to have it sewn professionally. It's the only way to go on a repair like you describe.

The material on the SlingShot kites the above poster is speaking of is actually called Mark Cloth. I mentioned this fabric here on the forums several times several months ago in a couple of different posts.

phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=5903

phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2554

phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2719&postdays=0&p ... sc&start=0

SlingShot are the innovators of using this cloth on the canopies, and I suspect we will be seeing alot more of it on other brands in the future. Not because everyone steals everybody elses innovations, but because it WORKS, and it adds alot of durability to the kites. It's also one of the reasons you see SlingShot come out of the surf so often with no damage.

Later,
Johnny