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How to ruin your kite prematurely

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aklbob
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Postby aklbob » Thu Sep 19, 2002 1:40 am

Often, the canopy ripstop seems to wear out, ie turn into tissue paper way before the struts ans leading edge wear out!
Any flapping is bad for the canopy material, so leaving on the beach is bad, and flapping while flying especially when wet would accelerate the wear..
Re-waterproofing the ripstop might make it last longer as if it it wet it is weaker.

vestel
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Postby vestel » Thu Sep 19, 2002 7:41 am

how do you rewaterproof the ripstops. The leading edge of my AirBlast is completely delaminated do you think there might be an economical way to fix it?
Vestel out

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Postby BLOWN AWAY » Thu Sep 19, 2002 8:20 am

And don't crash a kite onto an oyster bed.... If pumped up hard there may be a good bang as well :smile:

BLOWN AWAY :smile:

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Postby Guest » Thu Sep 19, 2002 12:50 pm

If you crash your kite, don't do it on bushes with pikes. I saw a brandnew Takoon ending up with more than 30 holes :wink:

Another good way to damage the kite: After inflating the kite, just throw the pump away with a dynamic cool movement, don't even take a look where it lands in the sand, dirt or mud. Let others do the same to it. Don't clean it and next time just pump all the dirt which will be in the tube into your kite :wink:

andré
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Postby andré » Thu Sep 19, 2002 2:05 pm

hi,

for my kites i only use cotton-wool kitebags, only blow them up with light warm air, have three different sunoils to prepare them for the sun and at the end of each kiteday i pull the four lines through my mouth to clean them from sand and salty water.
thats love!!

greetz andré

Dr Surf Australia
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Postby Dr Surf Australia » Thu Sep 19, 2002 2:43 pm

On 2002-09-19 15:05, andré wrote:
hi,

for my kites i only use cotton-wool kitebags, only blow them up with light warm air, have three different sunoils to prepare them for the sun and at the end of each kiteday i pull the four lines through my mouth to clean them from sand and salty water.
thats love!!

greetz andré
That's not love! This is love.

I arrive at the beach with my large truck which has a climate controlled enclosure on the back. The kites are permanently inflated, though the pressure is lessened when the kite is not in use. Each kite has a silk cover separating it from the other kites.
The silk cover is taken to the beach and the kite is placed on it with a sunshade erected to keep the prevailing sun at bay.
Four new lines are run out every time by four porters and the old lines are donated to poor, underpriveledged kiters after they have grovelled on the sand for a bit.
A 100% carbon bar with gold plated stainless steel fittings is attached and placed on a silk cushion ready for use.
A portable computerised weather station which was set up when I arrived is given a final consultation and the forecast for the afternoon is committed to memory.
I then launch the kite after the launching porter has manouvered the kite to the correct position without letting it contact the abrasive sand.
As I position myself and board in the water a rigid/inflatable boat is launched to follow the kite around and protect it from damage such as impact on the water but mainly from other kiters who may get too close. If they get too close they will be shot as I cannot risk damage due to a disruption of the laminar flow of air over the kite.
At the end of the session a landing porter catches the kite and gently places it on a new silk cover. Another porter massages a suitable anti UV emollient all over the kite, reduces the air pressure and then all porters carefully carry the kite back to the truck and put it carefully away.
I then mingle with other kiters, brag about the air I attained during my session and maybe give away some more used kite lines and used pigtails to the poor. I warn them also never to touch my kite or they will be shot.
Most Australian kiters who have any status are like this. Why Steve McCormack has an entourage like George Bush when he goes to the beach complete with all these guys with earpiece communicators, black mirror sunglasses and AK47's.

Thats love!!! Aussie style :smile:

Have fun, Dave (Dr Surf

andré
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Postby andré » Thu Sep 19, 2002 3:06 pm

and then you wake up and have to go out for work!
perhaps see you on stradebroke island in a few years!

greets andré

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ralph
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Postby ralph » Thu Sep 19, 2002 3:41 pm

Hi guys,

Did you ever overinflate the leading edge and leave the kite in the sun for an hour or more? The bang is incredible!!!

Just happened to a friend of mine with a brand-new ARX 17.5 kite on the first day of his holiday...

Have fun,

Ralph

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Postby Guest » Thu Sep 19, 2002 4:00 pm

Another good method:

When you have to switch to another kite size, leave the other kite on the beach, lines and bar attached, just put some sand on it.

Don't return before two hours, then you have a fair chance not to see the other kite (in its original condition) again as first the sand and then the kite will have blown away :wink:


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