Any tips for pumping up small kites?

[sflinux]

The smallest kite I ever owned was a 2-line 3M CO2.
My smallest now is a 5M Type 7.
Both of these kites have small bladders. I find it hard to pump them up, plug up the nozzle, and still have any decent air pressure inside the struts.
I flew the 5M the other day and it would get a crazy wobble when it starting flying really fast. I assume it is because it didn't have enough pressure in the tipward struts.
Any tips?
One thought I had was attaching fiberglass spars on the outside of the tipward struts to help stiffen them up.
thanks.

[randykato]

Strange that they don't have one-way valves on the bladders... that's the key.

I had a small kite many years back that didn't come with them, so I swapped the bladders on the smallest struts with ones that had one-way valves. and it did the trick.

[hein]

..

[Janus]

The smallest kite I ever owned was a 2-line 3M CO2.
My smallest now is a 5M Type 7.
Both of these kites have small bladders. I find it hard to pump them up, plug up the nozzle, and still have any decent air pressure inside the struts.
I flew the 5M the other day and it would get a crazy wobble when it starting flying really fast. I assume it is because it didn't have enough pressure in the tipward struts.
Any tips?
One thought I had was attaching fiberglass spars on the outside of the tipward struts to help stiffen them up.
thanks.

Hmm, i can think of a solution..
Small Pulse or P3..

Regards

[RickI]

I was having the same problem a while back with a kite. I had some success with stuffing the pump tip in tight, pumping the batten almost as tight as I needed to. Then I would pull the tip out slightly and pump until the pump tip blew out of the bladder. This would usually seat the stopper ball. Good luck.

[PiaKite]

If it has a stopper ball in the bladder, just hold it upside down when filling and removing the pump nozzle. Gravity will seat the stopper ball, and you wont lose any air.

[Robsw6]

you need strong fingers and thumbs!

Pump it up as hard as possible, then use your thumb & forefinger and squeeze like your life depended on it, take the pump out and stopper in

if you are still struggling, wrap gaffer tape round the jaws of a pair of long nose pliers (to prevent damage to the valve) and use them to squeeze it

[toyletbowl]

wrap gaffer tape round the jaws of a pair of long nose pliers (to prevent damage to the valve) and use them to squeeze it

yes...this works great for non one pump small struts.

[Peter_Frank]

Most newer kites have very efficient contra vents

If older models with stopperballs - remember to hold the valve/strup upside down, so the ball will drop and stop "faster".
Often helps on these older types

Kindly, Peter Frank

[MHK]

After pumping up tight. Don't pull tip straight out. Quickly flick the tip out in a horizontal motion. This will set the ball in place instantly with no air loss.
Make sure you pump it up tight first.