today my 12m ripped in half after a minor crash, dragged back to shore,to be honest i never expected too much from that kite anyway as it has let me down every session somehow, so, then i pumped my 9m and the LE was flat before i got back from walking the lines out, i shook my head, sighed, laughed to myself and gave up, after 5 minutes sitting on the beach annoyingly watching the other guys kiting i decided to check my go pro for the 15 minutes footage before my 12m broke to find the case leaks and water inside!!!
other than wrap my all my gear in cotton wool i look after it the best i can and clean n wash it every time its used, (which is not very often), out of 4 kites i own 1 is in working order, i have had every valve come un-stuck on 3 of my kites (north and wainamn) and before anyone says they are not used to the heat, or they shouldn't be left in the sun, the 1 working kite is a 2003 cabrinha CO2 that has been sitting outside on a peg since 2006, exposed to 7 years worth of weather, its still crispy and all the valves are still holding, the only reason it not used is due to re-launch and bar pressure, its even been through trees and into a bungalow as i was learning and still intact and 'as new' condition.....it seems to me that newer equipment is made to a poorer quality than the earlier days, or it is just because i had a shit day??