Only know the Sling Shot system.
It has isolaters on the tubes that connect each strut to the LE.
Ends up just the same as any LEI.
You simply snap them closed after you finish pumping - too easy - way too easy


"He who enjoys most - WINS"

Hey 4lawn,
If your using a kite that has separate blow up struts from the LE or a kite like the Slingshot one pump where you can shut of the struts with the clamps, from experience I know you can easily keep flying a kite if only the centre strut has deflated, when any of the other struts deflate you'll feel the kite start to pull in one direction & this can be quite dangerous. It pulls on the side of the deflated strut because of the resistance to the wind it creates. So you'll want to stop flying it ASAP. Same goes for the Leading Edge. If the LE leaks slowly you can still fly it for a little while (enough to get back to shore) but it gets harder & harder the more air you loose. The kite will jellyfish all over the place. So you'll want to get to shore as fast as you can and try to keep the kite as steady as possible. You'll know when its leaking because the performance of the kite changes a lot.

Hey azza,
They do on the slingshot kites. On slingshot there are no tip struts as the leading edge curves around at the edges of the kite. The kite is designed so that the struts dont need much pressure in them anyway. Slingshot kites hold their shape really well if there pumped up to the right pressure.

Hey andyc,
Yeah the slingshot ones do bend a bit & feel floppy when the kite is upside down on the beach (which is good as the kite doesn't blow away easy) but when its in the air they certainly hold their shape. They are thinner struts to give the kite less resistance in the air and allow it to fly faster. I did a test & pumped up my North Rhino 04 kite 14m (which recommends you pump the struts to 10 psi & LE to 6psi) I left the strut pressure about the same pressure as my slingshot struts which is under probably a bit under 6 psi i guess (slingshot recommend 6psi pressure for their kites) & to me the North felt like the kite was a piece a crap, jellyfished heaps compared to the Slingshot Fuel, but i was not flying it with a 5th line either. So guess that the slingshot kite was just designed that way. Have a fly of one when you get a chance.

quote:

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Originally posted by PsYLoR
(slingshot recommend 6psi pressure for their kites)

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Latest advice direct from Sling Shot was that there is no textbook recommended psi for the one pumps. Recent tests showed they could take well in excess of 8 psi but may not like water impact at those levels.
Quote : "7>7.5 is probably a good workable figure"
From advice on the beach I was pumping my 04 11M fuel to about that anyhow but had tried it once at 6psi. It definately feels better to me at 7.5

"He who enjoys most - WINS"

quote:

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Originally posted by waveslave


Are we that rushed in today's society that this amount of time really matters?....
Anyway, I never deflate the struts so when I pump it's only to blow up the leading edge.
Now we're talking fast!

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I think that the benefit of having all your ribs at the same pressure (=RIGIDITY) out-ways any pooh-poohing you may get for laziness... most of us have gone out, at sometime, with a soggy rib just to discover how much our wonderful kite suddenly sucked-arse! esp' when it's a tip rib and you've just turned back from your 1st run out :-(

I'm with you for the easy 1/2 pack-up, but even then some ribs will need the odd top-up... and this won't suit everyone tho', ie those without large enough cars and those with small shared dwellings... I'd hate to try travelling by public transport with a 1/2 packed 12m+ kite and board... or find your flatemate has just screwed their in/significant other on your kite just coz it was softer than the couch you all got last hard-rubbish-day! (anyone done this; i'm sure there's members here that'd like to know the details... a new thread and a review perhaps) :-D

Azza