So I made a tear in my kite again. Third time it goes in repair since I got it (had none before), first time a 5 cm tear on the canopy, then a whole lot of repairs, big and small ( got onto a pile of Rocks), and today another "T" tear on the canopy...
Almost ready to throw it away, but checkin in at kitepower found out I could have it repaired once again for an affordable price, so I thought of givin it another shot..

How many repairs/damage does a kite has to have before YOU decide to get rid of it?

Silence said...

So I made a tear in my kite again. Third time it goes in repair since I got it (had none before), first time a 5 cm tear on the canopy, then a whole lot of repairs, big and small ( got onto a pile of Rocks), and today another "T" tear on the canopy...
Almost ready to throw it away, but checkin in at kitepower found out I could have it repaired once again for an affordable price, so I thought of givin it another shot..

How many repairs/damage does a kite has to have before YOU decide to get rid of it?

best hold on to it for a while,at least till you can keep it in the air

Good spot to advertise our 'Kite Wrecking Yard'
This idea is starting to get some legs.
At Kite Surf SUP we are dismantling any/all manner of kit into handy bits that may well not be available as new spare parts. Even if they are they often take forever to find & get delivered.
Awesome to see a kiters face when you pull out the bit he needs to get back on the water - no delays.
We are asking kiters to donate any/all old gear rather than binning it. We'll salvage every part thats usable and on supply it as and when needed.
This is a totally non-profit service. Used to do it on 'what came in free went out free' basis. At the moment we are working on sponsoring a charity so from now on we will accept voluntary donations for parts handed over.
News of the named charity will be announced soon but the KSS Wrecking Yard will be an 'all proceeds to charity' service. We are also looking at making a few kinky little products out of canopy material. Love to hear from arty crafty hobbyists out there who would like to help with this project. Ideas & skills both needed.

All donations of trashed kit very gratefully received at either Woodys & Scarbs.

Mate if you bought it with no repairs and now after using it you have three, use it till it's dead.

I mean real dead like the bladders gone, tears in the leading edge, conopy trashed, bag zips don't work, lines are shagged, centre line about to give way......

Don't spend any cash you'll only be blowin it

don't look at the repairs it's the rest of the canopy material that will wear out.

Hi
I would say that it is more the easyness with which the kite will get ripped again
I had one kite, still looked good, but the price of the repairs were beginning to be close to the price I bought it (2nd hand)
and also I didn't trust it anymore because the last time it just rip on a small crash.
Even if good looking, it was too much used, too much sun.

So yes, until you don't trust it anymore or the price of repairs are just too much

Matt

AKSonline said...

When it has so much additional sewing thread and sticky back that it is too heavy to get off the beach and fly.

Seriously, if a kite is repaired properly there is nothing wrong with it, it will fly fine. There are a few Frankenkites out there which still fly OK.

DM

Unless it is continually in need of repair because of old age and or material failure, keep repairing.

If you keep crashing whether its new or old will still cost you, better to stuff up an old kite rather than a new one until you improve your kite handling skills

Depends on what conditions you ride in aswell, I bought a second hand 3 year old kite as my high wind kite when I was learning and tore the thing in half. Had it repaired and still flew it in over + 30kts.
I look back on it now that when it hits 40 kts and I send my kite as hard as it goes I want nothing but the best gear above me, falling 15m to the water kinda scares me.