NEVER let it flap on the beach for to long, and get a mate to catch it when you have finished your session and keep it off the sand/shells so not to rip/tear on the debris on the sand. Ive heard some say don't wash in fresh water cause of the crap in town water. just let it dry.

Tractorguy said...
NEVER let it flap on the beach for to long, and get a mate to catch it when you have finished your session and keep it off the sand/shells so not to rip/tear on the debris on the sand. Ive heard some say don't wash in fresh water cause of the crap in town water. just let it dry.

Thanks man, sounds good

If you get tempted to hose it off after a session it needs to be 100% dry before packing it up, the kite sitting packed up and damp from freshwater will encourage mould growth.

I wash my kites and lines in fresh water after EVERY session and then hang via the bridle lines under patio (ie in the shade)

Dry for a day or two to allow moisture in the leading edge and struts to dry properly otherwise you'll eventually get mould.

My kites are around 3yrs old and still very crisp.

I've got a 2009 Cabrinha switchblade I still sail on. A bit stretched, but still going at 6 years old!

I don't wash my kites - I did once and it go mould stains! Don't leave them in the sun (all polymers hate the sun it makes them go brittle).
Don't let them flap and flog out.

In summary. Try to fly them a bit dry at the end of your session (but it doesn't really matter). Shake the worst of the sand off, but it doesn't really matter. Roll them up gently and stick them in their bag pretty much straight away. Only dry them if they get fresh water on them and if you have to dry them, do it in the shade.
Cleaning and drying generally does more harm than good.

Well that is my experience anyway.

What about washing your Bar? I had an old bar I rarely washed and one of the centre lines snapped (core bar), I bought another one and fixed the old one and used it as a back up. The new one I started washing after most sessions thinking this would make it last longer, but it seems to be heading down the same track as the last and has not made any difference.

I always make an effort to keep my kites sand free on packup and if they are wet, I have an area at home where they are unrolled to dry for a couple days.

I’m not going to hose them off, IMO you are more likely to damage them moving around or have the breeze catch them during this unless you have an excellent sheltered line.

My Bar&Lines go in a bin full of water along with harness, boardies, rashie ect after every session – it’s the metal components (swivel, pulley, cleat, safety catch ect) more than the lines I’m concerned about.

HOWEVER… I’ve borrowed a kite from the local shop several times now for various reasons, they are kites used in the school fleet and the ones I’ve been given are at least 18months old. They are always full of sand when I set them up, not long ago I used a 2013 school kite - it’s been treated like crap all its life and I had a good look over it when I finished with it (now clean and dry as opposed to still wet and fill of sand) – surprisingly it was in fantastic condition – so really I don’t know…

If my kites been pounded in the surf I will pump it up on the back lawn in the shade and wash with fresh water. It's dry in a coupla hours .. As for lines harness and springy they go in a bucket and soak for a bit . Especially with the swivel cam on the power lines, seized swivel means twisted lines .

This old chestnut...

Well if dropped in water yep hang up under pergola by bridles (I have 4 lines on sliders so I can pump it up a bit and let it find its own size/distribution) and wash.

Obviously they need to be totally dry as explained, hence sometimes I use a small towel to get under that leading edge/canopy contact..plus it gives me another chance to inspect the kite.

If not, I always do a mid season and end of season wash same way. But really I only do this to carefully inspect the kite and plug any pinholes etc and it gives me an activity to do while I drink a beer or two and reflect how fckn lucky we are to have this sport and its associated technology.

Other than that I pack my kites in a extra large canvass bag, this way they can be rolled really loose and easily packed away. Theoretically avoids pinholes from sand abrasion in those stupid bags they provide...I'd rather buy kite without bag for this reason. But I wouldn't claim this pin hole saving technique is fact.

All lines, harness, wetty etc put in a big bucket of water after every session.

Then again I know crew who never wash their gear and seem to have no problems.

For me it is just peace of mind, that's all. I wouldn't claim to know what is best.

So my message is, do whatever fits right with you. If freedofrog wants to wash his kites after every session good on him. Me, I got kids to wash, feed and get to bed (and listen to my wifes daily events in exquisite detail, after the sun has gone down, so washing my kite is not possible!

I love these "gear care" topics/threads.

They provide the easiest way to take note of who to buy from, and more importantly who not to buy from, in the classifieds section!

wash sand off your feet before you go into the house

wash sand off bar and line and harness and hang up to dry
forget the kite, as long as its dry

if the kites a scrunched up soggy sandy mess then definitely wash off and leave to dry before rolling it up

Chris6791 said..

mazdon said..

I crudely roll my kites up on the beach and throw them in the back of the ute. My kites only go in the bag once, at the factory

living the dream chris!
my bags enable my contraband to sit neatly in the work car and (relatively) free from inspection by the powers that be.

Thanks guys, I'll keep these all in mind when I get my kite.

Look after your kite like you look after a sheila:

Treat it mean to keep it keen!

Gorgo said..
My kites are about 5 years old and still look and perform like new. My favourite kites have just under 200 hours each.

The most important thing is to use the gear and use it hard. It's meant to be fun.

Other than that, I don't do dumb things that damage the kites like leaving them flapping in the wind and sun, or dragging them through bushes and paths when inflated. I am either riding them, or they're in the bag.

The only special maintenance things I do are:
- check and free the pulleys before every launch.
- I wipe the dacron parts of the kite with a damp chamois while opening the strut clips. It keeps the fabric clean and is easy to do.
- I keep a little brush in the car. If the kite is really sandy I will use it, or the chamois to knock the sand off.

What brand of kite comes with an Hour meter ? or did u retro fit one????