Ok, so i've rearranged the afternoon and a mate drops me off at city beach for the DW to Trigg. Its blowing, the swell is building and there's hardly anyone out. Whohoooo. Except for deciding not to go with straps (dumb decision, i usually go strapless but today would have been better with), everything is perfect. Loving life. And then, just before Scarbs, my kite collapses in the air. It sort of does a spasm or two, and then just keeps collapsing. It pulls, then spasms, then falls. Finally crashes in the waves, a set rolls it up the beach. When I get there it has deflated quite a bit, but nothing that looks like a puncture. So, does anyone know what can cause a kite to act up like this? Can this happen if you are overpowered? Sure, i was overpowered, but not ridiculously. I was on my smallest kite, 8m Neo. Seabreeze registered some gusts of 32kts. And yeah, i'm waiting for someone to blame driver error, but i didn't hit the water once. So what's the deal? Slow leak? Any ideas? Thanks. Ps - most painful part was the long walk to Trigg watching some guys going nuts in some fun sets. Sigh.

Yeah leading edge leak for sure. An 8m in 32knots is fine. I had an RRD with the same issue when learning.

Pump up your kite at home. Wait 1 hour, see what she looks like. Then imagine the forces on the kite in 30 knots.

What did I say to you the other day about not working enough?

Mysterious things like a deflating kite with no reason can only point to one thing...



You've upset the boss upstairs cos you're out kiting instead of tending to the flock!

Thanks all! Who says this Forum has gone to pieces - there's still some good guys with good advice to be found. Guess i'll be hunting a leading edge leak today before it busts through this arvo again. WA - can't beat it.

If a small amount of sand gets into the inlet/outlet valve you can end up with a slow leak. I have Ozone Reos and the valve cap which has a rubber washer sometimes has sand under it and needs a good clean otherwise the leading edge will slowly deflate.