Kitesurfings pretty reasonably priced these days, but whats the story with bladders. Yep I know all about ustick bladders, what about the companies that make the kites where are they? Make kites in bulk cheaply wheres the support, hasn't changed since the beginning, this sucks.

Ok ustick bladders- fine this solves the problem for ancient kites. But is this best customer support big brand names can do, for people that have put a few grand into their product.

Do any stores actually stock bladders of brand name kites?

After a middle strut bladder for a 20m best kite that cost $200 brand new from kite power, good bargain, and great service. I haven't contacted Steve yet by the way. But would seriously doubt getting out of it for under $80 and the hassle of sticking valves etc. A stut bladder should be about $20 and petrol prices should be about 80cents in my world, but thats another story

We should start a bladder exchange network on this site, I have an x2 14m with all
the strut bladders ok, otherwise the kites stuffed, but might help a pov kiter like myself.

cheers

kites with out bladders please....get back to your lord of the rings ganoff

windpig said...

fly Peter lynns

Or Flysurfer.. ;)

But to be honest, this discussion is ongoing all around the world..

Here at Auswind we distribute Airush

We have spent ALOT of money on bladders over the years - we have tons left in stock from previous years - but to not have them would mean customers with valuable purchases out of action.

Bladders are definitely a loss maker for us - but having customers that have chosen us in a competitive market having to hunt around for bladders is not acceptable to us - granted we have been caught short on occasion (very rarely) - as you have to stock a different bladdder for each strut and LE on each size kite , of each model , ofeach year - and now left and right struts have become specific with assymetrical valve placement! The matrix of bladders we need to keep is MASSIVE.

However -To run a brand properly- this should really be seen as an overhead which must be absorbed as a cost of running a credible business.

pclarky said...

Kitesurfings pretty reasonably priced these days, but whats the story with bladders. Yep I know all about ustick bladders, what about the companies that make the kites where are they? Make kites in bulk cheaply wheres the support, hasn't changed since the beginning, this sucks.

Ok ustick bladders- fine this solves the problem for ancient kites. But is this best customer support big brand names can do, for people that have put a few grand into their product.

Do any stores actually stock bladders of brand name kites?

After a middle strut bladder for a 20m best kite that cost $200 brand new from kite power, good bargain, and great service. I haven't contacted Steve yet by the way. But would seriously doubt getting out of it for under $80 and the hassle of sticking valves etc. A stut bladder should be about $20 and petrol prices should be about 80cents in my world, but thats another story

We should start a bladder exchange network on this site, I have an x2 14m with all
the strut bladders ok, otherwise the kites stuffed, but might help a pov kiter like myself.

cheers

Give me a call, we have a few grands worth of baldders and often can find something to match, or I can use my McGyver skills to make one with the help of the trusty bag sealer.

I agree that a list of dead kites with intact bladders would be a great idea and a good way for the owner to ear some beer money (for the old bladders).

Flexifoil and a couple of other brands are beggining to do things smarter. Flexi have a unifit bladder system across their range of kites.

I do keep bladders in stock for brands I import and distribute, and they are Cabrinha and Ozone. Still have bladders for all the Flexi kites too, until Karve took on distribution, but he would have them in stock now too.

Some brands have been notoriously bad for keeping stock of bladders on hand in oz, and its one of the reasons we don't stock some brands. We feel it is important to be able to service what we sell.

However, in the vast mojority of cases over the last 2 years I have been able to fix bladders. Tear Aid will fix almost any hole in any bladder.
www.kitepower.com.au/collections/kitesurfing/SPGeneral

The photo in the link was a nasty blowout caused by a sharp cut to the LE on a one pump kite. Repair to dacron LE $70, repair to bladder $20. New Bladder was approx $150

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

Probably bad form to reply to your own topic again, and again, and what a winer ,
I can be

But what about a kite company offering a Hyundia style warranty. A car worth $14000 with a 5 year unlimited km warranty. $2000 bucks invested in plastic, whats your kite brand offering? zippo


1 year with bladder coverage, I should be in marketing lol.

totally serious though, be it a company or shop do it different and do it right, will
make the big bucks at the end of the day.

cheers
PAul