Hi folks - I have a Bandit 4 kite that seems to have a slow leak in the leading edge - after about 1.5 hrs the leading edge appears to be softer and when I open the struts they have more pressure.

My questions are - how do I de-rig the front bladder cuz this model seems to have done away with small cable ties to hold the tubes on - its now a black plastic ring ?? can these be removed and then reused??

With the B4 - do I remove the bladder from the centre zip or from one wing tip?

Once removed - any tips on finding a tiny hole ???? submerge the bladder in water, soapy water ???

Thank in Advance!!!!

Before you take the bladder out use a squirt bottle with soapy water to isolate the leak. Pumping up bladder outside the kite is fraught with escalating the problem.

Just from experience.

Don't forget to tie a piece of string to the opposite end that you pull out because you need to be able to pull it back through again.

Thanks guys for the tips - yes I'll start with the valves etc and only pull the bladder out if I have to !
Im still not sure how the ring clips on the strut tubes work - and clues??

If the ring things are removable then remove. if you want you can use Cable ties when doing the refit, just don't leave sharp ends.

Another technique for finding a tiny hole (this will only work if you have access to a place were you can pump you kite up indoors and there is no significant ambient noise.)

Pump up the kite to the normal LE pressure and place it LE up. Start at one side and put your earl along the leading edge and move slowly from one side to the other. If you are in a quiet enough environment you will eventually hear a high-pitched hiss from the area where the leak is located. If you can borrow a stethoscope from a medical friend for a day, this will make it even easier. Use it instead of your ear. This will at least give you a good idea of where to start looking once you remove it from the kite.

Once you've got the bladder out pump it up again use the same technique again to hone in on the exact location where you need to perform the repair. Chances are it'll be a leaky valve but I've also seen random pinholes in the LE for no apparent reason.

Yes,the soapy water technique also works but it's messy.

I had to find a very tiny pinhole in the LE.

Tried the underwater thing - no bubbles.
Tried the soapy water thing - no bubbles.
I had inflated the bladder to just enough to tighten the skin.
I then inflated it until it was about 1" bigger in diameter than the LE of the kite and washed off the dried soapy water - bubbles appeared.

It seems the slight stretching was enough to make the difference at that low pressure.