Hi all! Since starting kitting a few months ago I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time watching the tops of trees and the weather websites, is this normal. It certainly has been a frustrating time, last summer when I wanted no wind (for diving and swimming) the seabreeze came early every day, this summer I want wind and it seems to been very patchy...

Now I have brought up the topic of patches, I made a small tear (2cm) in the fabic of my kite (SLE) canopy and I am not sure how to fix it.
Bizarely, I created the hole not from wrapping it around a tree last weekend (the kite took off from the beach while upside down with both sand and board on top! Thankfully I was still hooked in with safety, and the tree stopped it blowing into the 25 knot power zone!), but from snagging it when moving it around on the floor last night replacing bits of leaking rubber hoses to the struts.

Whats the best way to fix this kind of hole, and where's a good place to get the bits on a Sunday?

Ta, Nic

Spinniker repair tape - its just adhesive rip-stop.

You should be able to get it in any chandlery and comes in loads of colours.

Cut a small patch for each side of the canopy and round the corners off before sticking it on - it will last as long as the rest of the canopy.

Even just a good quality gaffer tape will do until you can get some of this
http://www.kitepower.com.au/catalog/product_16797_Ripstop_Repair_Tape_cat_325.html

You know you have the kite bug bad when driving in your car and the sound of the air flowing past your car keeps making you feel like its windy enough to kite!!!!!!!!!

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

quote:

---

Originally posted by Knickers

Thanks guys, might do the bandaid if I cant get spinaker tape in the sort term!

---

Spinnaker repair tape works well. But if you can get a hold of any clear Mylar tape its heaps better (I got some from KP don't know if they still have it). Before you put a patch on your kite you need to wipe it down with rubbing alcohol. This is important as it removes salt and any crap that has gotten on your kite from being in the water or on the beach. Wipe the kite down on both sides around the tear allow to dry and then apply the patch (es). Technically speaking you should put a patch on both sides of the canopy you don't have to it your call. If you don't round the corners of the patch as mentioned above the patch will come off sooner or later, rounding the corners makes the patch more likely to stay put.