i have done it a few times and i find it easier just to tie a string onto each end and pull it out. the valves are good as a guide to make sure the bladder isnt twisted. when put the hoses back on to the nipples i find it is best to use cable ties like slingshot because they can sometimes come off in a hard crash

airush geoff,will check for sand under screw on cap rubber first.Thanks,hope thats it,nice quick fix if it is.

Jackgearo,will give the cable tie thing ago as well

lotofwind said...

There was a bit of sand on the rubber ring.Cleaned it off,pumped it up and..........................still slow leak.Damn.
Oh well,out comes the bladder.

Get a spray bottle and fill it with water and some dishwashing detergent, spry the kites LE until you get some bubbles, you may find that the leak/puncture is near the middle of the kite and you can just pull some of the bladder out of the velcro opening in the middle of the kite to repair it.
I rarely pull the bladder out of a kite, I can nearly always fix it from the the centre of the kite.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

lotofwind said...

Kitepower Australia said...

lotofwind said...

There was a bit of sand on the rubber ring.Cleaned it off,pumped it up and..........................still slow leak.Damn.
Oh well,out comes the bladder.

Get a spray bottle and fill it with water and some dishwashing detergent, spry the kites LE until you get some bubbles, you may find that the leak/puncture is near the middle of the kite and you can just pull some of the bladder out of the velcro opening in the middle of the kite to repair it.
I rarely pull the bladder out of a kite, I can nearly always fix it from the the centre of the kite.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

Thanx steve,good idea.
Read somewhere that the dishwashing liquid idea was not good as the dishwashing liquid is not good for your bladder????????
Not sure if its true or a bit of bullsh#t.
Must be crap if thats how you do your repairs at the shop.
cheers.

Its BS, however its probably better to use something with low scent/low allergy, something like one of those enviro friendly ones, thats what the boss has by the sink, never had a problem and it does not stink up the customers kite, it also has not colour its a clear detergent.

If you find the puncture is near the centre then just pull that section out of the central velcro opening.

You should be able to guess the approx area of the puncture from the bubble test, then twist up the bladder a couple of feet past that area, and do the same at the other end, seal the twisted bladder with spring clamps (what I use) or rubber bands.

This is so that you can inflate that section and use th spray bottle to find the hole again, use a permanent marker to mark the hole.

Thoroughly clean off the water/detergent mix, then apply a Tear Aid patch, make sure its stuck, then pull the ballder back into the kite and maybe put some talc in too through the central opening.

Use some spare tubing to block any one pump nozzles when testing to find the puncture, test the screw on valve cap for leaks too.

Once the bladder is back in thekite inflate to approx 50-60% and massage all the area that had ballder removed and make sure there are no major twists, if there are none inflate fully and let the kite sit fo a while to check you got the hole.
Yep, sometimes there are 2 or more holes!!!!

Patience is the key to fixing bladders.


Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

Don't bother fixing it, just sell it on ebay as "near new, perfect for noobs"

lotofwind said...

ok.......so what do you do if you have covered the whole leading edge in dishwashing liquid,all strut nipples,hoses to struts,inflation valve etc, but no hole found?????
Struts staying air tight all day,leading edge 1 1/2hrs till softish.
I even went to a lake near by and submerged the kite in the water with no sign of small bubbles anywhere.

I was told patience is the key.I have spent 3 hours now and still no luck.Patience running thin.
Any one got a foil for sale

This really sounds like a leaking inflation valve, have you removed the rubber washer under the inflation valve cap?
If you have not actually removed the rubber washer, then do it and if there was any sand under it, then that was the source of the leak.The leak did not show up with the water/detergent spraying method because you don't have enough detergent in the water.

If you have already checked the washer for sand, then add more detergent to the water in the spray bottle, so it really foams up.

Then pay close attention to the tips, and spray all over the middle section of the LE, this is where I find most punctures.

Let me know about whether you found sand under the washer, if you hadn't already removed it and cleaned it?

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

lotofwind said...

Thanx steve for your help but found the leak today,YAAAY.

It was a little pin hole leak under where the canopy meets the leading edge only 300mm away from the center zip.Maybe had a bit of sharp sand or small bit of shell between the canopy and leading edge???

Only had to pull about 500mm of bladder out to repair it.Good stuff.

The kite has been pumped up for 3 hours now and is as hard as grand dad on viagra night.

Awesome!!!!
That is the area where probably 50-60% of punctures occur, its got to be from pumping the kite. When we pump the kite it rocks back and forth on the sand and as it gets harder it pushed down on the sand quite firmly if thee is anything sharp on the sand, then we get punctures.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

Probably from shellgrit trapped between the canopy and the le tube, has to be from something like that.
The last puncture I fixed was in a similar place but have found plenty more in similar spots

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve