SA
91 posts
I think I have a slow bladder leak in my Blade Vertigo.
Any tips for quickly finding/locating where the leak may be? Is it just like finding a puncture in a bike tyre (pump up and hold sections under water and look for bubbles). I am trying to avoid removing the whole bladder if possible.
SA
30 posts
Take the bladder out (some say you can leave it in but I found it doesn't work as good), then pump it up so it is tight, then using a bucket with water and detergent to make the water really soapy, use a sponge and starting at one end slowly cover each part of the bladder listening and looking for noise and bubbles. It needs to be reasonably quiet to hear the air escaping and go slowly, but you can usually see the bubbles easier...... Make sure the water is really really soapy, if you don't it will be impossible to find the leak. Its a cr*p job, but is easier enough, just triple check for leaks before you put it back in the kite, (I had 3 holes when I did mine, and I had to do the whole process 3 times) coz you cant really check if you got the leak until you pump your kite back up to full pressure with the bladder inside the leading edge.
Have fun with it.
They reckon you can do the same technique without taking the bladder out, but it did'nt work for me, beside you gotta take it out to fix the hole anyway in the end.
SA
451 posts
Blow it up and take it down to the Pat near OnBoard. Walk down to the water and jam it in one bit at a time. Easy to fiond the leak cause the water is dead flat and calm. Just outside of OnBoard there is a stair well that goes to the water where the boats moore. That's the place to do it.
As stated, crappy job but this is quick and the bubbles are easy to see as well.
SA
17 posts
It depends how slow the leak is, but my prefered method is to take the bladder out and blow it up and first of all listern to the bladder and you can often hear the air coming out if you do it in a quiet place and try to feel air on your cheek. Its a pain in the arse using the water and end up just making a mess and quite often missing really small holes. Like the others said be prepared for more than one hole..
Also key places to check are around the valves...
SA
222 posts
I would also take it out, but the even crappier job is getting it back in.
BEFORE you take it out, tie a piece of fishing line (or similar string) to the valve. Pull the bladder out and undo the string, (the string is now in the tube where the bladder usually sits) this will help you to get the bladder back in.
When you have done your patching, tie the fishing line back onto the valve and slowly feed the bladder back while gently pulling on the string. This also helps to get the valve back in place through the hole.
Hope that helps
SA
91 posts
Cheers guys, some good tips in there.
Sounds like it will be a pr1ck of a job, nfi how it got a leak in the first place.
SA
17 posts
To be honest its not too bad. Ive just fixed my 7m leading edge In under an hour. If I remember right the vertigo is one pump - do you know which bladder the leak is in?
SA
33 posts
Find the location of the leak first by putting some soapy water on suspected locations. I use a bit of detergent and water in a squirty bottle, but you can use a sponge as well. Bubbles will form where the leak is, or around the stitching at a location near the leak. fitters call it a snoop test (don't know why). This has saved me time when it's just been a dodgy plug. As saffieboy recommends, tie a piece of string to valve or bladder end before bladder removal to aid re-installing.
