Hey SMWAM,

It all depends where abouts the tear is. Generally, small tears mid canopy to the trailing edge aren't too bad, but anything in the forward half of the kite should really be repaired by a professional. Products like tear aid and the sticky non stretch stuff we use are great and will certainly get you out of troubl for a few weeks to a season but it is always better to get a repair done properly for peace of mind.

A small tear in the wrong place and a bad crash which loads in the wrong spot can turn a hole the size of a 5cent piece into a two piece kite.

If you are going to do the repair yourself, make sure you do it properly. Ie, use a mild detegent and warm water to wash the effected area on both sides of the kite, then rinse and dry COMPLETELY! Then cut your patch and stick it on making it 1inch bigger radius than the nearest part of the tear and with rounded corners.

As I said, depending on where it is, it will last a long time but it is always better to get sticky back sewn onto the kite to do it properly.

Here's a link to repair advice www.kiteboardingschool.com.au/index.php/beginner-newbie-tips/tip-20-simple-repairs-to-the-canopy.html

Cheers,

KH

Cheers for the reply's!

Hicko said...

...
Good luck with the repair and watch out for those random killer oysters!! I hope your feet survived!

well i thought I survived but just like my kite I found a few cuts! nothing serious but i'll be wearing booties for sure next time

SMWM,
Check out Kitefix on Youtube - They cut 2 kites in half and join them together with a kitefix kit. Pretty impressive, but wasn't sure. Anyway a mate that I kite with here in East Timor (not a lot of kite shops and repair stations around) ripped his kite from front to rear and decided to use the kit. I was suitably impressed as he has smacked that kite in the water a few times after the repair and it performed just as it shows in the video. If it happens at the beach, you can repair in an hour and be back on the water asap.
I am not advocating this as an alternate to a panel replacement or the use of tape, but it has been a god send whilst over here and would be a must if travelling with your own kite.
<; check it out, pretty impressive.
Ace

There will be a new Australian website for Kitefix very soon. This is a great product and doesnt at all stand out like dogs balls if the job is done right. Quick, easy and youcan travel with it where ever you go.

On our latest trip to PNG, One of the riders got a small rip in his new Fuel, so we used Kitefix to repair it. Took 5 mins to apply and 20 mins to dry / set.

My suggestion would be to ask your local shop if they have it otherwise, ask them to start stocking it.



Repaired just before we rode here....

arsa said...

There will be a new Australian website for Kitefix very soon. This is a great product and doesnt at all stand out like dogs balls if the job is done right. Quick, easy and youcan travel with it where ever you go.

Have you got some photo's of repairs done with kitefix that look 'good'?
I'm not complaining about the product as i've used it to repair a small - medium tear in a canopy before, just i doubt i would ever describe the result as neat or clean.