ebay.... you bought some old kites dude

You probably need to pinch the valve (like you do on a 2010 Naish Torch). If you pinch the base of the valve, the air doesn't come out and you can put the plug in (with the Torch, should apply to the LF).

BWD is right, those kites are 4-5 years old, not good kites to get started on. Improvements in design have made equipment safer and better and as a beginner the last thing you want is to fight against poor gear as well.

If you still having problems. What I used to do back in the day, especially pumping the kite up in very cold weather when fingers where numb. I got a pair of long nose pliers, wrapped insulation tape around the tips so not damage the valves and used that to pinch the valves. Worked very well. But make sure you oil the pliers often, the salt air will seize them up pretty quick.

The good ole 'Spider inflation system'. The system works, so there must be a small leak in one of the struts or hose connections, or the hose itself. Use a bit of washing up detergent in suspect areas to pinpoint the leak.

Very short depower throw on that generation of kite. If it's remotely gusty, dont take it out. One member on here discovered that the hard way. Hey, Steven "Menace"...that word still haunts him :)

You sound like a real donkey Kenny! Have you tried just using the main inflate line, most likely you have not seen it. Check around the leading edge in the centre area I am sure thats what it will be, don' touch the struts!

By the way you have just bought a kite for a real man not some girly kite with all the safety stuff. Safety is overated, its just the man trying to take the 'extreme' away from our sport. Stay true to yourself and I will see you on the water one day, most likely bleeding but thats ok you soon learn........ ; )

Hey mate, I have an '06 Menace 12m so I should be able to offer some help.

The two-pump type system they use isn't the best as the 'airline' you're referring to tends to kink between the main part of it and the connections to the struts. The main thing to check while inflating the struts is that once you have inflated your kite to the pressure needed check that all the struts are fully inflated. A kink in any of these connecting sections will leave a strut un/under inflated and then the air can slowly leak in causing the other struts to depressurise.

Let me know if you need any more help on this mate

D