hey all.
just torn a new kite. still kicking myself over it. Be f***ed if i know how / where / when.

two small tears close to the LE.
some photo's attached.
anybody with much experience in kite repairs please have a look.

not sure whether i should just put a small circle patch on it or get a roll of kite repair tape.
1 hole approx 2cm turning 90 degrees and 2cm tear other direction.
and
About 7cm away there is another spot which has a fair amount of wear. May not even have a hole, but as we know it all starts with slight wear and progresses. I figure a pre-emptive repair on the wear spot can't hurt.
problem is, that both spots are very close to LE.
im worried that a small circle patch just won't hold up, and if it doesn't my LE will completely blow out.

questions-

should i just throw a quick little patch on it ??

or, is it worth just getting kite repair tape and covering both areas??

Do the patches come in different sizes ? ( stupid question? I'm aware )

somebody told me to throw a patch over both spots, and cover with kite repair tape also?
anybody else gone to these lengths ?
I'm just paranoid that a half ass'd job will ultimately lead to my whole LE ripping.

take a look at the pic and let me know what you think.

in my opinion, once the canopy is has a tear ( rather than just a small hole ) i should be using kite repair tape so that it can't rip any further? I'd rather be safe then sorry, as i said, it's a new kite. literally less then 15 hours on the water.

i tried yelling, screaming, and kicking the hole?. but it just wouldn't go away !

( for anybody in Victoria, you can imagine my pain when un-rolling on Sunday, when the wind finally arrived and finding this )



cheers in advance.

any shops in VICTORIA that stock fluro orange or clear tape & patches please message me ASAP, as you all seem to be out of stock.

photo- 1 close up of hole.

photo- 2
left is wear spot
right is hole?.. ( obviously )
black w/ white stitching is LE
black w/ black stitching is strut.
hole is approx size of 20cent coin

If it was my kite and especially being brand new I’d be taking it to a kite repairer for a professional job - whatever that might be…

Google or search!

www.horizonsails.com/

Cheap quick and top job

Lindsay @ irwin sails

I'd take a trip to whitworths marine and get spinnaker repair tape same color too match,cut a round piece.... Square ones lift on the sharp edges eventually. Stick a nice neat patch on it. About $10. Done. That's all is needed!

Select to expand quote

Brisbud said..
I'd take a trip to whitworths marine and get spinnaker repair tape same color too match,cut a round piece.... Square ones lift on the sharp edges eventually. Stick a nice neat patch on it. About $10. Done. That's all is needed!

^^^^
Exactly this.


I would add

Put patch on underside or one on both sides.

Tear aid type a, cut a circular patch, on the other side of hole put a piece of paper tape , ie masking tape, this will hold the hole in its original pre damaged position, lay on a flat surface and place tear aid type a patch over hole, then take off masking tape,as tearaid is clear you'll struggle to see it, as longevity I've repaired some locals in higher stress areas and it's lasted 3 years and is still going, make sure you clean with a alcohol wipe and thoroughly dry , a hair dryer helps and a small nylon roller, also make sure it's tearaid type a , the are similar products but they don't bond anywhere near as good imo

Agree with two posts above.
Round patches both sides with a bit of kitefix glue (think that's what it's called) and a quick hit with a WARM iron and those patches are there for good.
You might find the wear is from inflation valve or strut clips etc. If so I do the inside patch a bit bigger or else there will soon be wear right next to the first little patch.

Oh dude, 15 hours old, i'd still be crying. Good luck with the repairs.

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Sammyjay said..
Oh dude, 15 hours old, i'd still be crying. Good luck with the repairs.

Which is why I never buy brand new. new kites are a rip off (pun intended).

That's definitely a warranty job. If they refuse take em to Fair Trading.

But if you must have it repaired, it's no big deal. Plenty of answers above. I would use KiteAid. Great repair kit. Every kiter should have one in their glove box.

called every kite shop , every sail maker

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harry potter said..

Brisbud said..
I'd take a trip to whitworths marine and get spinnaker repair tape same color too match,cut a round piece.... Square ones lift on the sharp edges eventually. Stick a nice neat patch on it. About $10. Done. That's all is needed!

^^^^
Exactly this.


I would add

Put patch on underside or one on both sides.

Called every kite store, sail maker, and chandlery, and nobody had what i was looking for …….. except Whitworths.As i am a very poor bastard, I was trying my very best to avoid a $15 dollar fuel trip for $10 tape. Whats done is done..Thanks all for your help and advice. On a lighter note, my lines were a tangled & knotted mess, after a cracked the ****s when i found the tear ,and didn't bother rolling up my lines properly….. so i paid my 7yo step-son $5 to un-tangle them. Almost 6 hours later and a 10pm bed time …… it was the best $5 ever spent. You got'a get yourself one of these ! !

so everybody is suggesting a small patch on both spots , rather then a 10cm strip covering both.i figured this would be fine for a small pin hole etc , but not for a tear. my previous kite had a hole, but it wasn't torn, so patch was not a problem.

i will take your word for it… but if it doesn't hold, I'm warning you….. IM COMING FOR YOU !!

Select to expand quote

harry potter said...

Brisbud said..
I'd take a trip to whitworths marine and get spinnaker repair tape same color too match,cut a round piece.... Square ones lift on the sharp edges eventually. Stick a nice neat patch on it. About $10. Done. That's all is needed!

^^^^
Exactly this.


I would add

Put patch on underside or one on both sides.

A proper stitched repair costs $20-$40

True but it is not necessary........

if done properly spinnaker tape will easily hold up for the life of the kite. I had a huge L shaped rip from leading edge to trailing whilst I was camping in Denham WA with a kite repairer or sailmaker not an option i used the tape. The kite not only lasted the rest of my trip but the rest of the season .........it is in fact still intact in my garage 6 years later.

For anything on the leading edge or bigger than 10-15 cm I would generally use a sailmaker. But smaller tears no so much.

Try tedlar tape , can get it at briskites . Had t 2 rips similar to those n held all season

Man I wouldn't risk it! Id be buying a new kite. But tell the missus you need it in a smaller or larger size ;)

A few options you can take-
-The ripstop tape will work but won't be permanent unless it is sewn on
- Tear Aid will fix those fine, it's expensive stuff though. Don't fix anything over about 7cm with it.
- Tedlar has less stretch and is cheaper, just tends to get a little sand stuck around the edges after a while.

There is another fix that is cheap and easy just takes to long to explain in writing. Give me a call in the shop and I can talk you through it.

Jas