When do you know its time to retire a kite?

In my case, I have a 9m and 13m Naish Park. I am not even sure of the years, but they both suffer the curse of the octopus system.

The 9m had the valves completely detach themselves and fall apart. Quite impressive that the valves did both. The 13m has the valves intact but the inflate and deflate valves are leaking. Not that I expect the octopus valves to last anyway.. I think I can count the days that they would stay attached once I fix the inflate/deflate valves.

Now, I'm pretty handy and gluing up valves in my spare time is something I can do, but is it really worth it. Am I going to end up with crap kites at the end of it anyway? I was a very raw beginner when I bought these kites and I now have much newer kites, so I guess I am not going to get much out of it other than buying tubes of stormsure and teaching me how to replace bladders.

I am tempted to finish converting the 9m into a 'normal' single pump setup using old valves from an Ozone. It might mean that the replacement valves last a whole month once I glue them down.

Should I just turn the kites into shade sails? Are they good enough even for that?

Send it to the Naish octopus system guru superstar in Townsville

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sotired said..


I am tempted to finish converting the 9m into a 'normal' single pump setup using old valves from an Ozone. It might mean that the replacement valves last a whole month once I glue them down.

Done that.
With an octopus system I'd definitely do that

Buddha and everyone else had a theory that attachment to possessions caused suffering..as well as the only constant in life is change etc
I've found that in the same way we have to release everything and not be stuck in boots or lines...not be attached to the same wetsuit or kite or harness ..I've found all this really easy like your first car (which I held onto for years)....
But then again i did a couple of years in India ...
I am also able to detach and reattach all dive equipment at 40m depth (as others can too)this was remnant of being in amniotic fluid and being able to attach and detatch

The only thing that matters is maybe the st Christopher around your neck and your ability to swim out of disaster when 'attachment' to a board leash is broken ... Or the gojoe(?) fails to flip it up the right way

Hence I've had and been through more than fifty kites and never stuck with one brand
The newer and more expensive they are (the same with everything in life)...the more attached you are...etc..and the more 'suffering' you incur through 'attachment'
Even a brand new one will one day end up on reefs or in hot cars etc or could possibly get in a death loop and hence cause U even more 'suffering'

At the end of the day simplicity is the key..
All things will be damaged including the human body(& a brand new kite and bar)..

Like most people I suppose the alternative is to strip the good reusable parts etc

None of that matters ..
Your 'skills' matter