Dear all,
a strange phenomenon is happening to my 13M C4 Ozone 2011 Kite.

During a session after 40 min it starts to deflate, got back in the beach( totally deflate because I use lift service with boat) pump back the kite, let it there for 1,5 hour everything seems fine.

Thought a bad valve blocking….

2nd session, after 90 minutes it deflates again!!! Valve checked close perfectly.
So I ask my favorite shop to check for an hole, they let the kite inflate for 15 hours during the night, in the morning was perfectly inflate!!!!!!

By the way I have also a 9M C4 Ozone 2011, that I use more often an nothing like that never seen….

Does anybody have similar cases?
Can something get wrong during the dynamic movement that make the deflating?
Thanks, ciao
KiloWatt

Check under the black rubber washer that the deflate portion of the valve screws down onto. Sand under it will lead to a slow leak.

Thanks
lake sessions..lift by boat no sand at all.
after the 1° session I have checked that was safe and clean, no problem found...

Check all the strut inflation tubes and connections. Maybe when the kite is flying and flexing, one of these is leaking. Just a thought.

Hi Kilowatt,

I have one customer who had the same problem. He put an additional rubber seal in place which doubled the thickness of where the valve screws in to the opening and it seems to have solved the problem.

On the very odd kite which this effects, you need to tighten the valve in very tight as movement in the threads can allow the seal to leak. I'm not sure how, or why, but the double seal seems to fix the problem. Try it and let us know if this fixes your issue. Perhaps also try changing the valve and seal combination with the new one supplied in the spares kit.

I know of only one person with this issue and we sorted his issue

Good luck,

DM

No doubt I am the customer that Darren referred to. I have several of these valves and I think they have all given trouble. the problem appears to be twofold

the rubber washer is too stiff, so now I put 2 rubber washers in and it gives twice the movement before the valve burps and loses air. It will stay up at home because there is no movement in anything.

also when I looked very hard at 2 of my valves, there is a very faint casting line on the hard bit of plastic attached to the bladder, just where it meets the surface of the rubber washer. I had to look hard with a magnifying glass to see it. so I sanded the casting mark off with fine sand paper.

and as Darren says, screw the valve in very tight. Much tighter than I would normally do up a plastic thread. Darren said that he had never heard of a thread being over tightened and stripping.

Since I have been doing this I have had no problems, but I have only had about 6 sessions since then.

Also I have become a bit paranoic on the subject, as you can when you've been left out in the water a few times, and I carry a clean piece of cloth in the little pocket in the bag because if there is wet sand in the valve you can't blow it out.

Should work. give it all a go. it beats swimming.

Dazza