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Rider: 88kg and shrinking, Level (intermediate)
Style: Surf
Weather: 15-25 knots
Build Quality: 9/10
Satisfaction: 7/10
Disclosure: None
My Comments:
I've been flying the 2013 Rebel for over six months now and thought I might put down a couple of thoughts. My 11m is just back from the repairman for the second time due to one of the battens literally exploding vertically and snapping in half inside its sheath. Now I freely admit that I've been cleaned up by some good sized waves to the point where I've had to fully eject a few times and I understand that these situations put enormous pressure in the kite but it got me thinking.. Battens?? Yep cuts out flutter and gives you a bit more surface area but when they go they tear a good hole in your kite.
I asked the sailmaker to check stitching and the rest while he was there and he also found three other battens had snapped in half. So if you've got a Rebel, I'd advise you check your battens after every traumatic event 
To be honest I'm looking at changing kites next season to either f-one B6 or maybe a Catalyst or Trigger but the rebel has served me well as a platform to abuse the hell out of and get up to speed pretty quickly. Jumps good, holds its shape nicely through turns, demands a lot of attention in gusty wind and both my 9 (15kt) and 11 (no caps) have an impressive bottom end using my 134/42 Monk FE. Flies like crap when depowered but I assume most kites do... But battens???
The 9m is a fantastic kite generates an impressive amount of power for its size at the bottom end but maintains pretty light bar pressure. I won't be sad if I can't sell that one..
I have a couple 2011 rebels, 8 and 11m.
Have had a bit of batten shattering and one break.
My solution to fix/ reduce damage from a batten failure was to remove the battens wrap them in sail or 'tuck' tape and replace. The battens still flex and could still break but the tape holds the fiberglass splinters together so it's easier to clean up.
Every time I take out my battens to pack for a flight I get a chance to check them, as well as wish I did not have them. Have seen a few rebels torn at broken battens but not mine so far.
So not a fix, if they came with heat shrink tubing or something on them it might be better, but we dont design it we just use it. Just like the depower line wear I am riding enough to wear it out I am happy to maintain it.
I think ever time i have broken a batten in my rebel kite it has been during the process of folding the kite up to put it in the bag, the final fold into thirds seems to be the issue, particularly in the 12m, the batten must just be in the wrong spot.
easily fixed, just buy simlar diameter batten from your local yacht chandler, i think it cost me $5.00 a MTR, i just cut to length and swap over the end caps
I had the same issue with North Fuse kites, I tried putting heatshrink with the glue in it on a few, at least it stopped the splinters from exploding everywhere in the pocket. Finally ended up getting the same diameter rod in carbon from toys'r'us, they use it for model planes and cars etc.. Works a treat, and was about $5 a MTR too.. ;-)
I had fuses, most battens I heard getting broken we're due to pack down issues. Make sure you roll along the trailing edge and only fold in half.
I helped repair a mates also used the front flexible batten in the trailing edge instead, reckons it flew fine.
