Browsing articles in "Switchblade"
May
9

My jumpingkite is leaking :(

By piggelill  //  Switchblade  //  Comments Off on My jumpingkite is leaking :(

My best jumping kite, a Cabrinha Switchblade is leaking air… Luckily there is no wind this week, so there is plenty of time to fix it, but how to do it?
The only way to be absolutely sure of where the slow leaks are coming from is to pull the LE bladder out and check. But first, we’d recommend checking the airlock valve itself. Be sure that the rubber o-ring is still in place on the under side of the valve. This piece looks similar to the rubber washer found in a common garden hose. Without that o-ring, the kite can slow leak from the valve. If you’ve lost it, then you can check to see if you still have the spare in the front pocket of the kite bag (usually packaged with the manual). Or simply order a couple of spares from your dealer. If the o-ring is in place and the kite is still leaking, then you’ll need to pull the bladder out and check it manually. Instructions on this process can be found in the back of the manual.

Punctures will not appear from nowhere. And also not from impacts with the water. This is usually the result of beach landings with any sort of small debris on it or from folding up your kite on the beach. This isn’t very common. But thankfully when it happens, it not too bad to patch up and keep going. It just takes a bit of time to find the leak(s) and the time of re-installation.

Here is my Cabrinha Switchblade 12m -08 edition in action without leakage 🙂

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