Bladder Blown Out

[Alton]

After relaunching my 10m North Fuse (beater kite) from a poorly executed down loop, I discovered one steering line was wrapped around my power lines. Thought I could water start and return to shore. NOT!!! Kite tomahawked, tore the leading edge and blew the bladder.

Yet another project. After letting the bladder dry out in the sun, I plan to repair the bladder with Tear Aid and the leading edge the Marine Goop and fibreglass dry wall tape.

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[Slappy]

For the LE just take it to North Sails IMO.

[Alton]

For the LE just take it to North Sails IMO.

It's my beater kite (already lots of repairs to the leading edge). Don't want to add any $ to repairing it.

My Blade Triggers are my good kites which I'll spend $ on.

[Slappy]

Honestly for what Dennis charges to repair stuff like that you might spend more in materials doing it yourself.

[Alton]

Honestly for what Dennis charges to repair stuff like that you might spend more in materials doing it yourself.

$10 for Marine Goop + $5 for drywall tape ... plenty left over for future repairs

marine_goop_and_drywall_tape.jpg (121.21 KiB) Viewed 17727 times

[Alton]

Cured overnight. No leaks after 3 hours. Ready for stress testing under load ... boosting !!!

AFTER

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BEFORE

north_fuse.jpg (96.76 KiB) Viewed 17706 times

[Alton]

Repairs passed stress tests ... 2 hours of boosting

[Alton]

Here we go again. Yesterday (after 3 hours of boosting) someone caught my landing kite and the bladder exploded in his hands. This time a new location far my previous bladder repairs. Anyway, another overnight repair ready to go.

I wonder if I've been over inflating my kite with the compressor at the Spit
- or the kite (leading edge/bladder) has become brittle with age

EXPLOSION

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BACKING BEFORE TEAR AID

backing_before_tear_aid.jpg (103.72 KiB) Viewed 17610 times

MARINE GOOP OVER DRYWALL TAPE

marine_goop_over_drywall_tape.jpg (94.72 KiB) Viewed 17610 times

READY TO GO

ready_to_go.jpg (118.78 KiB) Viewed 17610 times

[Roxstock]

I think it's time to retire it Alton. It's starting to look like Frankenstein.

[Alton]

I think it's time to retire it Alton. It's starting to look like Frankenstein.

I'm preserving my good kites for winter. This beater kite is great for unintended back roll kite loops