Any suggestions on how to best clean a closed cell foil kite after use in sand and ocean? Thanks!indigo_wolf - 19-1-2012 at 02:35 PM
Might help to specify which kite.
Does it have dirt outs? A sand channel?
ATB,
Sammartinipro - 19-1-2012 at 03:10 PM
I'm Interested in this as well. How do you guys clean your arcs?hondamon - 19-1-2012 at 03:36 PM
Sorry, I have a Flysurfer Unity. Dirt outs on the end and the blow out valve in the center on the trailing edge.Kamikuza - 19-1-2012 at 06:06 PM
I cleaned my S3 21 by laying it out over lawn furniture and just turning the hose on it. Washed ALL the dust off the outside nicely - I now have a
white kite again :D
Inside - leave it be. It'll blow out next time you launch. Just take care not to lay things on the kite that'll rub and work the sand like an
abrasive...flyjump - 19-1-2012 at 06:15 PM
the only way to clean the outside of a kite is by flying it in the rain or dunking it in freshwater and then flying it until it dries.
if it is muddy or dusty from the playa simply hosing it down and drying it out isn't 100% effective. it needs water and friction. I've found that it
the best method is flying it in the rain for a while then hanging it to dry.
For some reason if you just spray it with a hose it doesn't take off the dirt. we had a conversation about it withe the kite designer for PL at NABX
last year. I initially tried spraying the kites down with a garden hose right after nabx and it only worked part way. after a few days it was light
rain/misty out side and i flew it for an hour. I then hung it up in the basement to dry and it was shiny and new looking when it was done.Kamikuza - 19-1-2012 at 06:45 PM
Obviously, our Kiwi hoses are superiour :Dshehatesmyhobbies - 19-1-2012 at 06:55 PM
That was funny Kami!PHREERIDER - 19-1-2012 at 06:56 PM
rinse with fresh water ...thats rinse not clean . and let dry. the kite in its dry state will eventually let all the stuff on the outside just fall
off. the less friction the better.
i consider an ocean dunk a rinse, and a few random rain sessions a year and feel good about that level of maintenance. if it arrives home wet AND
sandy they get a fresh water RINSE and hang dry.Cheddarhead - 19-1-2012 at 07:05 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by flyjump
the only way to clean the outside of a kite is by flying it in the rain
I think flyjump is refering to acid rain.
(Just kidding, I couldn't resist)flyjump - 19-1-2012 at 07:23 PM
lol, if you guys ever get a chance to ride Ivanpah you'll understand. A new kite becomes an old kite after one day out thereKamikuza - 19-1-2012 at 07:30 PM
Our local lake beach has some pretty determined dust... I was thinking I'd have to get around to scrubbing it off but the hose in the garden squeezed
to get high pressure and blast off the seaweed worked pretty well - certainly a whole lot less effort!flyjump - 19-1-2012 at 07:34 PM
at nabx someone was talking about taking a mop to their kite, but michael the foil kite designer was telling us that it wouldn't work very well. the
friction of rain drops on the material as the kite flys seems to work really well.
afterward the kite was shiny just like the day it came out of the bag. i still have playa dust permenently embeded into some of my
t-shirts.........wicked stuff.Kamikuza - 19-1-2012 at 09:36 PM
Maybe it's a finer grain... or more tenacious WELDNGOD - 20-1-2012 at 07:02 AM
silt............ Ancient siltshortlineflyer - 20-1-2012 at 07:06 AM
i normally use warm water with a little dish soap in it and a soft car washing brush. then just rinse it out with a hosePHREERIDER - 20-1-2012 at 07:20 AM
nabx, in the mojave desert, the dust of a million indians returns home with you. be patient with their departure. no wqter, no brush just time.
enjoy the union like friends visiting.Kober - 24-2-2012 at 07:10 PM
salt water + sand
after last session I pack kite wet , bring it home and pump it up to dry ..... next day I try to use broom to remove dry sand ...... no luck ...
salty water make it stick to kite well enough that I was scare that I can damage kite when getting it off..... carry kite outside..... hose it
down with fresh water ..... back in ..... waiting to dry ...... grrrrr.....
8h kite day = 3 awesome hours kiting ...... + 2.5h driving + 1h of setting up and packing ( including changing to proper outfit ) + 1.5h of
cleaning gear
That was funny Kami!