Hey all,

I've got an 'L' shaped tear on one of my foil kites. Doesn't affect the flying at all. I have the repair kit in hand, but certainly don't want to screw anything up. Can anyone offer any advice, tips or links on how to fix this up the best way possible? It's about a 2 inch by 2 inch 'L' tear. Thanks tons!!

tear Aid stick a piece inside and out will hold for ever- definetly fix though or it will "run" next time you fly and then its off to the repair shop
scott

Hey thanks, Scott! I see my repair kit has 4 pieces cloth - red, yellow, black and some white cloth that is sticky when I pull the backing off. Actually it's pretty much clear when I pull the white backing off. Is that clear cloth the Aid stick that you are talking about?
Damon

that should work but tear aid is a brand of repair tape. comes in two types one for pvc repairs and the other for fabric repairs. You can usually find it locally at an outdoor/camping store if you need to go online i know angus at coastal wind sports keeps it in stock. Its supa strong stuff
Scott

Ok, gotcha. Two questions:

1. My tear is 'L' shape. Should I use a large square over the whole area of the 'L' or 2 pieces on each side along the tears in each direction?
2. Do I need to stitch it after I tape it?

Cheers!

When I have made repairs in the past depending on the size of the tear I have used one or two pieces. If the tear is 2 inches long I would use two pieces. I always stitch after the repair.

Susan (npw goddess)

Thanks!! I'm not sure how to sew it though without opening up the whole sail.

one thought is to send it away and get it professionally repaired it may cost some money, but if you are wanting complete piece of mind that is the way to go. The cost to repair is often cheaper than you would think.

I have had really good luck with tear aid. I fixed a L shaped tear about the same size or larger with it. I used one piece because I wanted fewer corners to limit the chance of it lifting up. Houstin Airhead has it now and could say how it is holding after a couple of years.

fix my kite in texas is pretty cheap, they fixed a couple of my kites, and the peace of mind is worth it......

Thanks for everyone's input. Stetson, I took your advice and sent it off to them today. They are part of Kiteboarding.com. I explained the rip and he said it sounds like a simple fix. For me it wasn't simple, so peace of mind it sure is...and worth it. Cheers!

Thanks for the credit but it was wheresthewind. I have sent a kite there. They gave me the estimate and were very easy to work with. The other person I recommend is Powerzone. He does excellent work too. He is closer to me so that helps make my decision.

Hondamon, I had a similar tear in a kite. Just like you described it.. L-shaped tear about
2" long. I sent it to fixmykite. The round trip was $40 inc shipping.

Oh man...near fatal error! Sorry, credit goes to wheresthewind. My apologies indeed! Where is Powerzone located?

I wish it was that cheap for me. I had to FedEx my kite so I can get it back before I leave for Korea next Saturday. Shipping was about $30 there. Richard, who I spoke with, was real friendly and estimated the cost at about 15-20 bucks. Not sure about shipping coming back. He did say something about replacing the panel or something and that I wouldn't even notice the repair. Hopefully that's the case.

On another note, I got my Unity 8m yesterday and had a go with it today in lightish winds on my landboard at the beach. Fun times!