I've not flown my favorite Quadrifoil Competition XL kite since last spring when I bought a Blade IV 4.9. Tonight I carried both kites to the beach to fly them head to head. I've only flown them one at a time on different days.

The XL kite is 8 years old and has been flown in multiple hundred hour range. Tonight it would not really climb up. When it did it would stop about 3/4 of the way up. It still has lots of power but it won't climb-yes, I adjusted lines and so on but nothing helped.

The Blade would climb and would seem like it would over fly over head. Not quite as much power when moved around the window but handled better.

I guess I got my money worth out of the XL

Now, what to do with a dead kite????? Burn it???? Hang it up???? Or just beat the heck out of it till it's thread bare!

Later-Scott

save some of the fabric for patch repairs

send it up for the sobb kite burning...it'll be waiting for ya on the other side...:moon:

why do you say it is dead? stretched bridal? stretched fabric?Aside from a blown cell or wearing holes in it, I just don't get how it could be dead. Maybe it was the wind that died.

BBQ Cover. I'll give credit to bladerunner for that idea.

if you want your kite fixed, send it on over to our Kite ER... we'll hook up the Kite Defibrillator and bring 'er back to life.

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Originally posted by WELDNGOD why do you say it is dead? stretched bridal? stretched fabric?Aside from a blown cell or wearing holes in it, I just don't get how it could be dead. Maybe it was the wind that died.

I've found it interesting that, in my little bit or reading on this forum, noone, until now, has mentioned this happening. In the paraglider world, your "kite" (paraglider) gets more porous/permeable with time used, especially UV time, and will not kite/launch easily. Hunh? It wears out! These kites seem to be made of essentially the same type stuff....ripstop nylon. So, I assume they would get "eaten up" by UV also....just haven't heard anyone even mention it before?? Is it really that rare, or folks just don't usually post about a "dead" kite often??

Lobo :singing:

I collect them so let me know how much to ship and I'll take it. I save or will take anything kite related. If not burn it at sobb.

I'll probably send it over to powerzone to see if it can be made to fly again. If it can't be made to fly well again I'll hang it up as a ceiling ornament.:singing:

Most people won't wear out their kite. However, I'm a little excessive on the amount of flying time I put in. I live across the street from the beach. If the wind is blowing after work I'll be at the beach flying, ATBing or kitesurfing.

Plus I've had this particular kite since late 2001. There has been times that I have kitesurfed for 6-7 hours straight with it.

Scott

Ok ,I gotcha but isn't there some kind of sealer you can spray on it and make it all crispy again? I think I read about it on the flex forum.

I hope you know how luck you are to live across the street from the beach.

Way back I suggested we should have a place to toss old kites and outdated gear from around here and Squamish. Sort of the history of kites and kiting locally. Or a graveyard !
It never took off

Yup I know I'm lucky. I just need more money to pay for skyrocketing home insurance rates.

Fly pro! For $$$

Comments on the peterlynn water foil? Why are they so cheap?