Video manual of how to repair smaller tears in the kite canopy. For greater tears or tears in high load area please use our FiberFIX mesh tapes or send the kite to pro repair.

Step by step procedures:

CANOPY REPAIR (WITH RIPSTOP TAPE)

S1. Cut off to damaged fabrics and fabrics threads
S2. Pre-sand the damaged area with fine sanding paper
S3. Clean the area with alcohol swabs and leave to air-dry
S4. Cut the tape to desired length and round the edges
S5. Peel & stick the tape over the tear overlapping it by at least 2cm
S6. Firmly press the tape and remove all air bubbles
S7. Heat the repair with hair dryer to get better bond (do not overheat!)

WARNING

Using hair drier on too big temperature, too close or too long may damage your kite!

S1. Cut off any fabric threads from the damaged section (if any)
S2. Clean the area with alcohol swabs and leave to air-dry
S3. Cut the tape to desired length and round the edges
S4. Peel & stick the tape over the tear overlapping it by at least 2cm
S5. Firmly press the tape and remove all air bubbles

Glue the tape edges with a thin layer of Dr.Tuba PU glue when working on uneven sections otherwise the tape can peel off.

S1. Cut off any fabric threads from the damaged section (if any)
S2. Clean the area with alcohol swabs and leave to air-dry
S3. Cut the mesh tape to desired length
S4. Stick the tape over the tear overlapping it by at least 2cm
S5. Evenly spread the thin layer of PU glue over the mesh tape with glue applicator
S6. Leave the glue to cure on a level surface

You can limit glue over bleed by masking the edges of the repair with masking tape. Remove the tape after glue is applied before it cures.

Always apply the mesh tape on the bottom side of the canopy. Use protective gloves when handling PU glue. Work in well ventilated area. Leave the repair to dry at least overnight on a flat surface.

Step by step procedures:

HOT-MELT BLADDER REPAIR (CLEAN CUT)

S1. Pre-sand the area with fine sanding paper
S2. Clean the sanded area with alcohol swabs and leave to air-dry
S3. Cut oversized piece of hot-melt patch and round the corners
S4. Place the patch over the tear (hot-melt side facing down!)
S5. Place heat shield over the patch and iron the patch for 3 - 5 seconds
S6. Remove air bubbles as much as possible after 1st phase
S7. Repeat ironing for 12 - 15 seconds, apply pressure

HOT-MELT BLADDER REPAIR (BLOWOUT)

S1. Cut off the wrinkled area (if any)
S2. Pre-sand the area with fine sanding paper
S3. Clean the sanded area with alcohol swabs and leave to air-dry
S4. Cut 2 oversized pieces of hot-melt patch and round the corners
S5. Place 1st patch inside the bladder (hot-melt side facing up!)
S6. Place 2nd patch over the tear (hot-melt side facing down!)
S7. Place heat shield over the patch and iron the patch for 3 - 5 seconds
S8. Remove air bubbles as much as possible after 1st phase
S9. Repeat ironing for 12 - 15 seconds, apply pressure

WARNING
Bladder must be well cleaned and dry at least in the ironing area from the inside and outside. Dirt, sand or salt may damage the bladder when ironed if not properly cleaned!

TIPS
You can even invisibly repair a small tears in the kite's canopy! The procedure is the same as fixing bladders, but iron the patch for 20-30s. Lay patch on the bottom side of the kite.

Step by step procedure:

BLADDER BLOWOUT REPAIR (CLEAN CUT)

S1. Cut off damaged and stretched material
S2. Insert TPU film to the INSIDE of the bladder
S3. Pre-sand the area with fine sanding paper
S4. Clean the sanded area with alcohol swabs and leave to air-dry
S5. Round the edges of oversized bladder patch
S6. Peel and stick patch over the tear
S7. Optionally glue the valve edge to make repair permanent*

* If you made wrinkles or channels under the repair then you can optionally glue the tape edge with thin layer of proper PU glue like Aquasure, which will seal the edges and long-term prevent any possible leaking.

S1. Clean the area with alcohol swabs and leave to air-dry
S2. Cut the tape to desired length and round the edges
S3. Peel & stick the tape over the tear overlapping it by at least 2cm
S4. Firmly press the tape and remove all air bubbles

For a professional finish or if you have too many wrinkles in the patch then seal the edges of the patch with a thin line of Dr.Tuba PU glue.

If you have to cut out any stretched bladder material, place a piece of blank TPU film between the bladder walls to prevent you sticking the bladder together! (see blowout repair)

S1. Remove damaged material off the valve base (if any)
S2. Pre-sand both valve base & valve area on the bladder with fine sand paper
S3. Clean both base & area with alcohol swabs and leave to air-dry
S4. Peel & Stick ValveFIX circle on valve base
S5. Peel & Stick valve back to original position
S6. Glue the valve edge to the bladder to make a permanent repair

Mark orientation/closing direction of original valve BEFORE removing. Make sure that you cover any exposed bladder area with blank TPU so that the adhesive on the valve circle doesn’t stick the bladder together. Make sure that the layer of the Dr.Tuba PU glue covers both valve base and bladder for few millimeters.

This video will show you how to mount new adhesive valve on our bladder blank. You will also learn of how to proceed if you can't separate bladder walls.

Step by step procedures:

StickIT! VALVE ASSEMBLY

S1. Mark the position of original valve on a new blank
S2. Use duct tape to separate bladder walls
S3. Cut max. 2cm hole on one side at marked position
S4. Clean the area with alcohol swabs and leave to air-dry
S5. Optionally mark the center of valve hole for easier placing
S6. Peel & Stick replacement valve

StickIT! VALVE ASSEMBLY (IF YOU CAN'T SEPARATE BLADDER WALLS)

S1. Mark the position of original valve on a new blank
S2. Fold the bladder in half and cut a small hole at marked position
S3. Use duct tape to gently separate bladder walls!*
S4. Cut max. 2cm hole on one side at marked position
S5. Gently peel off duct tape on the other side
S6. Clean the "wrong" area with alcohol swabs and leave to air-dry
S7. Peel & Stick small circle over the tiny hole
S8. Optionally mark the center of valve hole for easier placing
S9. Clean the area with alcohol swabs and leave to air-dry
S10. Peel & Stick replacement valve

If you made wrinkles or channels under the valve base then you can optionally glue the valve base edge with thin layer of proper PU glue like Aquasure, which will seal the edges and long-term prevent any possible leaking.

This video will guide you thru the kite valve replacements. You will learn how to replace faulty valve with StickIT! replacement adhesive valve in 2 cases - if it goes easily off the kite bladder or in case you will have to cut it off.

Step by step procedures:

VALVE REPLACEMENT

S1. Mark the closing direction of the valve (if applicable)
S2. Pre-sand the valve area with fine sanding paper
S3. Clean the area with alcohol swabs and leave to air-dry
S4. Optionally mark the center of valve hole for easier placing
S5. Peel & Stick replacement valve
S6. Optionally glue the valve edge to make repair permanent*

VALVE REPLACEMENT (TO CUT IT OFF)

S1. Cut the valve neck from the valve
S2. Pre-sand the valve area with fine sanding paper
S3. Clean the area with alcohol swabs and leave to air-dry
S4. Optionally mark the center of valve hole for easier placing
S5. Peel & Stick replacement valve
S6. Optionally glue the valve edge to make repair permanent*

* If you made wrinkles or channels under the valve base then you can optionally glue the valve base edge with thin layer of proper PU glue like Aquasure, which will seal the edges and long-term prevent any possible leaking.

S1. Clean the damaged area with alcohol swabs and leave to air-dry
S2. Peel & stick the dot over the tear
S3. Firmly press the tape and remove all air bubbles

Dots are perfect to repair pinholes and small cuts on the inflatable bladders, canopy and even dacron parts.
 

If you are repairing the canopy then place the dot on the inside of the kite.

It is much easier if two people change inflatable bladders to get them in the correct position. Check the bladder isn’t twisted or pulling on the valves prior to full inflation. Twisted or improperly installed bladders will cause damage to the bladder and even explosion of the kite!

STRUT REMOVAL

S1. Detach one pump tube from the valve (if any)
S2. Connect a rope to the valve and push the valve into the kite’s dacron tube
S3. Open the strut’s end and pull the bladder out of the tube

STRUT INSERTION

S1. Fold front of the bladder inside itself and connect the rope to the valve
S2. Start pulling the rope and push the valve into the bladder
S3. Insert the bladder back to the tube carefully, do not twist it!
S4. Pull the valve back thru the valve hole
S5. Inflate the bladder to 1/3, tap on it to position itself correctly
S6. Align the rest of the bladder with the strut, push the excess bladder back in, do not twist it and close the strut end
S7. Fully inflate the bladder watching carefully for twists.
S8. Mount one pump system back (if any)

LEADING EDGE REMOVAL

S1. Open kite’s tip end and connect rope to the bladder end
S2. Push all valves into the kite’s tube
S3. Pull the bladder out from the kite’s tube thru kite’s middle zipper
S4. Repeat steps 1-3 for the other half of the kite’s tube

LEADING EDGE INSERTION

S1. Nicely lay kite flat down (valve holes facing up) and attach rope to the bladder end
S2. Pull stacked bladder into the kite back thru middle zipper
S3. Pull valves back thru the valve holes
S4. Mount one pump system back (if any)
S5. Detach the rope off the bladder, help the bladder to align itself
S6. Repeat steps 1-5 on the other half of the leading edge
S7. Close the tube’s middle zipper
S8. Inflate the bladder to 1/3, tap on it to position itself correctly
S9. Align both tips of the bladder with the tube ends and close them
S10. Fully inflate the bladder watching carefully for twists!

Want to know how to avoid most known kite bladder installation problems? Check our 12+1 Tips & Tricks article here!

S1. Sink the valve into almost boiled water
S2. Gently peel off the valve
S3. Repeat Steps 1 & 2 until the valve has peeled off the bladder

If the valve is stuck and after a period of time still won’t move, it’s better to cut the valve or a part of the valve from the bladder.