If you’ve broken your kite and need kite repair on Holbox  give me a shout I can perform professional stitched repairs to Leading edge, Struts, Canopy, Lines, Depower rope and Bridals. If I cant help for whatever reason I can put you in touch with someone who can.

Or you could make a DIY repair.

DIY Repairs

DIY Repairs can be quick easy session savers and can prevent further damage occurring. One thing to remember – Do not fly a damaged kite, no matter how small the damage is. It will get worse and could result in a long swim.

What can I fix myself?

Pinholes on the canopy caused by wear and tear – Very Easy

Small rips and tears less than 3cm – Easy

Small leaks in Bladder – Easy to repair, difficult to find

Larger leaks in Bladder – Easy to find, more tricky to repair.

Kite First Aid Kit

To make basic kite repairs you’re going to need a  kite first aid kit. Some new kites come with this. If not , you can easily find the supplies at your local kite shop.

• Bladder patch,  self adhesive (tear-aid or similar)

• Rip-stop tape, self Adhesive in various colours – Black and White are my favourite as white can be used over nearly any colour and blends in. Black is very common on most kites.

• Alcohol 96% is the best stuff but 70 -80% will work

• Valve Trap or Self Adhesive replacement valve.
• Clean cotton cloth

• Sharp scissors

• Talc
• Small bag of patience

Surface preparation is the key when using self adhesive tapes. The cleaner and drier the surface the better the tape will adhere to it. Cleaning with an alcohol soaked cloth will both clean and dry the area removing grease and other residues. Once you’ve prepared the surface try to keep your fingers away from it.

Fixing small tears and pinholes

If the tear is 3 cm or smaller fix it yourself

Fixing small tears and pinholes is very easy and will prevent catastrophic damage later.

• Clean the area with alcohol and allow to dry.
• You will need to cut a patch that extends 2cm away from the rip on all sides. Round the corners of your patch off. This will help prevent peeling/lifting.
• Ensure both sides of the rip in the canopy are lined up perfectly. Use the kite graphics or squares in the ripstop to do this.
• Apply the patch to the inside of the canopy. Start 2cm away from the damage and smooth it carefully down avoiding wrinkles .
• Press down firmly,  rub the tape to warm the glue which seems to improve adhesion.
• you may want to patch the outside of the canopy too but this is usually unnecessary on small tears and pin holes.

More coming soon… How to find a small leak & fix it

Email: jonny@whenitswindy.com