Slingshot Kite Defects
 

Just wanted to show you guys how a slingshot kite can go from perfect to ruined in mild heat. Its really bad that slingshots have this defect :-?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foTce3n9JDo

I wasn't aware that was still a problem with SS kites. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, it was a HUGE problem circa 2004. I was a loyal SS rider from around 01 to 04/05, but had to stop riding the kites. It simply wasn't worth it to me to constantly be screwing with the bladders and missing sessions due to it. SS customer service (at that time Jim Shephard) was very gracious with new, free bladders for LE and struts... but... the problem was so rampant that replacing at least one bladder every other time I wanted to ride wasn't (even close to) worth it so I stopped riding SS (even before the Links came out :) )

I really wasn't aware this was still a problem, as I don't see it happening at our launch spots. Seems like SS has some pretty good kites out now too, so this isn't a slam. I am honestly interested in this, more out of curiosity than anything.

I find the experiment interesting. What temp was the water?
What temp can a car reach? Obviously the thermal properties of water are different from air. Not sure that experiment is valid, to be honest.
Placing the kite in your car outside in the sun, then seeing same effect on the glue after 30 minutes (or 6 hours) would be more realistic (from a scientific point of view).

Anyway, no doubt that glue totally sucked a.s.s a few years ago. It was THE reason I stopped riding SS, after owning at least 12 of them.
I thought SS figured this out and fixed it though (?)

Well this is from an older kite. I don't know if they fixed it or not. I knwo some people that have the same problem. Yeah I guess its a good thing you switched. Your right its not worth the trouble. I didn't record the temperature of the water but it was cool enough for me to put my finger in for a few seconds. There wasn't even steam rising from and and the cup had been sitting there for a while. I don't know that thermodynamics of objects placed in water but I do know that on an August day a car can get really hot. Even the exterior door handle on my car (for the trunk hatch) deformed permanently one day into a "drip-like" formation once lol. And that was outside my car! Wow 12 kites, ouch. I feel for you. Maybe they fixed it. I'm not sure. Aside from other people I know who have this problem too, my kite suffers form this as well. Interesting experiment though.

Older SS kites did have bladder issues galore and placing them in warm to hot water was a fast way of removing the old nipples and preparing them for the replacement Airtime nipples.

Newer SS kites are not as easy to melt off however, and I haven't seen this issue in newer SS kites from 08 on.

Flexi, North, and many others had this same problem with heat, but I believe this is a thing of the past.

Pick up an old FUEL for a few hundred bucks and be prepared to replace all the nipples. Its seems like a good deal until you have 12 nipples that need replacing.

Sounds like it's from an older kite then. I guess.
I haven't seen or heard much about SS kites having problems here locally.

On a side note, as Steve mentioned, I remember when Flexi made BOMBER bladders, then about 2/3 years ago they had a really bad run. I have a 12m Ion 2 in my garage b/c it's not worth dealing with anymore.

Hopefully the Flexi thing is a thing of the past (like SS).

Again, not sure how this stuff works... but it seems like all kite companies would do everything in their power to make sure the place their bladders are made does it right. I (and at least 3 other people on 2 other brands I know) have totally switched brands and never looked back over bladder issues.

It's been more than 10 years, seems like they would nail it by now. :)

Yes, hopefully it does not happen in the future. Yeah after 10 years you would think so lol. Which brands did they switch to? And from which brand?

It really doesn't matter. My point was that bladder issues can really suck.
Seems like several companies have run into the problem. May be luck of the draw with factory (?), who knows.

I am interested in which brands so as to see if I can find out more information. Currently, I've switched over to BEST and haven't had any problems. Which brand do you recommend? I will be putting another video up soon. It will be a tutorial on how to fix valve leaks. Hopefully it can help people out there who ar experiencing similar problems. Stay tuned :)

I've been on Best since the 08's came out. Haven't had issues with bladders, except on one kite. They just sent me a whole new kite when that issue arose.

We just fixed a kite out there today, actually. :) (Royal)
and a Best kite blew up so loud (while being pumped up) it sounded like a frickin cannon went off... LMAO.

Seems like lots of good choices out there these days.

Those guys were on SS, Flexi, North who switched, since you seem so curious.

Wow that is good service. Ouch, sorry to hear that. How di did you end up fixing it? Cool, thanks.

Your 15,000 er 1,500 dollar kite isn't useless with a bad nipple. It's a relatively cheap replacement part or you can use Aquaseal wetsuit repair glue to glue it back on. I just did this on my leading edge bladder on a Best kite that I've had for a few years, and I live in Florida.

Knowing that temps in my car can get extremely high in summer, I avoid storing my kite in my car unless absolutely necessary. I had a friend who kept his kites in his car all last summer so he could kite after work on his way home and he had numerous problems with nipples with kites of all brands. High temps + nipple valves = bad news.

Also, I believe the nipples are ultrasonically welded at the factory.

I fly RPM's and have a couple Keys for our school and don't have this problem ever. We're located in Saint Pete and our kites get used a lot, usually transported all over the state in a closed pickup bed too. So its fair to say they get put to the test in terms of the glue holding up in the heat.

I have a mixmatched quiver of 2005 fuels also and did have to re glue all the nipples back on the bladders but i'd be surprised if i still had a kite from 05 that wasn't the case with. All the new kites are pretty sick, come try one, or I could set you up with one of those fuels on a pully bar for a throwback session, still fun from time to time.

I ride and teach on ss kites and swear by them. My wife and i have a full quiver of rpm's and and flew revs and turbos in the past. We live and kite in the keys, where our kites are subject to sun, heat, and the everyday punishment we put them through.

Yo Matt, wasn't trying to ditch the old Fuel bladders to bad, but if some nips are going bad it's probably only a matter of time for the rest. Also if your gonna take the time to pull out a LE bladder, you might as well restore the whole thing. Airtime nipples work great as replacement and are not an issue with heat.

Still want to get on the RPM ASAP. You going to Triple S?

Nothin' to knock on they were shit back in the day, as for Triple S not for me i'm headed elsewhere, but hit me up whenever the RPMs are always up for Demo. Good to see ya'll the other weekend Mike, looks like you got another killer breeze coming your way, hopefully we can make it down again!

Yeah, I meant 1500 lol. Yeah Aquaseal works very well. I'm making another video that shows how to remedy the problem. That is definitely bad news.