Have you ever wondered how to clean your kiteboarding kite when it gets wet and sandy? To keep your kite in great shape, it requires maintenance. We’ll take you through step by step on what it means to maintenance your kite.
Step 1: Pick Your Maintenance Area
First pick an area to maintenance your kite. We suggest a large, dry, grassy area, where you won’t damage the canopy or leading edge. Once you pick your spot it’s time to get started, pump up your kite!
Step 2: Patience is a Virtue
Let your kite dry in the sun for 10-15 minutes. Once the kite is dry you can take a brush or broom to remove the sand. It is important to note you don’t need to rinse the canopy of the kite with fresh water. But, if your kite has pulleys, we do suggest you rinse the pulleys with fresh water to avoid corrosion from the salt water. Also, if you have stains or spots on the canopy or leading edge, you can spray 409 cleaner on a hand towel and scrub the stain spots clean.
Step 3: Examine the Kite
After drying the kite and cleaning the sand off, it’s time to inspect the kite. Although uncommon, look for any pinholes in the kite. The easiest way to check for pinholes is to have the canopy face the sun and look for any light that may shine through. You should also check the tubes and the connection points from the leading edge to the struts. As you examine these areas you want to make sure your zip-tie connection is solid and that the tubes aren’t brittle. If you have any kite issues and aren’t sure how to fix them, send us an email, we are happy to help!
Step 4: Pack the Kite
Finally, you want to pack your kite up in a way that will preserve the value and lifespan of your kiteboarding kite. The key to folding a kite up is making sure the entire leading edge is facing up and that you can see the material that reinforces where the canopy meets the leading edge. Fold about 12″ segments until you come to the center of the kite. Bring one side over the other and fold two or three times to compact your kite. You can put a knee under the leading edge and use your hands to push the remaining air out of the leading edge.
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