OK I know we should, fibres last longer etc ....
But when I was windsurfing I only (washed and) dried my sail if there was no chance of getting out again the following weekend. I know not to wash my kite.
I am happy to fly the kite for a bit before landing it so as to try and leave the beach with a dryish kite. But getting it out and inflating it in my garage is a bit of an ordeal (OK so I am lazy). It also seems a bit risky getting it out twice as often, dragging it around on a concrete floor, folding it twice as many times, being vigilant to keep by kids and my cats out of the garage.
My kite does not have single point inflation which is really good because it means I can easily move from the beach to a grassy area and get most of the sand off before folding / rolling the kite.
So what do you do? And how much does it really matter?
String a rope up in the back yard and buy or DIY some kitangas...
Oh which gave gone.... basically, they're a long soft webbing strap with a carabina or clip on the other end. Loop around a strut the hand from the line...
To the original question... not really. If it's sodden and I remember I might lay it out the next day to dry.
yeah its pretty hard alight.
I try to keep flying until its dry then pack up quickly before any rain wets it.
otherwise its leave the struts inflated. and half pump the le at home in the garage.
You only need to dry it if you get fresh water on it. Salt water isnt a issue. I rolled a kite away after it was drenched from a rain storm. Didnt get it out for about 3 months and now it has a stain on the canopy from what i can only guess is mould....It had a damp smell to it also.
I roll my kites up with salt water on them without a issue....
I find that leaving the kite near my laptop, opening the laptop up on the Kiteboarding pages on Seabreeze is great for a constant stream of hot air - usually takes next to no time for my kite to dry.
i run on the 3 day rule. if i use it within 3 days it doesnt matter any longer than 3 days and i pump it up in the yard. but theres not many times that i pack up a wet kite and dont use it in the next 3 days.
I've had print from one panel stain another panel when I've put them away wet. I hang mine by the pump up loop from the ceiling now or at the very least do a very loose fold and leave it of the bag if I know I'm going to use it the next day.
I made a rectangular rack from a length of 50mm plastic conduit 15 years ago when I started kiting. Two 500mm sections then the rest cut in half and joined with 4 90 degree joints. I made it as a prototype with duct tape and hung it from the ceiling in the garage with a scrap of nylon rope. It's been there ever since.
I use it all the time to hang wetties or anything else that needs drying out of the sun.
If the kite is damp I leave it rolled up and just sling it over the rack and it dries. Kites often end up damp from humidity after a late afternoon kite in summer. The salt attracts moisture and the kite is very wet to the touch even if it hasn't gone in the water.
If the kite is totally wet I M-fold it over the rack and it dries just fine. I have even dried a 26m paraglider on it after it went into the lake (sort of on purpose doing emergency training over water).
It is so easy to dry a kite that if the kite gets covered in sand then I wash it and fold it up soaking wet then hang from the clothes line or the rack. It's much easier to deal with a wet kite than a sandy one.
If the kite is just a little bit damp on the leading edge, or I'm going to use it the next day then I just leave the bag unzipped.
After most sessions while I am opening the strut clips I wipe the leading edge and struts with a damp chamois cloth. That gets off excess salt and moisture and removes dust from some of our more grubby beaches. It keeps the Dacron sections looking like new. I also wipe down the board. That gets rid of most of the excess salt water and reduces the risk of corrosion of the zip slides. I have had people try to stir me about it once or twice, but they can go **** themselves.
Always hang your kites to dry in your garage.
If the fabric of your kite is stored often wet then the lifetime is about halved.
Dry stored kites can be used between 150 and 200 day long sessions - Wet stored kites: lesx than 80 times
In paragliding after 3 years the fabric is tested on porosity (how much water goes through)
paragliding.com/?q=node%2F302
Paragilders and kites have almost the same fabric.
Select to expand quotesamokta said...
You only need to dry it if you get fresh water on it. Salt water isnt a issue. I rolled a kite away after it was drenched from a rain storm. Didnt get it out for about 3 months and now it has a stain on the canopy from what i can only guess is mould....It had a damp smell to it also.
I roll my kites up with salt water on them without a issue....
Salt water is quite corrosive.. You might not battle with staining or mould.. But it will shorten the life of your kite, especially any metal pulleys on your bridles or plastic on your struts..
But to be honest, I'm as lazy as anyone else when it comes to drying my kites.. I try and justify it to myself by thinking that UV is worse than water, so I can justify packing away a damp kite to keep it from UV degradation..
Select to expand quoteJesk said...
Salt water is quite corrosive.. You might not battle with staining or mould.. But it will shorten the life of your kite, especially any metal pulleys on your bridles or plastic on your struts..
But to be honest, I'm as lazy as anyone else when it comes to drying my kites.. I try and justify it to myself by thinking that UV is worse than water, so I can justify packing away a damp kite to keep it from UV degradation..
Thank God someone else has common sense.
SALT KILLS MAN
The best way to look after your kite is to allow it to dry straight from the beach under the sun completely and shake off any excess salt and sand. Give it a good rub down with your towel and let it dry properly, on both sides. THEN pack up your kite.
If you cannot do that due to time/weather. Then as soon as practicable, take out the kite and let it dry at home.
And if that cannot be done, then take it out somewhere, anywhere dry and let it dry.
LET IT DRY, LET IT DRY... (John Lennon variant).
Select to expand quoteNoBS said...
you should invest in a hairdryer and dry it with that after each session.
Knobs? question answered
For once - yeah - I can agree with Nobs.
Honestly guys its no biggy - yes freshwater isnt good otherwise just roll em up till next time.
A little aside here - IMO theres far too much emphasis on the excessive these days.
Just the other day (Tuesday 6th May 2:45pm) my bloody useless GP tried to tell me Im suffering from CDO!!!
- WOT A LOAD of CRAP. Just cos I like to be sure my hands are clean - more than most apparently???
WTF Clean hands are healthy hands - right?
btw - sorry you may know it as OCD but I cant stand using acronymns unless they are in alpahabetical order.
I'm troubled that you went to your doctor to see if your hands were clean!
Haha he may have a point 
Select to expand quoteLoftywinds said...Jesk said...
Salt water is quite corrosive.. You might not battle with staining or mould.. But it will shorten the life of your kite, especially any metal pulleys on your bridles or plastic on your struts..
But to be honest, I'm as lazy as anyone else when it comes to drying my kites.. I try and justify it to myself by thinking that UV is worse than water, so I can justify packing away a damp kite to keep it from UV degradation..
Thank God someone else has common sense.
SALT KILLS MAN
The best way to look after your kite is to allow it to dry straight from the beach under the sun completely and shake off any excess salt and sand. Give it a good rub down with your towel and let it dry properly, on both sides. THEN pack up your kite.
If you cannot do that due to time/weather. Then as soon as practicable, take out the kite and let it dry at home.
And if that cannot be done, then take it out somewhere, anywhere dry and let it dry.
LET IT DRY, LET IT DRY... (John Lennon variant).
Quite an interesting topic. Is there any source to backup your claim that "salt destroys the fabrics" ?
Effect of salt on polyamid doesn't seem to be of a concern, while sun, for most plastics, is very aggressive with UV ray breaking down the molecular chain. Of course kite are UV Stabilized but it's only slowing down the process.
Salt will probably make the fabric more stiff and loose flexibility.
So the point is, it is better to roll the kite or to let it dry right at the sun ?
I personally avoid keeping the kite at the sun as soon as I stop kiting.
Select to expand quoteDammien said...Loftywinds said...Jesk said...
Salt water is quite corrosive.. You might not battle with staining or mould.. But it will shorten the life of your kite, especially any metal pulleys on your bridles or plastic on your struts..
But to be honest, I'm as lazy as anyone else when it comes to drying my kites.. I try and justify it to myself by thinking that UV is worse than water, so I can justify packing away a damp kite to keep it from UV degradation..
Thank God someone else has common sense.
SALT KILLS MAN
The best way to look after your kite is to allow it to dry straight from the beach under the sun completely and shake off any excess salt and sand. Give it a good rub down with your towel and let it dry properly, on both sides. THEN pack up your kite.
If you cannot do that due to time/weather. Then as soon as practicable, take out the kite and let it dry at home.
And if that cannot be done, then take it out somewhere, anywhere dry and let it dry.
LET IT DRY, LET IT DRY... (John Lennon variant).
Quite an interesting topic. Is there any source to backup your claim that "salt destroys the fabrics" ?
Effect of salt on polyamid doesn't seem to be of a concern, while sun, for most plastics, is very aggressive with UV ray breaking down the molecular chain. Of course kite are UV Stabilized but it's only slowing down the process.
Salt will probably make the fabric more stiff and loose flexibility.
So the point is, it is better to roll the kite or to let it dry right at the sun ?
I personally avoid keeping the kite at the sun as soon as I stop kiting.
Put it this way. How did the kite come out new from the shop? Wet or Dry?
The underlying reason why people don't wash and dry kites is it is too difficult and they are lazy. As there is a convinient reason not to wash kites they cite these reasons.
I have 2 lines stretched out to wash and then dry in the shade y. Gets done every time. Kites 2-3 seasons old but still as crisp as when new.
As mentioned washing isn't the problem, its having the patience and set up to let it dry properly.
(Windsurf) masts are great. As a former windsurfer you will be able to get some (broken) masts. I have 3 of them hanging in our garage.
I used to wash my kites pretty often. Had them a few seasons and they were crisp as, no damage.
Had a rotary clothesline that i just hung them up with bullclips to hold. Hose it down and let it dry for 15 mins.
Can't really leave it on the line in a windy day though but with seabreezes the wind is usually died/gone in the early evening.
Also found I could spot micro tears or pinholes easy while washing it so would put a patch on...
Probably saved myself some big canopy rips.
Select to expand quoteFreddofrog said...
The underlying reason why people don't wash and dry kites is it is too difficult a...
Correct. It is too difficult.
I can't understand why you would take a perfectly clean, dry kite (apart from a little salt). Roll it out. Risk abrading it on the ground. Hang it over a clothes line (risking more abrasion dragging and distortion). Possibly creating a set of point loadings by hanging it from bridle points. Then make it wet again for no good reason (risking forcing sand and grit into the seams and struts etc).
My kites have 150 hours each on them (I keep records). They are all in excellent condition. I am a touch obsessive about looking after them but their main reason for existence is for me to go kiting. They exist to be used and abused by me. The sooner I wear them out the sooner I get to buy new ones (it also means I have had shotloads of fun).
Washing clean dry kites is pointless.
OK so it looks like I will be drying but not washing my kite from now on.
But what about your bar and lines? Do they get some TLC after each session? My gut tells me that it is my lines I should be worried about just as much as my kite?
My core sensor bar (2013) gets dunked in a fresh water tub after each session and it still looks like new. Its then left overnight on a clothes horse with my harness.
My griffin bar didnt receive the same treatment and its doesnt look anywhere near the same. 2012 bar but not used nearly as much.
I only washed the core when the sand really started sticking to it when rolling up but it is 4 years old now
