Hi guys,
Anyone out there tried scotch guarding (or similar water repellent spray stuff) their kite?
I've got an old 06 kite & it seems to get really wet (part of the problem is my tendency to regularly smash it into the water 
).
I'm always in a hurray to pack up at the end of a session, so I end up packing it up with heaps of sand stuck to it. I though maybe some sort of scotch guard might keep it dryer & hence I'd have less sand to carry around wrapped up in my kite.
Any thoughts or advice?
Thanks
You might want to try SailKote, www.mclube.com/sailing-boating/ Its basically a silicon treatment for sails that keeps them from absorbing water. You'd need to wash and dry your kite first and then find a large clean surface to spread your kite out on. You then apply it with a sponge mop. I don't know what it costs these days. It used ti be reasonably expensive but worked quite well.
Not sure about coating it in anything, but I would recommend if you have just got the kite wet prior to coming in that you take an extra 5 mins and just fly it to dry it off a bit. Packing a kite wet and sandy will reduce the life of your kite. If you have got a bit of lawn you can head to nearby I would pack up on that as opposed to the beach as well.
i was told never to pack my kite up on the lawn as it contains moisture .
best off doing it on road/driveway or sand.
Hey Tobes,
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I used "Nikwax Gear and Tent proof" on one of my foils.
www.osabrands.com
You say you used it, but did it do anything?
Do you reckon I'll end up with less sand in my car?
Ohh & guys,
I would dearly love to pack my kite up on lawn - I'd love it so much, I reckon I'd roll around it too.
But everywhere near me with lawn is packed with people!
As for getting someone else to launch/land - I do that whenever I can & I really enjoy the comraderie, but there are always those times when your the last one out.
I hate feeling like I should come in, just in case the guys on the beach are real quick to pack away & bugger off.
Yeah it worked wonders on an old Flysurfer, it's a waxy sort of coating, one bottle did both sides of a 10m kite, sheds water like a ducks back, foils are ripstop nylon though and LEI's are dacron, not sure if there would be any diff?
Only around $20, might be worth a try...
or you could just try to not crash your kite for the last 10 mins of your session and pack up dry...
Oh my god poor relative,
i asked about bleaching my lines once on these forums and i practically got an ass raping worth of responses for it so i didnt go ahead.
i believe one of them was from you actually
greg
Jeez Greg - those guys were just taking cheap shots.
Its a well known fact that bleaching your lines is a given if you want to look really cool out there.
Just check any of those 'best & most influential kiters' you see at national comps (or at places like Woodies 
). They wouldnt be seen dead with anything but sparkling clean, crisp, new looking lines. And how else do they keep them so new looking - bleach - its the only way.
Lets face it no-one rocks up to a contest with faded yellowing lines. 
That'd be like wearing coloured bindings 
(to match your kite or boardies) - no way - they have to be white; always white; AND sparkling clean as well.
I bleach everything from my jeans to my lines to my kite to my car.
Its killer.
Everything is so shiny white, germ free and an odour similar to old peoples homes.
Not bad mixed with whiskey too.
Mate, thanks for the mostly good advice.
Not sure about...
"or you could just try to not crash your kite for the last 10 mins of your session and pack up dry..."
Sounds like I loose 10mins of my session! - If you ain't crashing you ain't learning....(well thats my excuse anyway!)
But I am definitely going to get some water repellent stuff. I think I'll just go to a camping or sailing shop & see if I can get something that is ok on Dacron & Nylon. I expect most of those products will be ok on all different sorts of plastic based fabrics.
Thanks guys.
again.
Make a clothes rack ya goose, I hang it over with the struts still inflated. Dries within hours and ready for the next day. I have it in the garage where there's no light directly on it and the sun heats the garage.
I used some of the nikwax stuff. It didn't help a bit! (Well maybe a tiny bit, but not enough to be worth the effort.)
The main prob I have is that I finish up normally around sun down. When I pack up in the middle of the arvo the sun is hot enough to dry my kite & the sand.
So, I guess I'll just live with sand in my shed.
If all your worried about is sand in your shed,
then you have nothing to worry about.
