What are people's view on clipping off the strut inflation tubes once the kite is inflated? Does anyone do it?
I read it helps keep the kite shape under stress but I've never bothered.
I clip up 3 of my 5 struts, I just do it incase something happens and I use them to float back to shore.
Isolating the struts from the 1 pump system keeps you kite inflated if 1 valve or component fails. Otherwise you have a sea anchor not a kite.
Yes, ive had a kite go flat 200m out with only 2 struts left inflated. Was so heavy dragging it back in. If it was totally deflated not sure i would have made it in with it.
On last December 19th, I rescued a guy who was kiting 700m off shore and had a valve failure...it was no more than 30 min before the sun went down in side/side off shore winds... and luckily I was kiting at this time in the area and very luckily saw his hand waiving at me as I couldn't see the kite at all.
He didn't close his struts so not only he was almost invisible but his kite was actually sinking. Was a big effort towing him back in with my kite with all the drag, no chance he could've made it swimming back with his kite.
It takes 15 seconds and can save your gear and your life, close all your struts well each time before you go out.
Closing them or not has no effect on the kite's shape or performance, you actually need to make sure they are properly opened when you pump the kite so that each strut has the correct pressure, then you close them off. And the only reason you close them off is only in case you have an puncture anywhere in your kite.
I personally had a couple of LE deflations over the years, and a couple of strut deflations as well...if you have a strut leaking and you close those valves, you will be able to kite back no worries and probably won't even notice it...otherwise your whole kite deflates...
Also, if you ever have a slow leak in your kite, closing your struts will be the first and easiest way to find out where the leak is coming from as you re-open the struts after your session, before deflating your LE.
Christian
I always close off all.
If one leaks the whole lot doesn't go down if you have closed them off,thats why its there.
It will always be when your 500mtr out when the whole lot deflates ,then your stuffed.
Select to expand quotegdownie said..
I always close off all.
If one leaks the whole lot doesn't go down if you have closed them off,thats why its there.
It will always be when your 500mtr out when the whole lot deflates ,then your stuffed.
What he said
For me it depends on where I'm kiting, tonight offshore wave session then I do, if generally hacking around then no, also the demise of struts today compared to 3 or so years ago makes it lesser in a safety situation , what about strut less kites of today, are kite manufacturers actually fitting these as a safety option, yet they arnt fitting any self rescue straps as in the old days
