My tube is wet

[Whattheflock]

On the inside. I left the valve out during a boat rescue and a little water got inside the tube. I got most of it out though. Any advise?

[tautologies]

That's what she said.



... had to. Just....had to.

[GregK]

Wasaga so fresh water ? No problems then it will evaporate next time you are pumped up if it's a dry day.

Salt water, bad news because the salt water after evaporating will leave behind large salt crystals which can cause minute pinholes in the bladder.

[badgb21]

So what happens to the salt crystals drying on the outside after a session?
Dry kite rolled up, then maybe a few weeks later, bounces around a car for a while, why are my bladders not all failing?

Wasaga so fresh water ? No problems then it will evaporate next time you are pumped up if it's a dry day.

Salt water, bad news because the salt water after evaporating will leave behind large salt crystals which can cause minute pinholes in the bladder.

[BillyGoatGruff]

salt inside is no issue for kites. I have had this a few times and it doesn't affect the bladder. There will be millions of salt crystals between the outside of the bladder and dacron already. Try and drain the kite and pump up a few times. The pressure of air rushing out when deflating the main bladder will pull the remaining droplets out after a few sessions. I would bet every main bladder has a few sand grains in there already from pump nozzels, and these don't cause constant bladder failures.

[Whattheflock]

Thanks guys. It was freshwater. I have the kite pumped up in my basement upside down so all the water has a chance to run down to the air hole..

[GregK]

Been doing doing kite repair full-time for the past 6 years, and have seen what happens when salt water is left inside LE or strut bladders, for example here's the wingtip of a kite that's had a a few wet pack-downs without draining out the saltwater that got in, or flushing with fresh water :

The clear particles inside this bladder are not sand, they are salt.

Agree that a few teaspoons of saltwater will likely not coalesce and evaporate in one or two places, but with a bit more, maybe several tablespoon or more, that will collect in the wingtips or strut end fold-over, where it slowly evaporates, creating the large ( several mm ) sharp-edged sodium chloride crystals. Once all the water has evaporated, the crystals will move around, and if in a fold of excess bladder that sees bladder pressure and water impact pressure, they will pinhole the bladder. I know this from being the guy tasked with finding and patching slow-leaking kites, and explaining why the kite has so many pinhole leaks.

Also agree with Billy G-G that most sand inside a bladder isn't a problem, because usually sand particles have rounded edges. Sharp-edged shell fragments or small sharp pebbles, different story.