Care and feeding of your kite

[Grizwald]

Flaking versus rolling

I have been told that flaking a kite is a better way to store it than rolling. This is counter-intuitive as flaking by definition makes a much tighter fold than rolling. Tight folds are bad for dacron and really bad for plastic. However, as it is nearly impossible (at least for me) to make the flake at the same spot, I can see that if the aim is to not fold at the same spot than flaking could have some advantages. However could the same thing not be achieved by just stuffing the kite in a bag the same way one stuffs a sleeping bag into a stuff sack?

Wet versus dry

How excited do people get about getting their kites dry before storing them? I have a friend who says he doesn't worry about salt water but goes to considerable lengths if it is fresh water. His rationale is that mold doesn't grow on salt water. From the little I remember about cell biology this doesn't seem quite right.

Sand

I have been told that the act of brushing off sand creates more damage than just rolling it up and taking it home with you. Any thoughts?

Anti UV coatings

Does anyone have any experience with these spray coatings to prolong the life of their kite? Do they work? Is their a downside other than cost?

Thank you everyone for sharing your wisdom and experiences
Griz

[Kiterpep]

I've heard equally many people say that rolling is better compared to flaking. In the end, I don't think it's going to make a large difference, although from my experience flaking might be best, also because the kite will pack smaller and you crush it less to get it in the bag.

Stuffing the kite like a sleeping bag is definitely worst, since you'll make a lot of creases and then you will crush the kite more to properly transport it.

I am not very zealous in drying my kites after a session on salt water, since I have also heard that it doesn't grow mould then. In my experience, this has been true. After rain or a sweet water session, I dry them out very carefully though, since I know how fast fabrics can get mouldy from sailing and camping.

About the sand, I've also heard this either way. I don't bother to make my kites sand free during the season, but I do if I won't be using them longer. If you let the kite dry thoroughly, the sand will practically just fall off, you don't have to brush it.

A kite buddy of mine has tried a spray coating, he said it was really nice for a few months, but the coating did not stay very long.

[JakeFarley]

I fold my 2010 Xbows as that is the way they came out of the bag when new, and that is the only way I can get them to fit back into the bag. No lines in the dacron where I fold it consistently in the same spots. Also, I fold them so that the struts (7) are not on the fold line to prevent bladder twisting. All my other kites are rolled, then folded to get them into the bags.
As far as sand is concerned, I brush the sand off before I deflate in a grassy area. Usually the kite is dry (if for some reason I got it wet during my session). No problems with any deterioration brushing off the sand. BTW, I use a beach towel to wipe it off. Sometimes I wipe it off when rolling up to keep the sand out of the kite.
I never put the kite in the bag wet even if it was salt water. Always dry it before packing up. Sometimes I take it home wet and let it dry in the shade (garage, lanai, etc.).
No experience with UV coatings.

[tkaraszewski]

None of these things make any measurable difference.

Creasing your kite is probably bad for it, but neither rolling nor flaking puts creases in it. Stuffing it like a sleeping bag might though.

Has anyone ever seen a moldy kite? I mean, I guess one must exist out there, but I kite at a freshwater spot, and I can never remember seeing a moldy kite. Especially one that's regularly used, not one that's been left in the back of a garden shed for three years.

Leaving your kite on the beach with sand blowing over it will have more sand rubbing across the surface of it in the first 30 seconds it's on the beach than you brushing sand off of it.

[tmcfarla]

Sunlight and fluttering kill kites fastest. In terms of storage, just don't try to really compact them, compact them down when they are on a plane, and give them some space the rest of the time. I roll my kites, but I don't think rolling or folding matters, as long as they don't sit shoved into a tiny bag

[Foil]

Sunlight and fluttering kill kites fastest. In terms of storage, just don't try to really compact them, compact them down when they are on a plane, and give them some space the rest of the time. I roll my kites, but I don't think rolling or folding matters, as long as they don't sit shoved into a tiny bag

I have seen mold(black spot type)
but only in my past life as a windsurfer.
early 80s to 90s
when the luff tubes(where the mast sits in place) were made of heavy grade dracon? (ie slow drying)
this black spot showed a few times when these sails were left in a garage over the damp winter periods, once black spot is found its hard if not impossible to remove, but you can halt its growth with a mild bleach solution.sometimes it shows as a lighter white spot or powder like growth.

also in my 7 years service in the fire service the majority of hose pipes were not made of synthetic material, only some of the more smaller diameter pipes were.
and these non synthetic larger diameter pipes were very vulnerable to mold (black spot)
and had to be dried effectively after each use, this was done in the 100ft tall towers you see at every fire station( now you know what these are there for)

mold/mildew, black spot/white spot can be found not only on natural fibers but also man made fabrics, shower curtains are items that suffer, and most people can relate to this in their recent past

cut from the science of mold-
White mold sometimes is considered mildew, although mildew typically is powdery and actually is an early stage of mold. Black mold or Stachybotrys chartarum often is referred to as toxic mold; however, not all mold that is black in color is Stachybotrys chartarum

after all that said, I have not seen anything at all related to this problem in over 20 years of using lei kites and 3 years of using foil kites, apart from dreadful ink staining from many early versions of lei kites which were left damp in the back of a warm car for a day or two.

[nothing2seehere]

I had a lot of moldy windsurf sails back in the day. It was normally the stitching between the mylar (?) layers rather than the plastic.

I have also had moldy kites. Once when the roof leaked and the mold on the bag penetrated through to the kite inside (in that case it brushed off fine) and I have also seen it on a white leading edge on a kite that wasn't used for a long time (in this case pumping it up in the sun for an hour or so bleached the black splotches away again).

In the winter we get a lot of wet sessions - either wet grass to pack up on or rain during the session. Small houses and constantly wet grass (even on sunny days) mean your kites never really get dry if you want to kite in the winter.

[Kamikuza]

Flake?

I think LEI are too rigid or bulky to stuff. I don’t even stuff my power kites (although I stuff their lines) as I feel that would crease or more than a regular roll/fold.

My goal is to use as few folds as possible to pack it loosely, as ceases add thickness and make it harder get in the bag.

With my Switchblades and Drifters I usually do about 4 or five per side — three folds to the center strut then one or two to make it the right width to fit the bag.

The issue with that is if it’s really windy, it’s just easier to make a nice clean pack up by rolling it up.

[Kamikuza]

I fold my 2010 Xbows as that is the way they came out of the bag when new, and that is the only way I can get them to fit back into the bag.

The Cabrinha bags are still designed (I assume — maybe is a fluke) to make them easy to get a kite in...

Roll however you like for the right width. Fold the kite in thirds — TE in, then LE on top of that. Like an upside down lower case e: Ə ... so the trailing edge would be in the middle and the LE on top, on the left there.

Lay the bag flat on the ground, put the kite on top, will the LE upper most and at the bottom of the bag.

Put the middle fold of the kite into the top of the bag first — bag kind of curves over to hold it in place.
Tuck the bottom fold into the bottom of the bag, and smooth it out nicely.

THEN tuck in the LE. Zip it up and it’ll pack nicely, and as the last of the air comes out it’ll be nice and flat.

With the LE on top it tends not to get smothered to still lets air out. And the Cab bags are a little thicker at the bottom...iirc.

[Peter_Frank]

What does "flaking" mean?

Could not google it either...

Assume it is the same as folding, reading the posts

Rolling the kite?

I have never ever done that, as when rolled up, you have to fold it on the "long" side, and this will put serious strain on the fabric

For windsurf sails it is just opposite, DONT fold these, but roll, as they are stored in the bag in full bar lengths.

The mylar does not like to be folded at all, rolling is key.

For kites just opposite, because you have to fold it lengthwise to get it to fit into a square/rectangular kitebag, so always fold, never roll.

Sand doesnt matter, dont worry....

Salt water does not harm either, but regarding fresh water, from rain as most common, it can really make bad things to any kite.
Have had this happen on many kites, and the thing about mildew is, that you NEVER know when it happens...
Meaning, you can have freshwater wet kites many many times, without any issues.
OR
You can have a wet kite just sitting one single night packed down, and the next day it is ruined having brown ugly stains or all over on the white and light colour parts

If you dont care about looks or resale at all, then no reason to dry a rain wet kite, but otherwise, DONT

Peter