Drying Kites in Rainy Conditions

[matth]

Unroll, dry with towel, drape up and down over whatever you have and put a fan blowing on it. Move kite and fan around every half hour and it will be dry in no time......A fan is highly effective.

You can make a folding drying rack out of pvc pipes if you are creative........sort of like an old school collapsible cloths rack

[Milko0k]

Two collapsible coat racks and decent fan.
+

[Kristan]

Never tried it myself, but I heard some people use this method: Inflate the kite, seal the struts, deflate the leading edge bladder, leaving struts inflated, roll it loosely and put it in the corner somewhere to dry. Doesn't require that much space.

[Windigo1]

I put it on the concrete floor in my basement unrolled overnight in the morning it's dry my basement is very dry.

[bragnouff]

If it's really wet, I leave the struts inflated when I roll the kite, then upright it in the bathtub/shower. It won't get completely dry, but it'll drain the excess water from the kite and prevent it from pouring all over the inside of the bag/your floor.

This!
Main concern when packing in the rain, is that there's a lot of sand sticking on the kite. So roughly rolling it around inflated struts helps contain the mess. Once most of the water has been drained in the bathtub overnight, it can be repacked outside / left to dry. Sand can be shaken off, which is less abrasive than brushing it off.

Not many of the modern kites have bags that extend to let you keep the struts inflated, so it's good to hang to one of such bags if you have one. That's where they come handy, till your next session.
Mildew isn't really an issue for salt water I think, and drying your kites is only a problem if your next session is weeks away.

[Eduardo]

Hi,

I am new to kitesurfing and have been told many times of the importance drying kites before storage to prevent mould and mildew.

I am based in Ireland and it rains a lot here so it is often difficult to dry them on the beach after a session.

I live in an apartment block with a small balcony so inflating on that is not an option. I do not have an outdoor clothes line either.

Any tips on how to dry and pack away kites in windy, wet conditions without damaging them would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I never once dried a kite and no mold. You're fine just leaving them in the bag on your balcony.

For the guys bringing them in the living room, you must be living by yourself - a nonkiting spouse would throw you and the kites out on the street. Even if you are single, the problem about bringing kites indoors is that there could be some bugs on them. Sand fleas are awful.

[Zen_Rider]

Nowadays I hang them by bridal from hooks in the garage for a few days. But back when I lived in a tiny shared flat in London (and couldn't use the communal spaces for drying) I would loosely unroll the kite under my (double) bed and leave it for a few days. Did drop a bit of sand under there, but simple to hoover up from a hard floor. Doesn't work if you have one of those pedestal type beds though...

I've never experienced moldy kites, and wouldn't worry about a wet kite if I was planning to use it again in the next week. But for longer-term storage, I think drying is sensible, I have heard stories about long term saltwater exposure degrading the stitching, and making printed graphics making stains on other parts of the kite... I also give my kites a full freshwater rinse and dry about once a year, especially to get sand out of the tight seams where canopy meets leading-edge and struts. I have some 9-year-old kites that are still in great condition (except for the valves disintegrating).

[dejavu]

A really good question, especially if space is limited. I have found when i pack up after rain the kite also has lots of sand attached. I am careful when packing up and once home spread it out as best i can and keep moving the kite so as to allow different parts of the kite to dry. Sometimes it take a day or so. Then a good shake to get all the sand off, sweep the floor, then pack up so no sand is there.

[Foil]

Same problem when you have a motorhome and staying over it in, just leave the center strut blown up, roll up not to tightly, jiggy the sand loose so it mostly falls out on the beach/car park, and then stand upright in the shower, get a nice warm shower and wash off the kite whilst in there, by morning your good to go again
Getting grief off the other half?
Can't help there,