How to Repair a Bladder

[Toby]

TeamTalk - How to Repair a Bladder

Let Tom Court run you through fixing your bladder and all the little tips and tricks that can prevent this simple task from becoming a nightmare!

[edt]

Step 1, Pump up the kite and soap it.

It's very important to find the generation location of the hole first. Don't pull the bladder as your first step. Don't do it!

Often you can figure out it is a valve leak and just replace the valve. Or maybe you find a pinhole leak. Remember if you take the bladder out and just throw it in a swimming pool you often can not find the leak because a pinhole leak won't necessarily show up unless you massage the bladder right where the leak is.

The rest of the video is ok but just remember never take the bladder out as your first step. You gotta find out the general location of the hole first.

The section about how a twist looks is really good.

[Toby]

I agree, check valves first!

[grigorib]

Pulling the bladder in could be done way better - attach a flat piece of cardboard to the bladder so it doesn't have a chance to turn/twist as you're pulling it in. Applying some baby powder would make sliding in easier too.

[edt]

I have no problem with their system of pulling the bladder. I've seen about a half dozen ways and everyone insists theirs is better. As long as you are methodical and practice the system you use a lot, it will work. I never use cardboard. Also they do mention using talcum in the video about 3/4ths of the way through. I never use baby powder because it's hard to get off the bladder if you need to do a large repair and doesn't work if wet, but use it if you like.