Leading Edge of Kite is Slowly Deflating

[ERock82]

Yeah, Check all connections and look for sand on seals. Lock off all struts and double check.

If thats all clear then its a pin hole.

Pump up and spray le with a soapy water. Find the location of the leak. Then extract the bladder and repeat.

PS Tiny pinholes are a pain in the arse..... I've had a pin hole leak in one of my kites for 2 years. Havent been bothered to fix it yet. I dont use that kite much and most times my session is shorter than the slow leak.,,,,,,,

Thanks. When I tested this, all of the struts held air while the leading edge did not. Do I need to remove the whole bladder to test for a leak? YouTube makes this look doable but then again...it could be a real PITA.

[jumptheshark]

Just spray the inflated parts of the kite with soapy water and you’ll find it. If it’s pinholes in the bladder from a thistle or debris inside, it will bubble right through the dacron. Do all around inflate valves and one pump components first.

If it’s pinholes in the bladder you have to find it again when the bladder is removed then patch. If there are many, you may be better off replacing the bladder.

Have had all kinds of sharps make their way into kite bladders. Salt crystals and even dried up insect bits. Thistles are the worst. No obvious damage, just Little bubbles everywhere!

Good luck, we’ve all been there.

[PullStrings]

Check tubes area between LE and clips
Pump kite
Clip all struts
Visual inspection for cuts/ nicks of rubber tubes
Or spray soapy bubble solution to locate it
Look between LE and the clip area
I once had a split where air came out
It took the air out of LE only

An other thing to look for that type of leak
Pull out 6 inches of LE bladder right/left at wingtip
You could have a small tip bladder blowout
I recall one time that i had this problem
In a quick fix to go out I tied an end knot below small hole
Re-inserted bladder tip
Had great session
Later the next day I patched it good

Eliminate all types of possibilities for leak before pulling out an LE bladder

[Flyboy]

Does yours have the big screw deflate valve. I had the same problem with a 6m envy, and it was slowly leaking from the valve due to the stop valve not closing fully. What I had to do was Everytime I pumped it up, I'd unscrew the valve, which would then seal the stopper with a pop and then screw it back on. Then it's all good to go no leaks. It's because the screw valve isnt fully airtight, so the stopper inside has to close to keep it from leaking, a bad design by LF...

This. Before you start looking for holes in the bladder or failing valves make sure that the main valve is seated properly. I had LQF kites that had this problem. Occasionally the valve would not seal properly resulting in a slow leak.

[syuzhak]

The deflate valve is just a normal looking one and the inflate one is a screw on one with a neoprene velcro cover. Would getting a pump with a pressure gauge be good for the future? I didn't think the kite could be so sensitive to a possible over inflating. If I overinflated to cause this it is because of maybe 3 or 4 pumps too many. that seems like a fine line and I definitely would get a pressure gauge to prevent again.

Yeah it's the screw inflate valve, I think it's called maxflow. It's not about how hard you inflate it but it's due to a leak in the valve not seating properly. So no matter the pressure just open the valve AFTER you inflate it and it'll seat the valve closed with a pop. After that you can screw it back on and it'll be all good. Try it out! If not, then you can start the long painful process of checking for slow leaks elsewhere.