Drying Kites in Rainy Conditions

[garethj97]

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

[Delta99]

I spread it out on the livingroom floor in the morning and when I get back after work in the evening it is dry. No pumping needed. Some parts are a bit folded though, so those might need some more attention. I also have some old towels in the car that I use at the beach to wipe away excess water from "inside" the leding edge (which is the hardest part to get dry). Makes it easier in the livingroom.

[Aberdovy kiter]

I fly on the welsh coast, plenty of rain, never had a kite go mouldy, if i know that i won't be kiting for a month then i go down to local park and lay it out if there's enough wind I'll even have a go on the landboard, find yourself a piece of grass they dry pretty quick..

[Cheoz0r86]

Hi Gareth I also live in an apartment, I just pack them wet when its rainy and open them a lil bit in my living room (putting towels underneath) and as they dry up I keep unfolding them more and more, they usual complete dry in 24h. Also more important that packing your kite dry is to wipe off any sand from the beach, don't worry about taking them home wet as long as you take em out the bag.

[knyfe]

Well that’s the catch with wet kites that you have to get back out soon so they don’t get moldy. A good argument to pull for your girl

[SWO_kite]

I dunno, I've never had issues with mould on kites. From time to time I have to pack up a wet kite, all I do is make sure I pull it out of the bag at some point within a few days - I don't even unroll it in some cases. There might be some colour bleed, but it's never that bad and I don't care about that.

Just toss your wet kite in the bathtub over night, should allow it to dry mostly.

[andylc]

I do prefer to dry my kites when I have the time, but if you leave them wet with salty water then I have never had them go mouldy. If you rinse them and leave them damp with fresh water then I'd imagine they would. So - dry them if you can, if you rinse them then definitely dry them off! Otherwise leave them wet and just use it as an excuse to get out again as soon as you can...

[Blackened]

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.

[bigtone667]

I have never had any mould issues on kites wet from salt water.

But I do like to remove excess water simply by hanging the kite from a rafter, over a seat .... what ever I can find to get a gravity assist.

My wings are always wet (salt water) and I have not had any mould issues and don't bother drying them (pretty sure my car is going to rust away).

[Robsw6]

I unpack a drenched/wet kite, dry it over with a towel and then leave in a heated room over 2-3 days and move it around each day... usually works fine... but Reedins in white/red need careful drying to avoid pink stripes !!!