BayAreaKiteboarding.com

Just wondering- if I have the kite out on these foggy summer days, can I stuff it back in the pack even though it feels a TINY bit moist? I don't want to be anal, but I just spent a lot of money on a 10m Ozone Frenzy and want to treat my baby well so she treats me to years of fun...

i'd be curious to hear others opinions on this, but as I see it, there are 2 reasons to dry out your kite

1. the colors could bleed
2. mildew

it seems to me that issue #1 was only a problem with old kites 4-5 years ago, and I'm pretty sure that mildew only exists if you kite in fresh-water. And even then, your kite would have to sit wet for a long time for mildew to grow.

personally, i try to dry out my kites, but i really don't see any harm in putting a damp kite away, esp if you plan on using it again in the next week or so.

If you are planning on not using for a while definately let it dry or at least leave the zipper open on the bag when stored. If it is salt walt, it doesnt affect it to leave it wet wheny ou bag it. Salt acts as a preservative and does nothing to it once the moisture has evaporated.

no, it's not usually salt-eater-wet and no, it's not usually in there too long (i do my best to try and get it out at least 3 times a week). when it's just barely damp after riding, I could either put it in the bag or just spread it out in my trunk (obviously prefer the former).

Wetness will not hurt the kite but sun will shorten the life of the kite.

Here, here...
uv will do it n,
iam with you Sonny.


next week..
more like ..
the next day.

great, thx guys. no worries, then.

I often wondered about the UV damage argument . . .Imagine your kite is sitting out on the beach in the wind, is it really the sun or is it the constant flapping and sand-blasting?

I found a good use with my old leaf blower that's just sitting in my garage. As a beginner, my kite almost always get wet no matter what wind conditions I am in. If I know that I will not use my kite for a while and we have foggy and overcast conditions, I use my leaf blower to dry my kite. This also remove most of the sand stuck in the corners of the kite. You don't want sand in there when you pack and store your kite. The sand acts like sandpaper rubbing against your canopy.

I have a row of hooks along the overhang of my garage door. I take a bunch of large alligator clamps with rubber ends and clip these to trailing edge of the kite at the struts and then hook the clamps onto the hooks. This leaves the kite in the door opening where I can hose off the sand, mud etc...I then move the kite to another row of hooks inside the garage where I let it air dry for a couple of days. After it is dry I bring it in and lay it out on the living room floor (a little more difficult with the 16m) and roll it up, kiss it gently, then put it back into the bag until next time. I would have a hard time leaving a damp kite in the bag for more than a couple of days. I am pretty sure there is a warning in the Ozone manual concerning this.