F-One BANDIT Manuel D'utilisation page 19

REPAIRING
BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ANY TYPE OF REPAIR, LOOK FOR A PLACE SHELTERED FROM THE
SAND, WATER AND WIND, WITH A CLEAN SURFACE TO WORK ON. YOU WILL NEED THE REPAIR
KIT SUPPLIED, A MARKER PEN AND ONE OF THE FLYING LINES IF YOU NEED TO CHANGE ONE
OF THE BLADDERS.
REPAIRING THE LEADING EDGE
If you have a leak on the leading edge, remove it together with its connecting pipe
This way, you can close all air exits with the clips to fi nd the leak(s).
—1—
Disconnect the connecting pipes from the struts.
—3—
Tie one line on each side of the leading edge
and take off the leading edge.
—5—
Sand then stick the repair patch
(enclosed in the repair kit).
SI LA FUITE OU LES DÉGÂTS SONT TROP IMPORTANTS, CONTACTEZ UN RÉPARATEUR
—2—
Take off the REACTOR Valve if the kite
is fi tted with it (see here after).
—4—
Find the leak.
—6—
Sand then stick the repair patch
(enclosed in the repair kit)
36
CHANGE / TAKE OFF THE REACTOR VALVE
Take the repair kit and open the exterior plug on the
valve. Unscrew the valve from its base using the
handle supplied for this purpose. Take off the valve
once it is completely unscrewed. To change the
valve, simply take the spare one and fi t it on the kite
by screwing it on the base using the handle supplied.
To change the leading edge bladder, take off the
base of the valve. To do so, Fit your hand inside the
opening and take the base off from the leading edge
by pulling off the velcro.
REPAIRING KITE BLADDERS
Lay the kite out fl at with all bladders facing up and
defl ated. Tie a "pull" line to the extremity of the
bladder to be replaced or fi xed. You'll use this line
to pull the bladder back in. If you're repairing a strut
bladder, the line should be tied to the base of the
valve. If you're repairing a leading edge bladder, a
line should be tied to each end of the bladder. The
"pull" line should be longer that the bladder. Do
not pull the blad-der out by the "pull" line - its only
use is to guide the bladder back in. Push the air
valve entirely in and for the leading edge bladder,
open the zipper fl ap near the middle of the leading
edge and pull the bladder out, fi rst one side, then
the other. For the struts, pull the bladder out from
the back of its casing. When the bladder has been
re-moved from the kite, the "pull" line should
pass through the tube and extend from each end.
Infl ate the bladder and wipe soapy water on it with
a sponge. Holes are indicated by air bubbles. Small
leaks can be hard to fi nd. Dry and clean the bladder
with a towel, circle the leak with a marker and then
defl ate the bladder.
KITE CARE
PACKING UP YOUR KITE
Defl ate all the bladders. Clamp the two front lines
connectors to the defl ation valve on the leading edge
using the scratch to prevent from any line tangling.
To defl ate the little struts with non return valve press
on the valve. Starting from one wing-tip roll up your
kite all the way to the middle of the leading edge,
then do the same from the other wingtip. Close up
the defl ation valve to ensure no dirt gets inside the
inner tube.
KITE CARE
Rinse your kite from time to time, but do not store
it in a humid place. We recommend that you rinse
it and let it dry out while infl ated. If you must rinse
it while defl ated, make sure the valves are shut. Do
not store your kite for long periods of time infl ated,
difference in temperature and air pressure might
damage the inner tubes. Do not store your kite under
Using the sandpaper enclosed in the re-pair kit, sand
down the surrounding of the hole, peel the backing
off the repair patch and apply it on top of the repair
area. Wait two hours before usage. Close the valve
and fold the bladder like an accordion, with the air
valve lined up to the opening on the strut and insert
it back. Guide the bladder in by slightly pulling in
the rope. Once completely inserted, make sure that
the air valve is properly exposed through the valve
opening. Install the zipper back. Infl ate the bladder
until it is half full with air. Check to make sure that
the bladder was inserted correctly and that there are
no folds in the bladder material. If you detect a crimp
in the bladder or the air valve appears misaligned,
stop and re-insert the bladder. Failure to correct the
problem at this point can cause severe damage to
the bladder when it is fully infl ated. Roll the excess
bladder material into the tip of the rib and reconnect
the Velcro strap under the securing loop.
REPAIRING THE KITE FABRIC
To repair your kite fabric you have to use kite repair
tape. You can fi nd those tapes in kitesurf shops.
Before repairing the tear your kite must be rinsed and
dry. Lay your kite out on a clean and fl at surface. Cut
out two sized of adhesive tape large enough to cover
the entire tear. Stick one piece over the tear and rub
it down in order to eliminate any air bubbles. Stick
the other piece on the other side of the material in
the same way.
For majors tears ( > 10 cm) consult your dealer for a
kite repair loft.
the sun for long periods of time, this may damage
the inner tubes or fabric. If you are not using the kite
do not let it sit on the beach, it will work as a fl ag
and this will increase the wear and tear on the fabric.
When taking a break be sure to cover each panel with
sand so they don't fl ap around. Regularly rinse off
your bar and lines, let them soak in a tub. Regularly
check the wear on the connectors, kite, leader lines
and lines side. At the fi rst sign of wear, replace them.
Particularly pay attention to the rubbing points espe-
cially on the larks head knots. Watch for knots on
your lines, this weakens them.
37