Kitefix - sorry but gotta pimp it.

Moto · Since 03 Sep 2006 2698 Posts Still a gojo pimp! Moto Mouth

So I have to pimp this new product I came accross (No, I'm not connected with them in any way). Just want to get the word out to fellow kiteboarders.

"Kitefix" is a do it yourself kite fix kit. Its sweet. The fixes are fast, easy, and cheap. Here is what you can do:

- Canopy tear? No problem. Kitefix has you covered.
- Leading edge tear? No problem. Kitefix has you covered.
- Bladder leak (strut or LE)? No problem. Kitefix has you covered.
- Leaky valve? No problem. Kitefix has you covered.
- Small pinholes? No problem. Kitefix has you covered.

This is a great tool for kiters in general. Throughout the summer I end up messing up one or more of my kites - I get most upset about losing time on the water - these fixes are fast, easy, cheap, and permanent. They dry in a couple of hours. So you can tear your kite in the afternoon and be riding that same evening. The little box it comes in is also great for trips - don't lose a session on a vacation because of a mishap.

Go to www.kitefix.com and check out what they can do. They cut two kites in half - and then piece together two different kites with their system and then smash the kite on a beach to demonstrate how well the fix holds up.

Just trying to spread word so you don't have to miss out on sessions due to mishaps.

sleestack · Since 07 Dec 2006 183 Posts Land of the Lost Stoked

I would have thought that you would be pimp'in your own custom ankle weights to kite with by now. Razz

Perhaps I would use that kit in a pinch when away from AIRTIME, but I'm sticking with the pros for a long-term fix and have the time to take it in to get repaired.

Wind Slither · Since 04 Mar 2005 2615 Posts The 503 METAL

Going to Airtime to fix a canopy tear/bladder leak is like going to the doctor to have your butt wiped. If you can't maintain your own butt, you have no business crapping.

Twisted Evil

Oh yeah, I have a "fix kit". It's called a roll of sail tape and a pack of bladder patches that came with your kite. Jeeeeesh!

sleestack · Since 07 Dec 2006 183 Posts Land of the Lost Stoked

Good heckles Slither! I should have been more specific; I would send repairs to airtime that pertain to sewing and stitching ie LE seams, struts and massive rips involving panel/panels or material.

Lurk · Since 04 Apr 2009 355 Posts Obsessed

Or go to the hardware store and buy the same drywall tape and marine glue. Use it all the time on canopy and Le repairs.

Gman · Since 11 Feb 2006 4911 Posts Portland Unstrapped

Tearaid and $3 sissors

http://www.tear-aid.com/

hebrew_hammer · Since 27 Dec 2006 31 Posts

Just go to the hardware store and get some drywall tape and shoe-goo....

tear aid will not fix anything super structural.

kitefix is just repackaged and overpriced. only downside is that the drywall tape usually only comes in one color.

kt · Since 16 Mar 2005 762 Posts Portland, Or Opinionated

have to agree, i've used it and think it's great. the repair doesn't look like i used something from the hardware store and it fixes in minutes.

i havn't purchased any, it came with some kites from last year.

kt

airtimekite · Since 10 Aug 2005 28 Posts 13th and Wasco

With the DIY repair compared to the professional repair talk going on we figured we'd pipe in and let you know about a new product. AIRTIME kite now has a DIY repair kit comparable to the KiteFix Complete Kitesurf Repair Kit but at a more reasonable price.

http://shop.airtimekite.com/index.php/repair-items/repair-tape/diy-repair-kit.html/

The ingredients are no secret and we haven't private labeled any of it to keep the cost down. The backbone of the kit is the Seam Grip glue that has been around for years and works wonders. You can buy a 1oz tube for around $8 retail. Drywall tape is drywall tape and the rest of the kit is pretty self explanatory. If you want to purchase the items elsewhere and put together your own kit you can with minimal effort. You may even want to download our instructions and put it in your kit to make it complete.

If you want to try one of our kits we'll give you free US Postal Priority when you buy the DIY repair kit online. This will be good for the rest of this month and all of the month of May. You'll need to enter the following coupon code from your cart view before you checkout. If you're buying other items at the same time the shipping may only be discounted and not free (we aren't that good at making all these online features work as they should...sorry).

Coupon code = NWKITE

Why do we now have a DIY repair kit?

We never thought anyone would use the KiteFix (drywall tape and glue) on a $1000+ kite. Regardless of the drywall tape color the repair looks like a 4th grader did the repair job. It doesn't matter what KiteFix tells you, the glue won't dry well enough for you to be back on your kite in less than an hour (unless it's a minor repair). However, we've found that some people don't care how the kite looks just so long as they can get back out on the water quickly. For those that are looking to ride as soon as possible and as cheap as possible a DIY kit can be the answer.

You do have to be careful as the glue is meant to be permanent. If you put the kite back together wrong you may notice some performance issues. Also, if you fix a bladder sleeve and the self fix fails you'll probably blow out a bladder.

If at all possible we always recommend a tape repair if you're doing your own canopy fixes. Tape can be removed or redone if you don't get it right the first time. You can tape a front to back canopy tear and get a couple sessions out of it before you have to redo the tape job. If you do a tape job and want a professional repair it's real easy for us to pull off the tape and do a professional fix. If we have to fix a glued repair we might have to replace sections of the kite since the glue can't always be removed and your repair bill will go up accordingly.

Some people will love the kit, some people will hate it, and others will put their own kits together. It's all good if it lets you ride.

Regards,

AIRTIME kite

Moto · Since 03 Sep 2006 2698 Posts Still a gojo pimp! Moto Mouth

Kitefix · Since 08 Oct 2008 4 Posts Canada Kook

Well it is clear that Airtime finally realizes that kiters want to have the option to repair their kites themselves. After years of them talking about the only way to fix a kite is to sew it, they finally gave in. Good news for kiters! Thank you Airtime!

Only problem now is that they are promoting a product that will not work for you. Yes, the core of our KiteFix product is our GluFix and FiberFix products (which are conveniently referenced on the Airtime website for all to see).

GluFix is not a white label version of Seamgrip. Don't believe us, go to the store and find out. GluFix is formulated to dry fast, be applied easily and quickly, resist UV and be water proof. It has been made for Kites and seven years of field testing with kiters around the world should be proof enough.

Seamgrip, is extremely runny and takes forever to dry (minimum 8-12 hours and possibly more depending on the humidity). It is a good product but not one for repairing kites.

Is KiteFix a viable option for permanently repairing kites? Even leading edges? Check out our new blow out video and decide for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zuan3TG32GE

KiteFix has been in the kite repair business for over 7 years. Our goal is to provide kiters with an option when they need it most. We offer quality products that save sessions. Anyone that has used our product knows...2 foot tear in the canopy or less I would guarantee on the water riding in 30 minutes. 4 foot tear...1 hour and you are on the water...I know because I have been there and done that. You try that with Seamgrip kit that Airtime is pimping. We stand behind our products because we know they work and this is our business.

If you think you are saving money by purchasing a kit from Airtime think again. They don't even stand behind their own product.

Now regarding quality of the repair, you judge for yourself...we have plenty of pictures on our website and blog as well as on our Picassa site to show how a repair should be done. Of course if you put white Drywall tape on a blue kite it is going to look like crap. That is why we have multi-color tapes.

KiteFix Blog: http://www.kitefix.com/blog/
KiteFix Picassa: http://picasaweb.google.ca/kitefix

Sure, anyone can make a repair look like crap. I have seen my share of stitching repairs that didn't look so hot either. Either way you go, DYI or sewing, the repair can be botched by the person doing the repair. That is also why we provide tutorial videos, blogs and detailed instructions (which Airtime copied for their kit) to help users get it right. It's not rocket science but you do have to read the instructions.

Finally, I will end this rant by saying that it is disappointing that in an industry that is so small, companies would find it necessary to bash others within the industry. We have always said that we don't care which way people go for their kite repairs. We made that point in a blog last year titled "Stitch or KiteFix". But we do think that kiters should have the choice which is why we work hard to offer a quality product. Don't think that Airtime is trying to bash us, look at the references to our product and company on their blog and on their website. Don't support this type of negative promotion, it is not helpful to anyone.

I welcome the opportunity to further discuss our product, company, partners and competition with anyone that is interested. We tend not to pimp our product on forums but I will reply here if requested. Or you can email me directly.

Regards,

Mark Rivers
Sales and Marketing Manager
KiteFix Solutions
mark.rivers@kitefix.com

pdxmonkeyboy · Tue Jun 01, 10 9:22 am

I use dryway tape and joint compound. It goes on pink and dries white so you know when it is dry!! Couple of drawbacks to using joint compound.

1. Little heavy
2. Doesn't stick very well to nylon
3. its not flexible
4. you can't get it wet

Other than that, your golden!!!

bwd · Since 04 Aug 2007 385 Posts Obsessed

I use unicorn earwax exclusively, sourced from my mysterious unicorn ranch deep beneath the waves. It even works underwater!

Moto · Since 03 Sep 2006 2698 Posts Still a gojo pimp! Moto Mouth

Some very interesting solutions fer ser!! BWD maybe you and monkey can get together and combine your unicorn earwax with monkey's joint compound for a perfect fix!!

On a more serious note - I posted up this thread not to take any business away from airtime or to bad mouth airtime or anything like that. I got much love for airtime. They have fixed many of my kites over the years and the dudes that work there are exceptionally cool people!! My first year the owner took time out of his day to show me how to replace a busted strut - didn't even charge me anything! I tried to tip him but he wouldn't take it. In addition, every repair I have gotten from airtime has been straight up solid!

One time I blew my leading edge after airtime had fixed my kite - it was probably my fault the LE blew, but airtime took it back in and fixed it no problem and no charge. Like I said - much love for airtime!!

I only posted this to let people know they have options. I live in Portland and don't go to HR all that much. Every season I end up tearing/ripping one or more of my kites throughout the season. i get most frustrated/upset with losing time on the water. I was stoked to find this product that will allow me to fix my kites that day and be on the water the next day!! I was also stoked about it for my kite trips - I would hate to tear something and then ruin my kite trip - when all i had to do was carry this little (and it is little) box with me.

Inept_Fun · Since 14 Apr 2005 1417 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

haha kite repair war, just fix my shit already. What I have found out is that you two offer the same repair kit, but the people at airtime are actually cool, and their kit is cheaper, sounds like a real hard choice to me... NAAAAAT.

lineman · Since 05 Feb 2009 170 Posts Stoked

Haha...I think people just like to argue. Laughing

pdxmonkeyboy · Wed Jun 02, 10 12:19 pm