North Bladders: Where to buy?

K2 · Since 30 Apr 2009 274 Posts Hood River, OR Obsessed

I bought a couple North Evo kites from this guy in Seattle for a pretty good price and the only catch was that the 9m had a leaky bladder. I tried patching the hole up but it found a way to leak. So then I bought a replacement valve (because the hole was right on the edge of it) and tried to stick that over the hole but that didn't work out either Sad

So now I am just trying to find and buy a replacement North LE bladder to replace this thing with so I can have a friggen 9m! I have been searching on North's site but I don't think you can buy replacements from there because there is no info about it. I am just sitting at work trying to figure this out so I thought I would call on my fellow NWKiters for any advice/info about where to find a replacement 2010 North Evo 9m bladder. I feel like it's important to get it straight from North as opposed to Airtime or somebody else with just a generic bladder but is that wrong of me to assume? Anyways, you guys know what I'm trying to do. Thanks for the help!

ldhr · Since 21 Jul 2009 1489 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

Airtime
http://www.airtimekite.com/

K2 · Since 30 Apr 2009 274 Posts Hood River, OR Obsessed

OK so is the Airtime bladder plus the U-Stick valve the best and only option? I have never done this before so I literally don't know sorry.

Aeolus · Thu Jun 09, 11 8:25 am

Just helped a friend replace a Liquid Force Envy bladder with an Airtime tube.
Pretty straight forward....probably an extra 20 minutes labor to locate all the valves..snip..stick...look at airtime tips and tricks so you know what's up.

Seems the orange bladder might take some heavier abuse without failure...and supposedly you can fix leaks on that bladder with packaging tape.

Go for it. Just concentrate when the scissors come out... Laughing

ldhr · Since 21 Jul 2009 1489 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

call airtime - operators who speak english are standing by.

ROOSTER · Since 08 Apr 2009 32 Posts Mighty Columbia River

Is it a 2009 or a 2010 Evo?? Did the LE bladder get damage because the stitching was falling apart. North replaced my 2009 EVO, a substantial amount of stitching was tearing away from the kite and exposing the bladders.

K2 · Since 30 Apr 2009 274 Posts Hood River, OR Obsessed

2010 Evo. I bought it with a hole in it right next to the inflate valve already. It was just in a tricky spot and I have tried fixing it twice now and am about to give up and just buy a new bladder and be done with it but I just don't want to spend all that money on new valves and a bladder. I'm afraid I will mess that part up too but I just want to be over it and have a kite that finally holds air!

K2 · Since 30 Apr 2009 274 Posts Hood River, OR Obsessed

TIP: Don't call up Airtime at work and start by saying "Hi my name is Kyle and I am having a problem with a leaky bladder".

Everybody at my office just turned around and looked at me and that was embarrassing. Why do I always learn things the hard way?!

I think I am going to try to pay Airtime to just fix it without having to replace everything. I didn't even realize you had to pay for the LE bladder as well as at 7 new valves at about $15 a pop. That's well over $100!! I pray Airtime can help fix the damage I have caused trying to fix this on my own.