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Duotone leading edge bladder - twisting damages second small outlet valve

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Created by KK3 > 9 months ago, 30 Mar 2021
KK3
5 posts
30 Mar 2021 4:45AM
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Hey everyone,

just wondering if anyone has the same problems with Duotone kites as me. After a while almost all the Evos and Dices I owned or still own show the same problem. The bladder seems to twist inside the leading edge which causes the second small outlet valve to get sucked inside the hole it usually sticks out of. If you don?t realize this right away and continue to use the kite like that either the valve will open by itself while pumping or even worse the bladder will tear around the valve if you pump more. I have seen this problem in 3 out of my 5 duotone kites and it caused two ruptures of the bladder around this second valve already, both after a little more than one year. The times I noticed it beforehand I had to twist the bladder back into position before pumping the kite up which helps for a few sessions. The bladder always seems to twist back out of position after a while again though.

This is a real pain for me and maybe someone else has had the same issue or maybe an idea what I could be doing wrong to cause this. I wish they wouldn?t even have this second valve since I never use it and it just seems like an unnecessary weakness in the design.

CJ2478
NSW, 482 posts
30 Mar 2021 10:53AM
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how long have you used them for?

I have had dice and many neos. 8m neo is my quiver workhorse getting used multiple times per week, but i usually end up upgrading it every year. I never use the dump valve and have not experienced any of the issues you have noticed. do you use the dump valve? i dont understand how it can get sucked inside the hole with all that outwards pressure. maybe on a single strut but all the kites you mention have three struts and the LE is fixed at the strut connection which would prevent some rotation.

weebitbreezy
617 posts
30 Mar 2021 6:13PM
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If you look at the repair valves, there should be a ridged bit at the base of the valve that keeps the valve in place (see shop.duotonesports.com/en-gb/selfsticky-deflation-valve-complete-15600--8012) by hooking through the opening.

Sounds like your valve has popped off somehow - crash? not supporting the back of the valve when closing?
You should be able to pop it back in again and be good to go. I haven't taken off a Duotone valve but with the North kites (pre 2018) you had to pop one side on and then work all the way around the valve to get it back in place.

KK3
5 posts
5 Apr 2021 4:09AM
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Thanks for the answers.

@CJ2478: I used the 12m Dice pretty often last season and the 8m Evo not too often before it happened. I freestyle a lot with the 12m and crash it quite a lot as one does when not landing a trick unhooked. I already thought that this may be the problem since I always only freestyle to the right hand side and maybe the crashing on only one side makes the bladder rotate inside the leading edge causing the problems. I never use the dump valve really and only realized that there was a problem with itafterthe kite was loosing air during a session. I then checked the outside thoroughly and saw that the valve stuck out of the hole in the leading edge completely crooked and sideways (as I suspected due to the bladder rotating inside the leading edge). Thisneverhappened to any of the strut inflate valves probably because they are fixed on the outside to the strut connector tubes creating some counter force towards any twistingof the inside bladder.

@weebitbreezy: You are completely right, thislowerpart of the valve is a pretty tight fit in the leading edge hole especially for the strut connector valves and I have had no problems for these valves. As mentioned above the dump valve has nothing to hold it in place from the outside though and it can easily be pushed inside the LE with a bit of force. I guess this must have happened during a crash and then I packed it without noticing and it only got worse the next time I pumped it.... Maybe the way I pack my kites also plays a role and the valve got pushed inside the leading edge duringpacking or even during long time travel(both the 8 and 12 have been around the world for a 6 month trip). I guess the only way to prevent this from happening is to check if the dump valve is steadily locked inside the LE hole every time before pumping the kite and then again when it?s pumped completely.

Good to see that not many others have problems with that though. Also meanwhile I could fix the 12m with a stick on valve for 10 bucks so at least it seems that this is a problem that can be fixed pretty fast and cost efficiently.

jeff0
10 posts
5 Apr 2021 8:43AM
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This is from an Air port Valve instruction Tag if you do use dump valve.

"" NOTE: should you choose to deflate via the dump valve ensure to loosen the valve cap of the air port valve before opening the dump valve. This prevents a possible rotating of the bladder in a deflated state.""

weebitbreezy
617 posts
8 Apr 2021 8:53PM
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Select to expand quote
KK3 said..
Thanks for the answers.

@CJ2478: I used the 12m Dice pretty often last season and the 8m Evo not too often before it happened. I freestyle a lot with the 12m and crash it quite a lot as one does when not landing a trick unhooked. I already thought that this may be the problem since I always only freestyle to the right hand side and maybe the crashing on only one side makes the bladder rotate inside the leading edge causing the problems. I never use the dump valve really and only realized that there was a problem with itafterthe kite was loosing air during a session. I then checked the outside thoroughly and saw that the valve stuck out of the hole in the leading edge completely crooked and sideways (as I suspected due to the bladder rotating inside the leading edge). Thisneverhappened to any of the strut inflate valves probably because they are fixed on the outside to the strut connector tubes creating some counter force towards any twistingof the inside bladder.

@weebitbreezy: You are completely right, thislowerpart of the valve is a pretty tight fit in the leading edge hole especially for the strut connector valves and I have had no problems for these valves. As mentioned above the dump valve has nothing to hold it in place from the outside though and it can easily be pushed inside the LE with a bit of force. I guess this must have happened during a crash and then I packed it without noticing and it only got worse the next time I pumped it.... Maybe the way I pack my kites also plays a role and the valve got pushed inside the leading edge duringpacking or even during long time travel(both the 8 and 12 have been around the world for a 6 month trip). I guess the only way to prevent this from happening is to check if the dump valve is steadily locked inside the LE hole every time before pumping the kite and then again when it?s pumped completely.

Good to see that not many others have problems with that though. Also meanwhile I could fix the 12m with a stick on valve for 10 bucks so at least it seems that this is a problem that can be fixed pretty fast and cost efficiently.

I got my kite out to check and I can see quite clearly a ridge at the bottom of the valve. The ridge is just below the dark ring in the photo. This ridge sits above the blue plastic opening and stops me pushing the valve through. If you don't have that.... Then I'd think you have had a repair at some point?




KK3
5 posts
3 May 2021 4:30AM
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Sorry for the late answer.

Select to expand quote
jeff0 said..
This is from an Air port Valve instruction Tag if you do use dump valve.

"" NOTE: should you choose to deflate via the dump valve ensure to loosen the valve cap of the air port valve before opening the dump valve. This prevents a possible rotating of the bladder in a deflated state.""


Interesting Info. Although I never use the separate dump valve myself I wonder who actually knows about that and does it when using the dump valve regularly rolling up the kite all the way from only one side.
Select to expand quote
weebitbreezy said..

KK3 said..
Thanks for the answers.

@CJ2478: I used the 12m Dice pretty often last season and the 8m Evo not too often before it happened. I freestyle a lot with the 12m and crash it quite a lot as one does when not landing a trick unhooked. I already thought that this may be the problem since I always only freestyle to the right hand side and maybe the crashing on only one side makes the bladder rotate inside the leading edge causing the problems. I never use the dump valve really and only realized that there was a problem with itafterthe kite was loosing air during a session. I then checked the outside thoroughly and saw that the valve stuck out of the hole in the leading edge completely crooked and sideways (as I suspected due to the bladder rotating inside the leading edge). Thisneverhappened to any of the strut inflate valves probably because they are fixed on the outside to the strut connector tubes creating some counter force towards any twistingof the inside bladder.

@weebitbreezy: You are completely right, thislowerpart of the valve is a pretty tight fit in the leading edge hole especially for the strut connector valves and I have had no problems for these valves. As mentioned above the dump valve has nothing to hold it in place from the outside though and it can easily be pushed inside the LE with a bit of force. I guess this must have happened during a crash and then I packed it without noticing and it only got worse the next time I pumped it.... Maybe the way I pack my kites also plays a role and the valve got pushed inside the leading edge duringpacking or even during long time travel(both the 8 and 12 have been around the world for a 6 month trip). I guess the only way to prevent this from happening is to check if the dump valve is steadily locked inside the LE hole every time before pumping the kite and then again when it?s pumped completely.

Good to see that not many others have problems with that though. Also meanwhile I could fix the 12m with a stick on valve for 10 bucks so at least it seems that this is a problem that can be fixed pretty fast and cost efficiently.


I got my kite out to check and I can see quite clearly a ridge at the bottom of the valve. The ridge is just below the dark ring in the photo. This ridge sits above the blue plastic opening and stops me pushing the valve through. If you don't have that.... Then I'd think you have had a repair at some point?





I?m sure that 2 of the kites didn?t have former repairs since I bought them new. The ridge is there but for some reason it didn?t keep the valves in place for the damaged kites. I?m more and more convinced that I must have pressed the valves inside while packing the kites and didn?t notice. Checking on my kites right now, it does keep the valve very tight in it?s spot and it?s certainly not easy to push the valve inside the leading edge..

Will keep you posted if I ever notice any twisted or pushed in valves again.

weebitbreezy
617 posts
4 May 2021 6:25PM
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Maybe they were from a odd batch from the factory then. From memory of replacing them in the past, you can't push them through whilst square. You had to bend the valve over and then pop one side through and then the other. It might be that at some point a bridle caught on one side and just popped the seal on that side - which was just enough to let it push through by hand the next time you resealed?

Best practice is to support the valve from the far side of the leading edge when inserting the bung anyway. Puts less stress around the fabric of the leading edge that way. I vaguely remember someone saying it was a good idea to leave the valves closed when packed away - something to do with avoiding stretching if the valve is on a crease of a fold - so I'll seal it up before its all put away in the bag anyway.



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"Duotone leading edge bladder - twisting damages second small outlet valve" started by KK3