KITEBOARDING REPAIR in Houston/Galveston Texas:
Kite repair can be easy or very difficult depending where the damage
is located on your kite. Most kites come with a some simple repair items such
as sticky sail tape for sail repairs and bladder patches for pin holes and small
bladder holes.
Our full service repair center is at the Texas City store at the address below. We can do ANY kite repair including lead edge tears, massive sail rips, bladder repairs and replacement, valves, etc. Our prices are below for typical repair work. Just follow the instructions below and mail the kite to our center or come on in and drop it off most repairs are completed in 1-4 days.
Repair 1st 2nd or more
Replace Valves $9.00 $4.50
Take out LE bladder $20.00 n/a
Put in LE bladder $20.00 n/a
Leading edge bladder in/out $30.00 n/a
Take out strut bladder $7.00 n/a
Put in strut bladder $7.00 n/a
Strut bladder in/out $10.00 $5.00
Find and Repair Bladder $25.00 $20.00
Patch bladder $5.00 $3.00
Sail sewing $1.25/in n/a
LE sewing $4.00/in n/a
LE sewing access $20.00 n/a
Cleaning fee $15.00 n/a
Sail Patch $8.00 $5.00
Inflate and check $5 n/a
To send your kite to us for repair please make sure it is clean and free of sand as it will clog our machines and equipment. Next, package up the kite in the kite bag and ship it to us at the address below via UPS, FedEx or USPS to the following address. Make sure you get insurance on the kite when you send it to us incase it is lost in transit. In package include a brief description of the problem that needs repairing as well as your contact phone number and return mailing address. An email address is also a good idea.
Mailing address and contact information:
XLKITES-HOUSTON kite repair
524 9th Ave N.
Texas City, TX 77590
houston@xlkites.com
281-508-6485
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Kiteboarding Down wind Ride Monday 16Jan12
Kiteboarding Down Wind ride in the surf in Galveston Bay near Houston Texas with XLKITES.com
What: 30mi ride on Galveston Island
When: Monday 16Jan12 ...Time is TBD check back on this page this weekend.
How: The wind will be South so we'll meet at East beach and car pool back to St Luis Pass then ride from there back to East beach...about 30 mi.
Remember to bring some floatation, hook knife, booties, cell phone in dry bag, water, keys. I always wear a small bag with waterproof audio, water, and a cell phone. If you are very uncomfortable with losing your board in deep water a Reel type leash may be a good idea as well. Remember NEVER attach any type of leash to your board at the handle or the straps! This is very dangerous and any type leash should only be attached to a lanyard off the fin screws.
Surfboards are the easiest way to get down wind in the surf but if you're more comfortable on a twin-tip that is probably a better option. There are a couple reasons surfboards are easier to go down wind in the surf, but the main reason has to do with the location of the footstraps. A normal twin-tip board has it's straps located equidistant from both tips. Going downwind in the surf on a twin tip you'll need to keep the front of the board up and out of the waves so you'll be constantly putting pressure on your rear foot. Alternatively, a surf board has the straps already set to the rear of the board so you can maintain your normal stance while riding downwind. The surf board will also have more displacement so it will float easier over the waves and swell. It isn't a big deal, but your rear leg will be tired by the end for sure on a twin tip.
Why is riding down wind hard for some riders? When you're riding down wind you're riding with the wind so your kite feels less relative wind. This lack of wind will test the skills of even an advanced rider when he/she is being pushed by a wave. Also, the front of the board digging in is common as many riders don't put enough rear foot pressure on the board when they ride down wind. The keys to riding down wind successfully in the surf are:
1. Keep rear foot pressure on the board to keep the nose up.
2. Keep the kite moving to produce relative wind while you're moving down-wind.
3. Use your edge to put tension on the kite lines when you're making large control movements...like a down loop or just the bottom section of a normal kite stroke to keep your kite out of the surf.
4. Stay relaxed...if you're up tight the ocean will tear you apart...just like surfing keep your knees bent and stay loose so you can move with the sea.
5. Have fun!
XLKITES has plenty of surfboards in stock that would be a good match for the Houston/Galveston area, here are a few:
2012 Slingshot Dialer 5'11"
This is a quad fin light wind machine. Lots of buoyancy to keep you up wind on light days or easily glide over mushy Galveston waves.
2012 Slingshot Pit 5'11"
This is a narrow fast board and is incredibly agile in the waves.
2012 Slingshot Celeritas 5'8" or 5'11"
This is Phil's Favorite surfboard for 2012 in the 5'11" size. The 5'8" would be good for someone who rides in high winds or is lighter than 170-180lbs. This board is a tri-fin with a pin tail so it is easy to move around in the surf and cut back on the face of a wave. It is also large enough that jibs are a breeze and you can get back up wind in lighter air.
2011 Wainman Gambler 5'7"
This was the go to board from Wainman for 2011, great in the surf and much lighter than any of the slingshot boards albeit not as strong/durable . This is a really good fit for a kiteboarder that already surfs and wants to get into kitesurfing.
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