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Rainy Day Flying?


ProphetEyes

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This Monday is my only day off this week and the forecast calls for rain (0.58") throughout the day. I really want to get out there and fly though. Is it ok to fly in these conditions or should I just wait for a better forecast? The wind looks just right on this day, it's just the rain that would be not ideal. It'll be at least a week before I get the chance to go fly again after that day, so I really want to get out there. I recently decided that I want to go fly EVERY chance I get from now on. What do you guys think? What kind of complications, if any, could my kite run into from taking it into these kind of conditions? Thank you in advance for your help!

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1 hour ago, frob said:

Lightning is the exception to that.

If there is lightning in the forecast, no flying. It can be fatal.

But snow or rain, with proper gear those can be fun.

LOL, yeah I figured that much. Wouldn't want to get Benjamin Franklin'd ;)

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  • 4 months later...

Personally I only fly in the rain at events, but there's something very satisfying and exciting about flying in the rain is it's warm enough and you have a place to dry off after.

Pick out kite and line while you're dry and let them dry out after. I try to rinse them down in the shower and let them dry there if there's any salt spray. Personally, I haven't can any color bleeding through rain and sea, but maybe I've just been lucky.

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  • 5 months later...

Thanks for the topic! My new 30' lines arrived yesterday, inspired by what I saw by some TKL at SPI 2020, and I am dying to fly (retired this year). Average wind 4.1 and very light rain.  A little chilly at 42F, so may wait a few hours.  My biggest concern is the effect on Laser Pro Gold lines, but sounds like no problem.  At 30', I can unroll to dry out in the house.

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4 minutes ago, John Dvoracek said:

Thanks for the topic! My new 30' lines arrived yesterday, inspired by what I saw by some TKL at SPI 2020, and I am dying to fly (retired this year). Average wind 4.1 and very light rain.  A little chilly at 42F, so may wait a few hours.  My biggest concern is the effect on Laser Pro Gold lines, but sounds like no problem.  At 30', I can unroll to dry out in the house.

I just leave my lines on the winder or handles to dry I've never had an issue, bear in mind when the sail gets wet it will need more wind.

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One other thing to keep in mind is what is your sail made of?? If it's Icarex or RipStop poly you will be fine for the most part. If it's Ripstop Nylon (RSN), then you need to be concerned with coatings and absorbancy.  Icarex generally repels water pretty well. Depending on the coatings, RSN has a tendency to  absorb water and get very heavy very quickly. 

My advice, if flying in the rain, Fly your Poly/Icarex and keep the RSN dry to prevent stretching and ruining your kite.

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back in the old days (HA!)

folks would "wet their sails" to slow 'em down before competing, or pretensioning the leading edge (adding a curvature thru the use of string down the tube's length that can be tightened ~ like Rok)

venting and mesh kites now, better design overall of sail panels and shaping too

bridles and framing choices

We are so lucky now!!!!!!

There's no bad weather, only a poorly equipped kite flier -plm

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