Produced in house, our replacement kite, wing, and inflatable tent bladders deliver outstanding performance, durability, and reliability. All bladders are manufactured in our new European production facility using premium German TPU film, modern CNC cutting, and high frequency welding technology.
Material choice and construction quality are the foundation of a reliable inflatable bladder. We spent extensive time testing and sourcing the right Thermoplastic Polyurethane film with excellent elongation, high tear resistance, and long term durability under real kiteboarding and winging conditions.
We use UV stable, pure TPU film without plasticizers. This ensures consistent material properties over time, resistance to yellowing, and long term performance even under intense sun exposure.
Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) is widely used in inflatable structures due to its elasticity, abrasion resistance, and durability under repeated stress cycles.
Extended 5 Year Warranty & Lifetime Warranty on Unipump valves. We fully stand behind our products and proudly offer a 5 year limited factory warranty on inflatable bladders. In addition, we are currently the only manufacturer on the market offering a lifetime warranty on our universal one pump UNIPUMP valves.
WHY
Tough TPU
All bladders are produced exclusively from high quality Thermoplastic Polyurethane film manufactured in Germany to our own specifications.
UV Stable
Only UV stable materials are used to ensure long term resistance against sun exposure without degradation or discoloration.
Great elongation
High elongation improves resistance to abrasion caused by sand, salt, and internal movement. It also allows the bladder to better absorb extreme pressure loads.
Welded Valves
All valves are welded, not glued, providing a permanent and reliable bond with the bladder material.
CNC cut, HF welded, tested overnight
Every bladder is CNC cut, high frequency welded, and pressure tested overnight to guarantee airtightness before shipping.
BLADDER
SURVIVED
Material thickness and weight
Our inflatable bladders are produced with a material thickness of 90 micron. This allows them to be approximately 10 to 20 percent lighter than many factory installed bladders while maintaining an excellent weight to toughness ratio compared to competing products.
Thanks to the combination of high elongation and premium welding materials, our bladders can absorb extreme loads. In many cases, they even survive blowouts without catastrophic failure.
Valve availability and brand coverage
We stock more than 50,000 valves at any time and maintain a database of over 50,000 bladder blueprints (2D 1:1 bladder designs), covering the world’s most well known kite and wing brands.
We also provide OEM production of inflatable bladders for brands operating in kiteboarding, winging, inflatable tents, wind sports, and related industries.
If you need replacement bladders for kites older than 2008, or models not listed in our webshop, please contact us directly.
Manufacturing process
All Dr.Tuba bladders are precision CNC cut and assembled using high frequency welding. Valves are welded directly to the bladder material and never glued, ensuring a permanent and reliable bond.
Extra care is taken during valve welding to match the original valve configuration of each kite or wing. When production is complete, every bladder is inflated and pressure tested overnight to ensure it is 100 percent airtight before shipping.
From production to quality control, the full process typically takes around 24 hours*, allowing us to get your gear back on the water as fast as possible.
Extended 5 Year Warranty
Our bladders have undergone countless internal stress tests and years of real world rider use. Based on this experience, we fully stand behind our products and proudly offer a 5 year limited factory warranty on inflatable bladders.
We use only proven EU made materials and TPU films sourced from Germany. Warranty claims are extremely rare, and our warranty terms are intentionally kept simple and transparent, without complicated conditions or hidden exclusions.
Packaging and installation support
Each bladder is supplied with a clear step by step installation manual and a video guide link. We also include our most valuable tips and tricks to help avoid common installation mistakes.
Bladders are lightly pre talced to simplify installation and packed in protective, high quality packaging to ensure safe transport.
OEM and custom production
In addition to replacement bladders, we manufacture custom shaped inflatable bladders for various industries. We offer OEM production, custom solutions, and special conditions for brands and series production, including low minimum order quantities.
WHY CHOOSE US?
- Years of expertise in inflatable materials and technology
- In house European production
- Premium German TPU materials
- Extensive valve and blueprint inventory
- OEM and custom production capabilities
- Fast production and deliver
- Low MOQ options for brands
Please contact us for additional information or OEM inquiries.
Material selection note
Choosing the correct TPU thickness is critical for inflatable reliability. While thinner films reduce weight, they are more susceptible to abrasion, fatigue, and punctures under real riding conditions. A balanced TPU thickness with high elongation ensures long term durability without compromising real world performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these original brand bladders?
No. These are high quality replacement bladders manufactured by Dr.Tuba using official specifications when available or carefully measured originals.
Why is bladder slightly longer or bigger than the skin of kite or wing?
Bladders must be slightly oversized to function correctly under pressure. Excess length must be pushed back into the kite or wing without folds or twists during installation.
Why is the replacement bladder different in size compared to the original?
We receive bladder blueprints (2D plans) directly from brand designers. However, factories may later modify these plans for their own production processes without notifying the brand. Even if dimensions differ slightly from the factory installed bladder, the replacement bladder we produce will function correctly and safely in the kite or wing.
Are valves glued or welded?
All valves are welded using high frequency welding. We do not glue valves.
Why there's no protections on bladders you produce?
We use premium TPU film with extreme elongation properties, which provides excellent durability without the need for additional protective layers. Added protection zones can sometimes relocate stress points and cause failures elsewhere. We have seen many cases where factory bladders failed just outside these protected areas.
Why your bladder thickness are 90micron, do you have any thinner material available?
We spent extensive time testing different TPU thicknesses to find the best balance between weight, strength, and long term reliability. While thinner TPU films are lighter, our testing showed that they are significantly more prone to damage from sand, salt, internal abrasion, and repeated pressure cycles. Through extensive real world testing, we found that 90 micron TPU provides the optimal balance for most riders. It is light enough to maintain excellent performance, while still offering superior durability and resistance to wear compared to thinner materials. When TPU thickness is reduced further, the risk of punctures, pinholes, and premature failures increases disproportionately. In practice, thinner materials tend to suffer damage much faster in typical kiteboarding and winging conditions. For this reason, we chose 90 micron TPU as our standard material, as it delivers the best overall performance, durability, and reliability for the vast majority of applications.
Will I lose performance if my original bladders were 75 micron?
In real world use, the performance difference is negligible for most riders. While 90 micron bladders are slightly heavier on paper, the actual installed weight difference is small and often reduced further by the absence of additional protection layers. Modern kite and wing performance depends on many factors, including canopy material, aerodynamic profile, frame stiffness, bridle design, and overall construction. In this context, a small bladder weight difference has a very limited influence on real world performance. For the vast majority of riders, the practical benefit of increased durability, reliability, and longer service life outweighs any minimal weight difference, resulting in a safer and more worry free riding experience. Only highly experienced riders in specific lightwind conditions may notice a very minor difference, while benefiting from significantly improved durability and reliability.
Do you test bladders before shipping?
Yes. Every bladder is inflated and pressure tested overnight to ensure it is fully airtight.
Do you make bladders for older kites?
Yes. We can produce bladders for many older kites, including models from before 2008. These may not be listed online, so please contact us.
Do you offer OEM production?
Yes. We manufacture OEM inflatable bladders for brands and provide custom solutions with low minimum order quantities.
Do you offer priority service for urgent cases?
Yes. We offer Priority Service for urgent cases, with guaranteed shipping out times of 24 to 48 hours in off season and 24 to 72 hours during peak season. This option is available at checkout.
* What are actual make times of bladders before shipping out to me?
Once your order is ready for production, the bladder itself is manufactured within 24 hours. This includes overnight inflation testing to ensure a fully functional product. Due to seasonal demand, total production time varies. In the off season (approximately November to March), production usually takes 1 to 3 working days. During peak season, this may extend to 3 to 7 working days.
