The wrong spar in the sleeve keeps the kite on the ground. Record the rod, the side, and the connector, then order the replacement from the maker of that kite.

A catalog listing of one spare pair still needs the rod, the side, and the connector from the kite in your hand.

Buy the spar from the maker of that kite, and only after the checklist names the rod, the side, and the connector. Prism’s field-repair booklet says replacement rods for current Prism models, and for most discontinued Prism models, are ordered from Prism’s website. Peregrine Hawk’s spar page tells a Hawk owner to specify a tail spar, a female wing spar with a brass ferrule, or a male wing spar, and says a complete spar kit is on that maker’s store. Those Hawk names belong to Hawk kites. A catalog length still needs the rod, the side, and the connector. Measure the original piece, or ask the maker when a size is not printed on the kite.

Loose unmarked spars, a short sleeve, and a rubber tip on a wooden bench
Loose rods, a short sleeve, and a rubber tip laid out for the checklist. Schematic, not to scale.

Where can you buy a replacement kite spar online?

Order it from the maker named on that kite, using the part name that maker publishes for the model.

Prism’s field-repair booklet says replacement rods for current Prism models, and for most discontinued Prism models, are ordered from Prism’s website. Peregrine Hawk’s spar page tells a Hawk owner to specify a tail spar, a female wing spar with a brass ferrule, or a male wing spar. The same page says a complete spar kit is on that maker’s store. Keep those names on those kites.

Order from the maker named on the kite. A parts listing for a different model does not supply the connector, the side, or a size the original piece still has. Ask that maker for the current part and its price.

Takeaway: Use the maker’s part name for that model. A shared catalog title leaves the checklist unfinished.

Which rod is broken?

Name the piece before you measure it. A framed dual-line stunt kite uses a spine, leading edges, spreaders, and standoffs. Those names, and the foil that has no rods, are on the stunt kite parts page. The rows below add the connector and the side.

What you are holding Name to write Where that name is defined Extra field
Center rod from the nose toward the tail Spine Prism’s booklet. On the kites in that booklet, most spines are held by a strap at the tail and pass through the center T into the nose. End caps or fittings, if the original has them
Rod along the wing Leading edge, upper or lower when it is two pieces Prism’s booklet says most kites use a two-piece leading edge, with a ferrule in the wing sleeve about halfway down the wing. Some ferrules are internal sockets. Some are external tubes the other rod slides over. Which half, and internal or external
Rod across the kite Spreader, upper or lower Prism’s booklet names both. It says beginners most often break a spine or a lower spreader. On lower spreaders with an internal connector at the center T, the booklet says the female side is three times more likely to break than the male. Left or right, and male or female if the joint shows it
Thin rod from the sail to a spreader Standoff Prism’s booklet says standoffs are often lost rather than broken, and the cap on the back can come off. Whether the cap is still there
Short joint in a sleeve, or a sleeve the rod slides over Ferrule Prism’s booklet, for leading edges. When those wings are folded, the booklet says to check that the ferrule is still glued and that about 2 to 2.5 inches of it is exposed. That exposure is Prism’s storage check for those rods. It is not an order length for another brand.
Tip the sail pulls against at the wing Wingtip nock Prism’s booklet shows internal, external, and insert styles. A broken nock shows up as a wrinkle at the lower spreader. The style, or missing
Black rubber tip on a Hawk kite Tail spar, female wing spar with brass ferrule, or male wing spar Peregrine Hawk’s spar page only. The page says the rubber tips often stay in the pocket when the rod comes out. Which of the three names, and whether the old tip is still in the pocket
A dark rod end and a separate short metal sleeve on a bare wooden table
A rod end and a separate sleeve. The sleeve is a connector to name on the checklist.

Takeaway: A ferrule, a nock, and a rubber tip are their own lines. Ordering “a spar” without that line sends the wrong piece.

What do you record before you order?

Copy one row. Leave unknown cells as missing.

Field What to write If you cannot tell
Maker and model The name on the sail or the original sheet missing
Rod One name from the table above missing
Side Left or right, checked against the intact side missing
Connector Ferrule (internal or external), nock, rubber tip, brass ferrule, or none missing
Length The length of the original piece you still have missing
Diameter The diameter of the original piece you still have missing
Material The material printed on the rod or on the maker’s sheet missing
A snapped dark rod beside an intact dark rod on weathered outdoor wood
A snapped rod beside an intact one. Use the intact rod as the pattern for side, fittings and length. Schematic, not to scale.

Use the intact rod as the pattern for the side, the fittings, and the bridle path. Prism’s wing-spar steps say the elbow fitting and the bridle have to match the other side of that kite. Prism’s booklet also warns that a broken carbon or fiberglass rod can leave splinters if a hand slides along it. Hold the broken piece by a sound section while you write the fields down.

Takeaway: Measure the original piece you still have. Ask the maker for any size you cannot measure.

What if the maker publishes no size?

If the maker publishes no size, measure length, diameter and material from the original piece, or ask the maker to name them. A measurement taken along the sail is not a spar length. A listing from another brand is not your model. A catalog number is not a stiffness or a wind-speed rating.

Does another material fit when the length matches?

Length is one field on the checklist. It does not choose the material.

Into The Wind’s repair page compares a wood dowel with other rods and says the swap changes the kite. Solid fiberglass of the same diameter is four times heavier than that wood dowel, more flexible, and harder on the spar pocket. The page says that weight change can change the wind range. Fiberglass tubing is stiffer and lighter than solid fiberglass. The page says tubing and wood of the same diameter weigh about the same, and that tubing is generally sold in shorter lengths, so a ferrule comes into the job when that tubing is shorter than the wood spar it replaces. Graphite is lighter and stiffer than similarly sized fiberglass. The page says graphite is generally smaller in diameter and shorter than wood dowels and fiberglass rods, and it ties that smaller diameter to a harder substitution, especially in place of a wood dowel.

Do not swap carbon in for fiberglass because two rods share a length. If the maker names no substitute for your model, keep the material as the original until the maker names one.

Takeaway: Same length, different material, is a different part. Wait for the maker to name a substitute.

When you stop

A foil has no rods, so this checklist has nothing to order. That boundary sits on the stunt kite parts page linked above.

A torn sleeve, or a rod poking through the nose, is a sail problem. Prism’s booklet treats a spine or a leading-edge rod through the nose as a sail to send in. Cloth repair, and the booklet’s cutting, gluing, and splint steps, are on the sail-tear guide.

Sources

Part names, the 2 to 2.5 inch ferrule check, the three-times note on female lower spreaders, the Hawk order words, and the wood-to-fiberglass comparison come from the three sources at the bottom. Where the maker has not published a size, measure the original piece or ask the maker to name it. Ask the maker for the current price.