Different kite for snowkiting?

[Dag88]

Just a quick question I was talking to a buddy and he was saying if I want to snow kite ill need a kite made for the snow rather then the water? Is this true or can I use my Naish Park just the same? Thanks!

[mogthedog]

I use my LEI kites (North Neo) for snowkiting, they work fine. Can't really see why they wouldn't work. Not sure what sort of snowkiting your into but I just go blasting around a snowy field in the UK where a Naish park is ideal.

The only thing I would say is if you are planning on big mountain off piste snowkiting, where you might be more susceptible to uplifts and more extreme changes in the weather systems the FOIL type snow kites will depower fully, killing the kite quickly. and they pack away a lot smaller and you don't need to carry a pump.
hope this helps

www.coastwatersports.com

[plummet]

foil kites don't depower fully. they have less depower than leis.

But if you are going to adventure while snow kiting and go miles away from your car then foils are a better choice because you can easily can a bigger or smaller spare kite with you and can easily change if you have a failure or the conditions change.

The only way to do this with leis is if you also carry a pump. That's a pain in the arse and could be dangerous if you crash.

[av_dumitrascu]

For snowy flat field or on a frozen lake, almost any type of kite will do, LEI or FOIL.
BUT, for freeride in hills/mountains, open cell foils are recommended, because sometimes you might need to kill totally the power of the kite...and while on water a full-release might not mean a lost or broken kite, up in the mountains a full release is the least wanted safety maneuvre!
This is why some specialized snowkites like Rapace Condor or Ozone are designed to kill all the power when pulling the brake webbing (connecting the B lines/steering).
Also, the open-cell kite will loose all its form (and thus also the tranction) when back-stalled with the brake webbing (air will get out from the cells of the kite).
Keep in mind that launching/landing an open-cells foil is more simple and safe, especially having the snowboard/skis on the feet...plus you don't carry a pump in a backcountry tour.
Not the last point: gusts! A foil will absorb mountain gusts and turbulences better than most LEIs!
I had fun from day 1 snowkiting up in the mountains with a Rapace Condor specialized snowkite, from Chasta, and I can hardly wait for this season start!!!

[Dag88]

Great info guys thanks! I'm in Northern Japan now and it's snows quite a bit but I think I'm gonna try out a field first and go from there I just started kiteboarding about 6 months ago and love it I've been snowboarding for 16years now so I'm hoping this will be awesome!!!

[mogthedog]

exactly av_dumitrascu don't know why plummet says foil snow kites don't fully depower, when I flew one in france up in the mountains, I pulled the brake webbing and the kite fully depowered and fell to the floor.
Strange

[eree]

i agree with plummet. my ozone foil was too sensitive to gusts and when wind picks up it is really hard to land it alone. it loops, it jumps, it flaps violently damaging itself and dragging me down wind.
in light wind, during lulls one side pulleys can fall through the other wing tip bridles guaranteeing at least half an hour untangling that mess. at my geographical latitude winter days are too short to waste the time on it. sold the foil.
never had such problems with lei on snow. for me only foils advantages are small size and light weight when packed.

[Starsky]

my only beef with foils is their soft nature when inland winds get flukey. In total drop outs I prefer the kite to at least maintain its structure so that I have a chance at a controlled recovery rather than have it snap open at random.

I can absolutely see the attraction to foils on land..... no pump, no bladder, quick set up/take down, small and light pack down. Quite honestly after playing with both on snow for many years, its a no brainer to just use my inflatables all year round. Winter is pretty much a one kite one board quiver for me. Only occasionally is it even fun to pull out a small kite in winter.

The only thing that really pisses me off about using inflatables in winter is when you snap of the deflation plug from the rest of the valve. Thankfully we are seeing some evolution on that front!

[Don Monnot]

I've ridden both foils and LEIs on the snow, and totally agree that the choice should be based on the type of kiting, local conditions, and terrain you're going to ride. On long-distance cruising, having a spare kite on your back for potential changes in the wind is awesome, so the foil kites win that choice--no question. For super cold conditions (below zero F), foils are great because I typically leave my lines attached on the foils, but not on the LEIs. Valve breakage at those temps is also a concern for an LEI. Limiting the amount of stomping around in deep snow is also an advantage for the LEI. Another foil advantage is wear and tear. The snow/ice can be really tough on an LEI, but not so bad for a foil.

Disadvantages for the foils are as stated by others. Advantage LEI is cost, for me. I don't need to have two sets of kite/bars. I am much more careful about not allowing my LEIs to skate around on the ice/snow, or flapping much when parked. I also like the fact that my LEIs hold their shape in the super gusty conditions I often encounter on the snow.

Just my opinion.

Don

[Starsky]

The durability thing is always a plus for foils. Doesn't matter if its sharp ice in snow or sharp shells in sand or just tough thistles. I'm always trying to limit my LEI's from sliding around.