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| Windspeed http://snowkiting.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=807 |
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| Author: | GroggDog [ Sun Nov 28, 2010 5:46 am ] |
| Post subject: | Windspeed |
Hi! Ths year I'm about to try out snowkiting. I've been trying kitesurfing and it goes pretty well. I bought a North rebel 12m this summer and I've tried it once. I've heard that snowkiting requires less windspeed than kitesurfing. Is it possible to use the rebel for snowkiting and what windspeed do you guys recommend? When I tried it on water it was about 10kts and it way just too much for me. My weight is arount 75kg with all the equipment (snowboard, bindings etc). |
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| Author: | Matt V [ Sun Nov 28, 2010 10:32 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Windspeed |
On the water, a kiteboard gives you a fixed ammount of resistance against the water. The water viscosity never changes much. This means that you will use pretty much one kite size for one wind speed. So there is only really one variable in the decision as to kite size. When snowkiting on a snowboard, you throw one more variable into to mix. This variable is known as "snow conditions" and the typical range goes from super deep powder to rough ice on a frozen lake. Glare ice is not really kitesnowboardable unless you have a SwitchBlade (ice runner) mounted to your board. What you will find as your snowkiting skills improve is that you can edge harder against deep snow, either wet and heavy or light and dry. Powder (light and dry) can be more resistive since you sink in it more easily when you do not intend to. To me, wet and heavy snow seems only more resistive at high speeds. For kite sizing to the conditions, you may find that you can use the same size kite as on the water that you can use in deep powder conditions. As you move to less resistive or only a few inches of snow, you need less kite. Here is what I use for kiting in 15knots of wind with a snowboard. I weigh 215lbs. Deep Fresh Powder over 16" - 12.5m Montana V Powder or wet snow over 12" - 9.5m Montana V or 10m Ozone Access XT 3-6 inches of any snow over a packed base - 10m Ozone Access XT 3-6 inches of snow over ice or frozen ground - 6m or 10 Ozone Access XT Less than 3 inches of snow or rough ice. 6m Ozone Access XT Please note that the smaller, less snow depth range that I described above is not for jumping. In these snow conditions, you should only be cruising - and even that could be dangerous with out the cushion of deep snow. But as you can see, I can make use of my full range of kites at the single wind speed of 15knots depending on the surface conditions. However, with skis, I would move everything up one notch and not even use my 12.5m Montana V for any snow condition at the wind speed of 15knots. On ice skates at 15knots, you would be fine with a trainer kite. So your 12m kite may be used only for deep snow. But that gives you a great reason to score another kite. I would recommend an 8m as your next one. Not many snow kiters go below an 8m kite, but you would appreciate a 5-6m for those windy days on less than ideal snow depth. |
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| Author: | GroggDog [ Sun Nov 28, 2010 11:38 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Windspeed |
Woow...thanks, very informative. lucky me, thr's ALOT on powder snow right now. It's been snowing for 3-4 days now. Awesome, thanks! |
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