So getting ready for this winter I wanted to make sure I have a full quiver with decent overlap, I sometimes loan out a kite to a buddy. I made a visual representation of my quiver and just wanted to get some feedback on the actual, usable, wind ranges. Some of these kites are hard to find wind ranges for.

I'm also about 150#s and would think you're montana and my eskimo have about the same range. I ride that from about 10 to about 20 mph. There is no way I would be comfortably holding it down in the mid to high 20s - but I'm a bit of a wussy - but I would think your montana will start to become a handful in the upper teens to low 20s depending upon the surface conditions.

I'm not familiar enough with the arcs to comment.

I did own a flysurfer (pulse) and have flown an outlaw. I find FS way overstates the useable range on their kites. The 6m Pulse and Outlaw had "suggested" wind ranges to around 40 mph. There is no way I could even come close to that so I'm wondering if yor 5m Speed can take you that far. I found FS excelled in the low end but weren't so good in the high end of the stated kite ranges. But that's just me and we've already established I'm a bit of a wuss :-)

I'm inclined to agree with you on the Montana to a degree. I tend to fly a tad under-powered and I'm comfortable holding down the Montana in the mid teens so I just assumed it would be okay to almost the high 20s with more experience. HQ puts it's wind range to 25 in the "comfortable" zone. Now I would be on the 5m starting in the mid 20s. It seems the ARC and the Montana have the most overlap, which could be okay since they handle the most of our winter conditions and one can be loaned out. As for the FSer in 35+, I would never be flying in anything that high. I couldn't find wind range for the speed1 so I used the 6m speed2 data and that has it going to 41mph in the "normal" zone, so even I figured a 5m could push 40mph if it had to. I don't think I'd be the one to test that theory though.

I know a guy up here who weighs about the same as Midgaar and rides a Psycho 8m in around 30-35. Beats the hell out of him but he manages for a little while.

There ought to be charts that indicate "winter wind range". More often than not higher winter winds tend to be gusty and I have no doubt that the high end range of any kite is tested in butter smooth beach wind. So maybe knock off the top 20% of each kite to come up with a safer usable chart. Everyone knows its safer to put up the kite that will handle the gusts , I also think that in less than perfect conditions its not a bad idea to lower the expectations of what each kite is capable.
This is of course a "do as I say not as I do" posting.

I did knock off some of the upper end of each kite, except maybe the 5m. The ARC is the kite I know the littlest about. From what I've read it eats up the gusts pretty good though. I didn't get the opinions I was hoping for with this post so I guess this winter will be a lot of trail and error and then I can readjust my quiver come spring.

On a side note, 90% of my winter flying is done on an iced over lake so the winds are much cleaner then the local soccer field. Still not beach wind however.

Interesting that you think you get more range out of your Montana than Venom? I would think the venom would serve in a wider range than 12 - 20?

2nd Blade Runner here.

Somewhere I saw a post where someone had come up with a way to calculate wind force of cold wind vs. warm. It was pretty damn cool but way more tech than I want to deal with. If I'm going to calculate how temp is affecting my wind I may as well go all the way and measure snow temp and look at chrystal structure onthe snow.

I'll try to find it.

Wind ranges just don't give the full story, even taking into account rider weight and board size.
I thought of drawing up some wind ranges based on how useful my kites actually are ... a chart of Utility, kind of like torque curves. The one sketch I made of the Speed2 19 made sense when I compared it with my other kites - a bell curve with it's peak at 12 knots where I mind it's the most damn fun.

But like Feyd said, it's all way too much work

My phantom is a little smaller, and im a little bigger, but it carries me into the thirties.... But other than nit picking, I think your chart is pretty good... And most of my changes would be based on me being a chunk and out weighing you

I do however need to see a pic of your 5m speed ..... Thats a new one on me!

I almost took my 5m depower out today... Sustained were decent at 30-35, but the 55mph gusts had me a little worried!

" rides a Psycho 8m in around 30-35" on snow.....:shocked2: wow, that has got to be a sight to see, hanging on for dear life.

ya, I kinda doubt your 9.5 will go that high as well, but doesn't matter on the exact point cause you've got a smaller kite that you can ride when the 9.5 stops..and...it's a speed 1.5! interesting high wind kite choice.