Now that I live near a lake I really wish that I could find an ultra low wind snowkite. I suspect that the one of the 15 Flysurfer Silver Arrows would be ideal, but I think that they are out of my price range.

So I'm thinking that means a FB kite, probably on handles so I can work it for everything its got and get as much turning input as I can. I weigh around 150lb, maybe 160 when all geared up with skis on. So I'm thinking that maybe something like an 8.5m Blade or maybe the PL Reactor.

Is it accurate that the higher aspect kites tend to have better low wind performance? Do you think that I could get up and cruising on apparent wind in only 3-4 mph winds?

My only issue with the FB route is that the safety seems lacking compared to a depower kite, where you can pretty quickly dump the kite on a leash or with a reride release. I haven't flown a FB in a while but my memory is that they could still generate a fair amount of pull even on the kite killers. Maybe not a big deal but the wind does gust from 3 to 15 or 20 mph in the winter sometimes.

If anyone has something that might fit the bill or any suggestions, let me know.

Adam,

I use to have an 8.5 blade III and could get going with that on skis in 4mph (measured) winds and while I rode that kite in up to 18mph (once :o ) I would normally put it away around 10 - 12 depending upon how much edge I could hold based on surface conditions. I now use my 6m Bego as my low wind weapon and two weeks ago I was riding with that in 5-7+ mph winds (measured).

I sold the blade after buying the bego. I find the smaller bego to be about as useable as an older, bigger blade because I could work and turn the smaller bego more effectively. Its also not quite as scary in hard gusts as a bigger blade would be. I've lost a lot of ground downwind fast when gusts come along but I've lost serious ground on the 8.5 and that always made me nervous as there are houses on the edges of the lakes I ride.

Higher aspect kites will get you going quickly but they will also be less forgiving in the gusts and in lulls they could bowtie on you.

Now that I'm flying more with the depowerables these days, I'd really like a good low wind depowerable but don't think I could afford it so I'm sticking with my high apsect, 6m for the low wind days.

If set up properly, kite killers will kill most of the power of the kite. If hooked in, they are useless and you can kill the kite all the same by grabbing the brake leader. I don't use killers but last time out with the bego the winds picked up to 12+ and while I landed the kite safely, I kind of wish I had killers on so I could have just dropped the handles once the kite was parked on the ice and clipped the brakes into my 'biner to secure it to the ice.

I am almost ready to let my trusty Blade II 9m go? It has been a real reliable low wind engine but is far from crispy.
U2U me if you are interested. I will be letting it go cheap.

could always donate it to our school program...lol

I would recommend taking a look at the Ozone Turbo bar to control a FB if you get one. It give the kite a slightly more depower feel, and it has the same kind of safety that you're used to on a depower kite. It also speeds up the turning speed on every kite I've tried it on, it's really a sweet piece of kit, well worth the somewhat high price tag, worth a look IMHO.

(If you want to come to NY you can try mine )

Look for a Quadrifoil XXXL (if you can find one) 9.66m FB. Should be about $300
Flys in 3mph and you can park n ride in 4-6mph. I put mine away if the winds are gusting above 15mph but I am a conservative old fart. If you find a KiteSurfer (closed cell) you can use it on the water too.

I don't know if you are interested in a kite of this size, But I am selling a Ozone Haka II 5m that may fit your bill.

B-roc's right. I only need 3 to get going on my 8.5 BIV. Light wind weapon of choice

tested today... Vapor 11 in next to zero, and pulls while static flying. Imagine with 3km of wind, RiDinG. Vapor 16 is going to be fun fun fun fun.

I have a RII 10.8m

I got a vapor 2.7 that pulled me on a buggy on soft sand at 5 mph wind. That kite is plain awesome!. Its the only kite I have that small that will pull me around static at very low (3mph) winds.

I flew my 5.5 Reactor II one day and then walked over to the 2.7m Vapor just because someone wanted to see it set up. Winds were 2-3mph. Pull wise, I couldn't tell the difference!

Pricewise....I can't tell the difference either. LOLOL.:singing:

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I think that something like the BIV 8.5 meter would be a great choice for low wind performance. The turbo bar is a good suggestion because I like riding with a bar and like that the safety and CL are setup very similar to the depower bars, but I'd be concerned about trying to turn a big 8+ meter kite on a bar. And I wonder if the pulleys, etc. hanging off lines would hurt the uber low wind performance.

Maybe I don't even need to go all the way to an 8m kite. On the lake a high aspect 6.5 meter might get me moving just as well. I'd love to take the Bego 600 for a test flight sometime also. I know they are supposed to be very light material so I can see why they'd be good light wind choice.

I should buy a big light wind kite just to ensure that we won't have any more of these pathetic no wind weekends around here. Looks like we have about 0 gusting to 3mph today.

My 9m Blade didn't fly well enough on a home made crossover bar to keep it that way. The newer kite and different bar may work ?

My 7.7 Twister did a pretty good job yesterday in very low winds. I HATED it on the stock bar but the ozone one could be better ?