Hey All,

I just wanted to thank you all for the wealth of knowledge you pour into these forums.

I started kiting about 6 months ago and have been soaking up the material here day in and day out since.

Also, I just got up on my snowboard for the first time a few days ago with an Apex 2 5m that I bought from one of you! (for a great price too!) I was sooo stoked. My wifey was cheering me on from the warmth of our car as I zoomed across the field.

I was wondering what my next step should be as far as kites go.

I have 2 lei kites (best kahoona 9 and 11.5) and the Apex 5m.

I got the Apex 5m for snow kiting but I have learned that it doesn't have quite the punch that I need to kite well here in Southwest Michigan. The wind on a good winter day is about 10-12 knots.

I would like to keep the Kahoonas for kiteboarding in the summer. The foils seem to be much easier to deal with in the snow and more my style.

Should I look for an Apex 3 10m? Or go with a Montana or Matrix? Or even go with an Arc?

I weigh about 165/170 pounds.

Thanks guys!!!

Any of the few you listed would be great. The Apex, stable as you know, the Montana has a little more lift, and great float, The Matrixx, well they just plain rock, and you can use them on the water as well so could serve double purpose.
Arcs, well Feyd would be proof positive that Arcs work well for snow!

What do you think would be an appropriate size for 10-12 knots and my weight 165lb. ? Like a 10m or something bigger?

Any of the kites listed work good, and use a lot of arcs as well and also the new Peter Lynn Lynx de-powerable foil would be another to add to that mix but you won't find any at a used price yet as they just came out. You probably have similar conditions to us for winter (southern Ontario) and on the depowerable foils if someone just had one then something around a 9m and if you could get two sizes then I'd go 11 and 7 to get a better spread. On the arc side if you want to aim more at the light to moderate end of your range you would need a 15, a 12 would be middle to higher wind and then going to 10m to 8m for really high wind

snow conditions and surface play into it as well - snowboard you want a little more power than skis (size up) and then if it's wet snow you'll need more power. For wind speed, 10-12 knots is just a nice comfortable wind so at least a 9m and 11m would be nice power. So if it was a kite that was 10m that would also fit in. With an arc I'd be 18 or 15m - either one would handle quite a bit more wind than that.

Just read the 165lbs and you can get away with a size down from bigger guys that are 200 lb range. Nice to have a bigger kite for lighter wind but safer to start a little smaller until you are confident in your skills.

There is a whole lot to be said for being intimate with your kite !

70% or more of the folks around here snowkite with inflatables. 90% of them also ride water and use the kites they have / know. The others are using Flysurfers for our low winds.

Pumping isn't as big a deal as people make it out to be. I little forced warm up that I sometimes forget to do . If you get good at set up you only lose minutes over foils and in there with arcs.

Best make pretty land tough kites. I would suggest that if you like how your Kahoonas behave you take them out and give them a try ?

That 5m will be a great kite for getting the Wifey involved ?

Ya, I think I am going to give the Best kites a run in the snow and see how they do.

No sense dropping more $$ when I can get it done with what I have.

The foil (5m apex) is going to be very nice for getting the wifey into the sport

She did kiteboarding lessons with me over the summer, but was kinda offput by the power that the larger kites have.

That being said, anyone know the power difference I should expect moving from the 5m apex 2 foil to a kahoona 9/11.5 lei?

Would the 9 meter be crazy more powerful or not as much since it is an lei?

The 9 shouldn't be crazy powerfull but wind speed dictates it's power. It should take you into the mid 20's once you get used to it. Lower 20's on land and upper 20's on water.

By the time you want to put the 9 down the 5 should be coming to life!

I think you are pretty well set for all but sub 6mph winds . Above that your 12m should start to work on land. If I was you I would hold out and see if the weak part of your quiver isn't more the low end ?

Great stuff! Thanks so much Blade!

Come to the d'arc side!