from jumping to Snowkiting

[canadaCoates]

love this site

few questions form a newbie kiter

I fly a 4mScout with control bar. I have been out 6 times and have gone from thinking that i was WAY over my head to being able to time pretty good jumps and reverse launch really consistantly.

My questions

1-What type/style of harness should i be looking at before i get into snowkiting?

2-I'm going to start off with my ski's but should i look at snowboarding before the end of winter to help with the transition i want to take into kitesurfing?

3-I'm going ot need a new kite next spring for surfing anyway so i was thinking of geting a 8mNeoII later on this snowkiting season to try the bigger kite out on land first once i get a good feel for the 4m Scout. Interested in any experenced thoughts out there.

4-Is it normal to be this hooked and kitecrazy this fast??

thanks for whomever takes the time

[Underground Kite Sports]

First off Welcome to the site and to kiting. Being hooked so soon is definately not unusual. Many of us were hooked the first time we flew a kite.

As far as kites go there are two types that you want to look at before starting to water kite. First is the LEI and second is a FOIL.

The FOIL kite is like what you are flying now. The NEO is a closed cell foil, meaning that it collects the air in through the vents and traps the air inside. I sell and have flown the NEO and it is a nice kite. Great float for gliding. Learning to fly the NEO in water will be much harder than learning on an LEI.

The LEI is an inflatable kite. That way it holds it's shape and is capable of being used on water since it floats. Many people think that LEI's aren't made for snowkiting but that is wrong. You can use either on the snow.

Foils are nice because they can pack up small and don't need to be pumped up. Foils have their drawbacks as do LEI's. Most of us riding LEI's now have air compressors in our rigs so we don't have to break a sweat to pump up our kites.

LEI's move much faster and are capable of generating way more lift than a foil. However the floaty characteristics of foils in nice when it comes to landing.

As far as harnesses go it is really up to the rider. Many snowkiters prefer the seat harness and more water kiters prefer the waist harness. As with kites they both have their pros and cons.

I ride and sell both Foils and LEI's however I am a die hard LEI believer. What you want to do is get out and try some of each before buying.

As far as skis and boards go. Using a board will make it easier to transition to a board on water however if you wakeboard or do any other board sport then you won't have that problem anyways since you have gotten used to riding on a board.

Good luck, welcome and if you have any further questions please feel free to contact me at anytime.

Good Winds,
Cole Russell

[canadaCoates]

thanks for taking the time... I have a HQ seat harness on its way and snow is in the forcast so i'm sure i will have some questions after my first time out!