What Size Kite for Snowkiting? How to Pick Yours

What size kite for snowkiting? It is one of the most common questions when you start, and one of the hardest to answer with a single number.

Contrary to what you might expect, there is no universal size.

The choice depends on several things: your weight, your level, the strength of the wind, the type of kite you fly and the terrain you ride on.

Here are the main points to take into account.

Why does the size matter so much?

A kite that is too small will lack power and hold back your progression.

A kite that is too big, on the other hand, becomes hard to control as soon as the wind picks up.

In snowkiting, where mountain conditions can change quickly, choosing a kite suited to the weather of the day matters far more than owning one do-it-all size.

Wind matters more than your weight

Many beginners think weight is the main criterion.

In reality, it is the strength of the wind that decides the size first.

A 90 kg rider will sometimes fly a smaller kite than a 65 kg rider if the wind is stronger.

Weight remains an important factor, but it comes after reading the weather.

Foil kites generate more power

In snowkiting, most riders fly foil kites.

For the same area, they generally produce more power than an inflatable kite and let you ride in lighter wind.

So it is not a good idea to pick exactly the sizes you fly in kitesurfing without accounting for how differently the two types of kite behave. We went through that in detail in can you use kitesurf gear for snowkiting.

What is the best quiver to start with?

If you want to buy your first setup, a quiver made of a 6 m and a 10 m is probably the best compromise.

That combination covers a very wide wind range and lets you ride in most of the conditions found on the main snowkite spots in Europe.

For most riders, those two kites are plenty to start with and to keep progressing over several seasons.

The final choice will always depend on your weight, your level and the spots you ride, but a 6 m and 10 m quiver is an excellent base. You will find both sizes in our shop.

Do you need several kite sizes?

Yes.

As in kitesurfing, riders generally own several kites so they can adapt to different wind conditions.

A small kite comes out when the wind blows hard, while a bigger one lets you make the most of the light wind days.

It is that complementarity that keeps you riding in as many conditions as possible through the season.

Can you use the same sizes as in kitesurfing?

Not always.

Snow conditions, the low sliding resistance and the performance of foil kites all change what you need.

It is common to fly sizes that differ from the ones you use on the water.

This is why it is worth asking for advice before investing in a first snowkite. Our snowkite gear buying guide goes through the models size by size.

Should you buy your gear before your first session?

Not necessarily.

If you are discovering the sport, the simplest route is often to join a course or a guided trip.

You will get to try different kite sizes depending on the wind and quickly work out which ones suit the way you ride. Our complete guide to snowkiting covers how those first days usually go.

It also saves you from investing in equipment that would not end up matching your needs.

So, which size should you choose?

There is no universal answer.

The right size always depends on your weight, your level, the wind and the spot you are riding.

That said, if you are looking for a first quiver able to cover most conditions, a 6 m paired with a 10 m is one of the most versatile combinations there is.

At Snowkite Sensation, the instructors pick the kite size best suited to the weather and to the level of each participant, every single day. You discover the sport on properly sized equipment before choosing your own, if and when you decide to.

Further reading

If you want more information about the gear you can bring over from kitesurfing, you can read our article Can You Use Kitesurf Gear for Snowkiting?

If you want more information about the fifth line fitted on snowkite bars, you can read our article The Snowkite 5th Line.