Kite Designs.
Kites come in a variety of shapes and types. Here we will cover the kite designs that are most often used for kite skiing.
Foil Kites.
Dual Skin, also known as Ram Air kites or Foil kites, are one of the most commonly used kite type used by the most dedicated kite skiers.
They come in a variety of designs from "Open Cell" to "Closed Cell" to "Single Skin" and a few in between. Foil kites are characterized by their "parachute" like appearance, intakes (vents)in the leading (front) edge and bridles (strings) that support the kite's shape and have a somewhat "bumpy" aka "Air Mattress" appearance due to the individual cells.
Dual skins can be equipped with "closed cells" meaning that it has the ability to be used on water and won't immediately take water into the intakes. This makes for a great option if you are a year-round rider wanting to ride water, but don't want the expense of two dedicated kite quivers.
Once the most popular snowkite type, they are losing ground to the new single skin types due to cost, durability, and ease of use. However, they are still popular with kiters looking for more performance than a single skin can offer.
Single Skin Foil.
Single Skin Foil Kites.
Single skins are essentially a foil kite without complete cells due to the wing's lack of lower skin (Intrados). The result is a lighter kite, impervious to over pressure damage than can occur when crashing a dual skin kite leading edge down.
Single skins tend to have more power per size and are intended mostly for touring purposes in addition to being ultra compact, so it's easy to carry more than one on a tour. The flight quality is generally good, but due to their nature, they aren't as "smooth" as a dual skin, though that has improved greatly in the last 8 years.
They are fun, forgiving and even water relaunchable. They have an amazing amount of "drift" (float without being powered by the wind) which is a benefit when riding downhill after a climb, when you fly into lulls or when riding surf especially on a foil board.
Leading Edge Inflatable.
LEI Kites (Leading Edge Inflatable kites) tend to be "C" shaped, have rigid air filled "Struts" that support the shape of the wing and no bridles. These are the most common kite you see on the water and they are best suited for that use.
They require pumps to inflate the frame and get the kite into it's required shape to fly. As many of the components for this are plastic and inteded to be used in warmer conditions, this can be problematic in the cold. They also have bladders that support the rigid structure while inflated that can leak.
They have minimal bridles or sometimes none at all which a lot of people prefer and they hold their shape well in shifty winds and generally are simpler to fly than some foils.
They have a smooth appearance due to the lack of individual cells.
Wing Sails.
Wing sails ARE NOT KITES. Although they are referred to as "Kitewings", but that is a brand name, much like inline skates are referred to as "Rollerblades". Wing sails are operated much more like a windsurf sail than a kite.
They have little to do with kiting beyond being powered by wind and having the same construction as LEI kites. As such, it requires a pump to inflate the bladders that provide the rigidity, which can be an issue in cold weather.
They are simple to use. Easy to learn and require much less space than your average kite does. Some have windows, some not. Windows are nice but not critical and in cold environments, they tend to become brittle and crack.
Wing sails are fun, easy, and versatile. They tend to need more wind than a given kite, which makes them a great option for less experienced kiters for high wind days.