Fanatical kitesurfers can ride in virtually any weather conditions. You should be very selective about the weather while still learning how to kitesurf. Snow and especially wet snow can stick to the bridal system of your kite and power control may become difficult. Hail can damage the canopy of your kite and parts with high pressure: leading edge and struts; and you will need at least a helmet and a wetsuit. But seriously, you should neither kitesurf, nor snow-kite when it snows or hails. The more common challenge is rain. To kite or not to kite in the rain? It depends… First big NO: if there are thunder and lightning then definitely NOT. Your kite will be the highest point on the large body of flat water and is a charged cloud is going to pass by then your kite will act as a lightning rod, connected to you… Not a pretty picture, as far as I can see. Second NO: if there are only a few rain clouds then aside from the rain itself, those clouds usually mess up the wind. You need a decent amount of kitesurfing experience to go out on the water while wind direction is dancing around. If there is solid overcast and wind is blowing in one consistent direction with steady speed then going kitesurfing can be a good idea, especially if the rain is very light. There are a few concerns about riding in the rain. First one is lightning, so, if you hear a rumble of thunder – go home quickly. The second one has to do with steering your kite while it is up in the air. Wet kite is heavy and will need additional steering upward. And the third concern is about packing that wet kite, especially tricky if you have to fold in a sandy beach. Sand will stick to the canopy and your kite will be way heavier when usual. Also, rain is fresh water and you should dry it out ASAP to prevent mold from forming on the fabric.
Fog calls for a short answer: no kiting. Limited visibility is a sure recipe for disaster.
The weather forecast is always tricky, especially so when it comes to predicting wind speed and direction. There are several places you can check out, aside from the usual weather channel...
