There are allot of people that only had one choice when learning how to kiteboard years ago, although different brands and 4 and 5 line most kites before 2006 were "C" kites.
They are not recommended for learning but you can learn with them, but they are less forgiving and have a smaller wind range.
Also the safety systems on the kites were sometimes not very good.
If you do plan on using an older C kite make sure you use it with a modern control bar with a good safety release system and in non gusty winds, and the right kite size for the wind conditions.
If learning better to go with smaller kite and big kiteboard.
Foil kites were around even before the "C" kites and have advantages for land use as they don't have an inflatable bladder and can handle hard crashes better on land.
Inflatable Bow kites came along somewhere around 2006 and improved along the way.
The early ones were sometimes less efficient and had poor flight characteristics such as back stalling and not stable in the air. Some of them were better than others.
Bow kites have a massive wind range compared to the old C kites.
They also have a great de-power which is safer, when you let go of the bar the kite de-powers quite a bit.
This is good for safety, let go of the bar and the kite quits pulling!
So now instead of having say three or four C kite sizes to cover the wind range you can now just about have two or three kites for most conditions.
Bow kite safety-
You can easily go out above the rated wind range if you are a bigger guy or very careful, but in gusty conditions could get into trouble when the even higher wind gusts hit you or if you accidentally move the kite fast through the window or get lofted on land with the kite at 12:00.
Safety systems on the control bar improved along the way as well, with better quick release and better safety on the chicken loop as well.
Bow kite re-launch
In most conditions the bow style kite will re-launch easier and if the bridle is shorter will not get tangled as easy.
*(except of course with super light wind below 12 mph)
Kite shopping-Things to look for
Easy re-launch
Delta shape (or other bow round shape)
Short bridles
Durability
Warranty (if new)
Spare parts, availability
Warranty-
Most kites are covered for one year from the date of purchase
Warranty only covers normal wear and tear, no abuse.
If you drop your kite into a tree or super hard on the beach and pop it, that is probably not the manufacturer fault and that is clearly stated on the policy.
At kitemiser.com we use only 2013-15 gear which has all modern safety features.
