Kite selection

"Any advice would be awesome." Well, you've come to the right place for "any advice," but I'd recommend raising your standards and only seeking credible and relevant advice.

Start with reading some reviews of the kites you're considering, and get a feel for the tone of each reviewer and relate that to his or her affiliations with brands and shops.

I haven't ridden any of the kites you mention in their most recent models so will refrain from commenting.

Demoing won't tell you much if you're still a beginner, so best establish a relationship with a retailer/rider you trust and who realises that it makes sense to sell you the appropriate gear now so you'll come back in the future rather than trying to palm off any old kite of which they have too many.

And that, for the question you asked, is my best advice.

used the RPM awsome beginer to pro kite id go with that personaly

Ozone, Slingshot, Naish, Cabrina, BWS, even griffin plus most of the others all make a model (free ride) kite that would be suitable from entry to stardom.
Quality of lines, bridles and bars will make more of a difference and what local support is available from leading brands in your area if you need help if you intend to buy from a retailer.
If your buying through SB buy and sell read as many reviews as you can and check what your local crew are using never found a kiter not wanting to talk about his or her equipment.
Then check every mm of the kite and lines for wear scuffs, pin holes, rope wear, release the safties, pump the kite and leave it for 15mins listen for any air release. Fly it.
Everyone wants the perfect kite, when you find it write a review. Have fun and good luck.

i ride 2012 parks (9m and 12m) and like em a lot so would recommend them but again prob not best opinion out there bc although ive been kiting for over a year now (so not a beginner) have not ridden with many other kites (at least not long enough that can have real opinion on them.\
park has great depower so good from beginner (as do many other kites) also big wind range and handles gusts well in my opinion

all that being said i have now snapped rope that holds the centre lines twice ($40 each time to get new one) im not sure how normal that is to occur

and did little puncture yesterday on my 9m which can happen to any kite but have heard that North material is def stronger..

looking at my post i realise not that helpful sorry jsut telling u my thoughts

why dont u go to shop (who sell them all so no vested interest) and ask their opnion

Let me tell you about the rebel. Lol....

Follow the advice given about reading all reviews. I'll add something, then pm crew who obviously have an affinity for a certain kite and really get some specific info. For instance the c4 talk to djojo, the rebel I can help you out, the rpm I think puppetonastring, might be wrong on that one, I know there is one fella who loves his rpms can't remember specifically. But you get the idea.

All the kites mentioned will be fine and do the job. So speak to those that ride them consistently and have provided review etc. also try and chat to crew who have ridden for 5 years plus and have ridden a few different types. Not to say the opinions of those who have ridden less are not worth taking into consideration. You won't get the fine nuances out of the of the different types for a few years anyhow.

I second djojos advice about finding a good retailer, they can be a great source of info, but go their loaded with some info first, this way you will talk to them on their level and they can get really specific. Honestly most the kites are great now, can't go wrong really.

I second what everyone says here... I just asked my instructor which brands he would recommend and what kind. He said a couple of brands and to get a all rounder..i went to the shop had a long and informative chat with one of the guys and bought all my gear. Its been great to learn on and I keep on going back to the shop. Great guys! What im saying is.. it doesn't really matter all that much as long as you know you are getting a quality all rounder to learn on and that you can have a good chat with someone about it who will help you then and in the future

I would say though maybe wait a little bit for all the 2013 gear to come out. That's what I'm doing!

My advice: Take a look at NEW 2010 or 2011 models. You will save lots of money and get NEW gear. After all most manufacturers do not significantly change the technology of a proven kite every year. Check for the differences between model years. I recently bought a 2010 SS RPM with 60% discount and I love it.
Good luck!

I use the naish bolt and love them. I have tried the naish park too but don't know the north kites except they are 5 line and have been reccomended if I was going north to get a fuse.

The naish bolt is a good beginner kite but it has to be flown fast to get the best out of it. Where you can put a park or switchblade at the edge of the window and ride, the bolt likes to be moved up and down alot until you gain enough speed to fly along. Both park and bolt turn really well and have a great build quality and naish gear is relatively robust from what I have seen.

I would agree that 2010-2011 new gear would be they way to go as there is not alot of change for either the park or the bolt. There is a new naish kite coming called the ride which is like the park but only 2 struts so it pulls like a switchblade with the turning of a park.

Just go and demo one from a local shop and see what suits you...

I'm riding a BWS Noise 8 & 6m right now, and with the new above or below the bar depower options, it's a very versatile kite for freeride and waves. The turning speed has greatly improved on the latest model and the drift is hard to beat. I'm a former user of slingshot & F-one ... But I reckon BWS have got it dialed now.

WHY BUY NEW?

Buy a well looked after 2010 or 2011 kite. Save heaps of money up front. Don't stress every time you crash it. Don't lose 25% of your money the first time you fly it.
Don't worry that you paid all this money for the wrong size kite.

Meanwhile, save your cash and get to know kite gear thru internet, magazines, beach time, try to swap with friends you make on the beach.

Then when you know what you're on about, buy a new 2014 kite.

The advice to buy 2nd hand for your first kite used to be the kiters 11th commandment as we all sacrificed at least one kite to the learning curve. With the user friendly new kites its not so essential - though still not a bad way to go. The problem for newbs & 2nd hand is getting the right kite. If you have the right advice its fine but if you are still on your own as a kiter be very very cautious.
NEVER ever anything more than 3 yrs old.
NEVER anything but a bridled kite.
Using just those 2 rules can still have you make a poor choice but it wont be one thats likely to kill you.
If you like the thought of new then go for it. You are not a lot more likely than anyone else to trash your first kite IF you obey all the rules - No.1 being dont practice your kite skills on land - the beach is ALWAYS the most dangerous place to fly your kite.
And besides you need to be moving to learn to manage your kite - NOT trying to stand still.

Careful wishy the BWS are an emotional lot.

Oh sorry Wishy i thought you were refering to your self!