advice for an old timer

[kiterMD]

sounds like safety and a good QR may be a priority. Check out Flexifoil, I think they have the most simple and safe QR on the market. Plus their kites are among the best.

[trouty]

Have to agree with the above i came off a set of Amps last year and replaced mine with Flexifoil Ion 2's. The release system is very simple and very effective.
I bought these kites with the view to teach my 12 year old son who is doing very well with them.
They offer a fantastic amount of depower and i can honestly say are the easies kites i have ever flown.
The kites can be self launched of the safety leash very easily. I just fill my board bag up with sand and attatch my leash to it. Pick the kite up and let it sit at the edge of the window, walk back to my board bag , unhook safety/leash and attatch it to my harness then while holding the leash gently pull the bar towards you and hook in, hey presto .... you are off (kite drifts nicely up at edge of window).

On landing just let kite sit at edge of window. release safety toggle from chicken loop and atatch safety to board bag. go and retrieve kite.

I am sure there are a lot of other kites on the market that you can use this approach with but check with the manufacturer 1st.

I am prety much in the same boat as you i just enjoy riding , flat, chop. waves and doing nice floaty jumps. I dont do all the new school moves but love the big floaty jumps.
My son was very nervous at 1st but this kite has enabled his confidence to grow quickly.

Good luck and welcome back you will be amazd at the new kit

[panchito]

I am not clear what a bow/SLE kite or a C kite is so will do some research.
.

Here some info , take your time and read it since it have in my opinion useful information for everybody.
http://kitesurfingschool.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Ozone Instinct that you mentioned is a SLE ( the name comes from supported leading edge )with a 5th line BUT not intended as a security line but rather as part of the trimming system and since 07 the Ozones offers the already mentioned front line flag out system.

Overall a nice kite ( i own 4 of them ) but you should really try it first and see if you like it

Have fun

Saludos

Franz

[blizzard]

Here some info , take your time and read it since it have in my opinion useful information for everybody.
http://kitesurfingschool.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[/quote]

Thanks, the section on equipment is helpful as I understand the difference more now. Those Legaignoux brothers are something else. They invented the original inflatable kite in 1984 and then when that patent expired they invented the Bow.

[kite_n_rnd]

Basically to cut a long story short I launched a very small 4.5 meter kite (airblast I think) on a beach in a strong wind (force 6) on shore, low tide, loads of space. ....

blizzard, I learned on a small airblast. I got rag-dolled by that
thing, then after I crashed, it picked me up for a second fling. Lucky for me, I was over water
when it happened. Those kites were real scary, especially the smaller sizes.

For getting back into the sport, I would go for an SLE kite, like the GK Sonic. These kites
are built tough, can be almost 100% depowered, are easy to relaunch, have adjustable
bar pressure settings, and won't scare you.

Welcome back!

KNR

[ronnie]

One option would be to go to the Shinn Centre on Tenerife, run by former double World Champion Mark Shinn.

http://www.theshinncentre.com/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They have
North Rebel 07
North Rhino 07
Flexifoil Atom
Flexifoil Ion 2
Naish Boxer SLE, Shockwave, Raven 3 and Torch 3
F-one Tribal, Impact and Rival (coming soon)
Best Warroo
RRD Type 8 and Hyper type
Ozone Instinct 2
Cabrinha Crossbow 2 and Switchblade 2
Airush Flow, DNA and Vapor
kites and would be able to show the different safety systems and you could fly any that you liked.
They have only Nobile and Shinn boards and I would expect them to have some Nobile kites, although they are not listed.
It seems to me a good opportunity to familiarise yourself with current equipment.
It does not cover them all, but you should be able to find something you really like.

[Darktanyan]

Check out the slingshot surefire spreader bar for your harness.

It has a leash/quick-release that works with all kites/bars.

So, you have a second quick-release in case there's a problem.