Hey guys, like I said, I was asking for advice at the end of a tiring lesson. I don't see why the instructor saying "I think you should stay away from brand X" is any different from plenty of other people on this site saying the same sorts of things?
I wasn't gonna stick around and have a 30 minute discussion of the whys, that's what forums are for. He never gave me any reasons - and I came here for more info.
It's not like he gave me any false information, just a personal opinion on what brands to buy and what not. I think you guys are reading too much into it.
Ha ha welcome to the forum. Yeh discussion does get out of hand sometimes. but passionate kiters have passionate things to say.
But.... Instructors can and generally are the first point of contact with a new kiter. To say I prefer say the north range in this case the EVO is very different to saying stay away from such brands even if it is a passing comment. Especially as he particularly mentioned two other well known and respected brands, tired or not It is bad form.
Why, because a new kiter has developed trust with their instructor and can take their opinion as gospel.
So what your post serves ( and well done by the way) is for other new kiters out there is to do their own research (as you are now doing) and realise an agenda when one sees one.
For the record his advice is sound the EVO is a bloody great kite.
Thanks for the welcome everyone.
I got the Evo 12 in the end - the reviews seem to be great, I love the sound of all the bar features, and it sounds like they've acknowledged the line wear problem and done something about it. Probably the awesome promo video had a lot to do with it as well.
^^^ Yeah nah. I've been wrong, everyone is sometimes. Happy to admit it when I am, but when someone tries (badly) to make out that either I have an issue with a certain brand, or that the issue itself does not exist, when it so blatantly does, then I'll happily call his BS, BS ok ! 
Maybe, but he's spot on about the stupid north depower line. Coming from someone who spent hours and I mean hours trying to change those Farqin things. Its a fact not fiction unless you have your head so far up your own north ass you can't see daylight. Such a stupendous line of kites let down by a Farqin stupid depower system that wears at an unacceptable rate. That's a fact.
Get out there on a slingshot! Have the ride of your life! Don't pay to not get a thrill out of it!~ Oh n I do it for fun.... Not cash..
Best kites and Blade and
Liquid Force will do the job too!! But you'll be pulling the strings bud.. Not some geek!!! 
Best kites and Blade and
To address a request made by Rophuine to start the post and adding to his list of kite choices, I would second the motion to look at the Airush Lithium. I"m at the end of my first full calendar year of kiting. I suppose this makes me an intermediate but I'm not so far removed from newbie perspective. I spent the last few weeks off and on flying my Cabrinha Vector 7 meter in higher winds. It's a good kite all around kite, and an excellent beginner choice, but once I was back on my Lithium's (9 & 12 meter) it felt like coming home again.
Yesterday I was out in 22 knots riding strapless on my surfboard well lit on the 12 m Lithium. I got caught in a wind increase, and at 72 kg / 158 lbs I wouldn't normally consider riding anything but a 9 meter in those conditions especially with a surfboard. Albeit big and powerful, the kite was under full control and I had a blast.
:) And the safety lines have a plastic sheath over them so they aren't prone to wearing out.
Ozone advanced or unhooked riders clip their leash to ring below swivel, untwist lines by turning swivel. No failure here many good brands use this system.
I mean that a rope has less grip against the center hole. More control IMO, but yet again, just a personal preference. It just costs me a rope/season.
Fair enough. I had found the covered ropes more smoother myself but I guess ya right is is a personal preference. One thing I do miss is a decent stopper.
Just a personal preference. I prefer to hook into the metal ring myself, if the bar gets away from me I like the kite to have some power left it in to launch quickly. Especially in the waves. Also easy to unswivel twisted lines and I have at minimum two twists per tack, generally more from looping/rotating. If i wave is going to hit my kite I let the whole bloody thing go off my leash anyway...I don't want to be attached to that kite at all!
North 12m Evo sounds pretty good it is a fairly decent begginer kite, but my all time favorite begginer kite was the Best 9m Kahoona, its powerful enough for beginners, but not too powerful to be dangerous. It relaunches incredibly well, and the turning speed and responsiveness is quick and precise.
IMO - all this 'debate' on this brand or that brand is hogwash.
IMO every major kite brand these days is over building their kites. You will never see an inherent build quality issue letting you down anytime before the effective (good) life of your kite is way passed the 'use by date'
Build quality used to be a big issue - for sure but not any more.
EVERY major kite brand has come up with individual lemons & individual parts which created problems. This could happen again to any brand any time with any new release.
EVERY major kite brand out there makes a derivation of the Delta (bow shaped) kite. Every one has slightly different flying characteristics to any other BUT it is only experienced kiters with experience on Deltas that are likely to know which one suits their particular style best.
IMO - beginners - limit your choice to the major brands (any major brand) and only look at the Delta they produce. They are the easiest to fly correctly, by far the easiest to relaunch (big point for newbies) and the kite that offers the best all-rounder performance - for newbies & heaps of others as well.
As for the different characteristics of each. Doesnt matter a fig for your 1st kite. Your 1st kite will teach you how IT needs to be flown. By the time you have trashed it or outgrown it you will know far better what sort of Delta will suit you or what other style of kite you should move onto.
I'm curious about this one as well. Once you have detached from the kite and it (hopefully) washes up on the beach, what are the chances of it washing up in a position where it may power up on it's own and fly off?
