DaveWolfs:
You asked a couple of questions that haven't been answered, so here's my 2 cents on those. (I started kiting last summer in Hatteras, so I recently went through the same process as you.)
Bow or C? Definitely, go with a bow kite. Stick with recent models (07 or 08).
Size? Most people will start with kite in the 12 meter range. I started with an 11m and, within 3 months, picked up a lightly used 14m. I find that, on Florida's east coast, the 11m and 14m get about the same amount of use.
Slingshot Rev? I understand it's a great kite, and probably just fine for a beginnner, if you can stand to pay the price. I opted for Slingshot's '07 Turbo 2 kites, which have been just perfect for my purposes (easy relaunch with wide wind range).
Best advice from my perspective was offered in an earlier post. Don't buy until you've taken your lessons. You'll learn a lot about the kites that you use in your lessons. As a beginner, I found it was helpful to buy the brand of kite that I used in my lessons, because you'll know precisely how to use the safety features, de-power system, etc. Most brands will have similar features, but the bars, lines, etc. may be set up a bit differently. Once you've had some experience, the differences are not complicated, but as a beginner, it's much easier and more comfortable if you've actually used and been trained on the system that you buy and begin to use on your own.
Have fun. I windsurfed for 20 years before switching to kites, and (like a lot of others on this forum) I've never looked back.......this is a truly great sport.
