I am new at the sport and am very interested in kite surfing I am starting out with a 3m fixed bridle kite then getting a bigger one later on for land traction kiting then I am going to look at Water kites and was wondering if the ocean rodeo kites are good for newbies or if there are better ones out there, also if I can get some input on weather a foil kite or one with a pump is better.

Even though I have never tried a OR rise, I know for sure they are good kites. They have a solid reputation. It's a well made Canadian product.

Domdino (forum member) has had some of them, and sure he was happy with.

Most SLE/bow/hybrid kites are OK for beginners as long as you have the proper training.

Maybe avoid C-shape or high aspect ratio kites while you still learn, but still.

The RISE is recommended for all levels and is supposedly a good and stable kite for eating gusts, which can be of course recommended for a beginner.

Low end might be less than other brands like Cabrinha, but maybe it's been improved in 2009

One thing to check as a beginner is the ease of relaunch in water.

RISE Price is fair versus other brands.

A lot of other brands will be OK too for you, it's just a matter of like or not. Demo if you can before buying. If you can't then why not trying to buy used.

One thing I've learned when buying kite without trying is to make sure you like the BAR. The BAR is the connection between you and the kite which can have different features from brand to brand, so liking the bar helps to like a kite.

Bar features to check for:
- ease to use and reach depower strap
- safety system
- and more....


NOW what about foils ???

I started with foils on the water, the switched twice to inflatables and now I am back to foil (Flysurfers) for kitesurf.

There are pros and cons for each system, Just take the one that fits you.

Riding foils on the water can be messy a bit when you start, but once you become experienced, they are easier to relaunch and more convenient for self launching/landing/safety IMO. BUT that's a personal choice.

May be read the threads "To pump or not to pump" to help your choice.

There isn't an answer to the foil vs tube kite debate. Some people like foils, some like tubes. Your best bet might be to get in touch with the people who are flying in your area and see what they fly. Since they'll be the ones helping you on the beach it will help if they are familiar with you type of kite. Then once you've got experience you can try both and decide for yourself.

I'd say this is definitely a "foil friendly" forum here. Not a whole lot of pumpers here.

I've heard that the OR Rise is a great first kite as well but have zero experience with it or any other kite surfing kites.

I've only had experience with an Ocean Rodeo Rise as far as helping a guy rig, launch, and land it. Winds were low, so he didn't really get to fly it too much, but as far as quality of the canopy/bar/construction, it was excellent. I've only read good reviews about the Rise, especially the latest version. Also, most bow kites these days are very beginner-friendly. I think you'll be alright if you get one.

Do you have any shops that carry OR kites in your area? If so, see if you can get them to let you demo a kite.

As far as customer support, OR seems to be pretty good about it based on what I've seen their rep do on another kite forum. He's always been happy to answer questions and take care of warranty issues.

KiteNH's suggestion of seeing what others in your area fly is a good one. Having people who know how to help you launch/land is key when you're starting out.

As far as foils vs inflatos, the comparison usually causes a lot of debate but it always comes down to personal preference. They both have their advantages and disadvantages, so I'll just post my personal experience with inflatos:

I was taught on 4-line C-kites, and purchased a quiver of them shortly after my lesson. My biggest complaint was that they weren't easy to relaunch. I bought a quiver of Recon series Cabrinhas and they were MUCH easier to relaunch because of the Recon technology, but once I flew my friend's bow kite I knew it was time to make the switch to bows. It relaunched easy and had plenty of depower. I was able to get a quiver of 3 used bows (9, 11, 15) off of ebay for 1k and have had no problems with them yet. The quiver I have lets me cover a windrange of 12mph (on a big board) - 35mph (on a small board). I've been lucky to catch a ton of sessions since last summer and have been real happy with them.

As far as self launch/landing, I've had to self land in a pinch once, and pulled it off successfully. I've self launched on sand once under supervision from a buddy who's an instructor, but the rest of the time there have been other kiters around to help launch/land me. Inflatos have made up the vast majority of kites at the beaches/lakes I ride at.

I have one foil, which is my Peter Lynn 18m G2, but I have yet to try it on water. I had one *very* limited lightwind land session with it once, and dylanj423 actually got to fly it more than I did that day (winds happened to be 'gusting' to 5mph when he was hooked into it).

And again, as far as the foil vs inflato debate.. I'm not trying to start one, just posting what I've experienced.