Unless you find someone unbiased who has ridden both kites (unlikely) you're likely only going to get a biased response from a fan of one brand or the other. So, consider this a disclaimer that I fly mostly Slingshot kites...
I can't imagine a better beginner kite for you than the T3. The thing will eat up the gusts and relaunch on a dime. That is going to be key since it sounds like you'll be in a lake and thus likely in deeper water. In that case, you want a kite that shoots back up in the air very easily. When you are learning it is a challenge to relaunch in deep water. The T3 does not like to be in the water...the damn thing will relaunch itself with very little bar input if there is any wind. The T3 also flies better in light air better than any other LEI kite I've flown (a tribute to the true bow designs). If the kite ever starts to drop in a lull, just sheet the bar out (push it away from you) and the kite will float back up in the air.
Finally, the CSS system makes it safe for you to pull your chicken loop or spreader bar release and depower 100%. The kite will float down softly on the water waiting for you to retrieve the bar and allow the lines to slowly feed back through it. Waiting for relaunch. The T2s did not have this feature which is why I'd recommend a T3 instead.
Some of these behaviors may be true of other kites as well, but I just found the T2/T3s to be very beginner friendly and they can be found on sale for a great price now. I've moved on to SLEs for performance and bar pressure reasons, but I'd recommend that T3 platform to anyone starting out. Buy it from a shop or direct from the SS website to make sure you get the full warranty and customer service.