C kites aren't all about wake style, they offer direct feel and predictable handling. As a unhooked newbie (which I still am
) I found C kites to be much more user friendly, the bow kites that I were using would just yank me straight off the water when unhooked and would basically keep pulling until well after I had landed. The C kites would give a nice pull when loaded and as soon as I was airbourne the pull reduces so you don't get spanked - slack with regard to unhooked isn't just for the pros doing mobes etc it also for us mere mortals. In addition C kites just behave alot better unhooked, after crashing the kite will just go to 12 and sit there and can be hooked in very easily wheras bow kites you have to fight them. The myth about C kites is that they are power machines - in certain circumstances they are but in general they are more stable, smoother through the sky, have more predictable power production and behave in a consistent and predictable manner when unhooked.
Disadvantages???? None
In all seriousness - disadvantages are not as great wind range so sometime you need more kites, relaunch not as easy as bows (but this will only take a few sessions to sort out so it isn't really a problem), a bit more harder on the arms and legs than some of the bow kites and you have to wear boardies over your wetties, ride boots and call everyone bro...is is it bra or blood????
I fly C kites but would have thought about going over to bow kites next as I'm getting old and can't maintain the fitness for getting the most out of my C kites, have dodgy elbows so would like something a bit more user friendly......maybe
As for C kites not depowering when you let go of the bar - where have you been for the last 5 years? I fly Torches suicide and they depower more than enough when the bar is dropped, certainly on par with some bow kites that I have ridden as do pretty much all the C kites on the market today - its actually better to ride suicide as if you drop the bar the kite will give you a softer landing, last thing you want is the kite to leash out when you are mid air