I reply to 12AX7's post - so as not to derail that thread...
It's really not that hard to get into kiteboarding.
You need to live within an hour - or so - of a large body of water (unless you don't mind driving.)
You need to take a couple of lessons.
You need some gear.
You don't have to have any exceptional strength. As you can see in the pictures, I can ride one-handed. The power of the kite goes to the harness you wear around your waist.
Lessons:
Before you take lessons, I suggest that you buy a small foil (traction) kite like
this one which you can easily sell after you're done with your lessons. Or, you can pass it on to a friend that you'd like to get into kite boarding. Spend as many hours as you can flying this trainer. Fly it - on a control bar, not handles - until you can LITERALLY fly it with your eyes closed.
When it comes to the lessons, most places can get you up and going in a few hours. The learning curve for kiteboarding is not as steep as it is for windsurfing.
If you're seriously interested, tell me where you live and I'll find a place nearby that gives lessons for you.
Gear:
If you watch ebay, you can pick up quality used gear for a fraction of retail cost.
Kites: You'll need 2 or 3 of them. Depending on your weight you'll need a 17 meter (or more) kite for light wind days, a 13 meter kite which will be your bread/butter kite and a 9 meter kite which will become your favourite kite despite the fact that you don't get to use it as often as you'd like.
Total cost for the 3 kites could range from $1,000 (used) to $3,000 (new)
Board: Most people can get by with one board. A good board can be found on closeout for $400. They don't lose their value much, so you're not going to find them on ebay for much cheaper than a new board.
Bar/Lines: If you buy new, your kites may come with a bar and lines. They may not. If you need to buy them separately, you can get a top of the line bar and lines for $400
Harness: Typical harness will run you about $100. Again, watching ebay can get you into one cheaper.
I started with 1 kite, a board, bar/lines and harness for $250 (kite), $399 (board), $100 (bar/lines), $169 (harness).
After one lesson ($150) - I was able to get up and ride down-wind.
Two years later, I'm jumping and doing tricks. I've also spent an additional $2k on equipment since then.
This isn't a single-season sport, either. With my wetsuit, I can ride almost year round. When the water is frozen, we still ride. However, instead of a water board, we strap on a snow-board and ride the snow/ice. Snow kiting is the fastest growing winter sport in the world. You don't need a hill/mountain. You just need a big field, some wind and the same gear you use in the summer (with the exception of the board, of course).
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