I live and kiteboard in Maui. Former wakeboarder, made the switch and haven't looked back. I'm sure you have questions about the sport, how to get into it? gear? safety? crossover difficulty? conditions? <BR> <BR>Ask me anything!

Ok, I got one. What speed of wind are you talking about for good kiteboarding? <BR> <BR>What about lakes? Is it restricted to the ocean?

lol......how much are the kites"?

Well there are different kite sizes for different wind speeds and it also depends on the weight of the the rider. Typically you want three kites in your quiver but this can be quite costly.
I weigh 165 pounds. Just to make sure i liked the sport and it wasn't just a fad, I bought one kite. With my weight and average wind speed I purchased a 9 meter North Rebel. This kite is a all around user friendly kite and it comes with a fith line for even safer de powering of the kite. I could fly this kite comfortably from 23 to 32 mph. 35 mph i was a lil overpowered. The best way to figure out your kite size and board size as well is hook up with one of yur local kite schools and if they are legit they will have all the gear you need and you will only have to pay for the lessons to see if you like it. The best advice I can give is buy a trainer kite and a skate board. On a nice windy day go find a nice open area with no trees or street lights to get snagged on. Learn how to fly that trainer with your eys closed. I pent hours and hours just playing with my trainer and then one day I hopped n my skateboard with it and I was able to cruise around on it.
Kite prices vary but they can run anywhere from 900 to 1600 dollars. But the way kites are built nowadays they hold up to torture. A trainer kite is gonna cost you 75 to 150 dollars.

Hope this helped.

What size kite for 220 lb guy? Never kite boarded before. Just want to cruise around.