I was informed that more people made the transition from windsurfing to kite surfing, than the actual number of people who took up the sport (2012).
It was something along the lines of 12% of windsurfers swapped to kite surfing.
Wow. 12% is hardly a flood. If you look at the wavesailors who left windsurfing to go kite say 5 - 10yrs ago, I reckon at least 12% of them have come back (or dearly wish to) when they found the limitations of kiting. I know a few who have come back to windsurfing, but can't think of a single one who left in the last few yrs
I read more and more people elect to get an auto car license every year cos it is easier. They later regret it when they have to drive for work and may not have option of an auto. 
I also read recently that Universities lament the fact that many students in Y12 are now choosing the easier subjects and don't have the requisite skills to survive at Uni, particularly in the areas of English and being able to research a subject and present an argument.
I'm sure the Australian Bureau of Statistics runs a reliable data series on the Transition to Other Surf-related Sports (TOSSer series) that provides extremely accurate quantitative analysis of this migration. Maybe that's where your source got their information? Congratulations if so as it would imply that you have been TOSSing off while deriving your data......
I didnt transfer i just started kitesurfing and i absolutley love it,
BUT im 120Kgs and im young and reasonably fit, so being of DOUBLE SIZE to most european wave sailer stature, its not just a matter of a bigger sail and bigger board, its more to do with stiffer sails and more efficient boards, it got to a point where it simply wasnt enjoyable in winds under 23 knots, well i could get slalom gear but find it too boring and extremely expensive, so i like freesyle and wave sailing...
so i took up kiting in winds up to 22 knots and its perfect for wakestyle, above 22 knots its definetly windsurfing, problem being is that most seabreezes here are 22-24 knots so its always a coin toss
still a windsurfer through and through
Jase, seeing as though you are a very accomplished widsurfer - how long to learn to get planing on a say a 100L shortboard, get 100% of your gybes and come back again, back and forth, without falling off, for say 10mins?
Then how long to learn to do that kiting?
Who informed you about this?
Was it the ABS as suggested above? When was the last time I was asked by someone taking the numbers whether I windsurf, kitesurf or sit on my arse watching TV when its windy? Never!
Stupid troll.
Honestly... WHO CARES???
Are you on the water having fun and enjoying a healthy pursuit in the outdoors? That is all that matters.
My sport is better than yours arguments remind me of pissing in the wind.
Did both for a while
kitesurfing is a lot of fun. for sure. And definitely easier to learn.
I got a little bit over the fundamental dragginess of kites - and while the car boot space was far less - the beach footprint - especially on a busy day (along with the endless launching and catching of kites from crew who just couldnt do it themselves) got a bit old.
I reckon in small onshore waves in 18 knots and less kites and surfboards are an awesome way to get reos where you might be struggling with windsurfing gear.
Last time i kited was in Vietnam 3 years ago - busting some F16s on a 14 - then i came in and got on a 7.5 fast windsurfing freeride set up and had way more fun.
Eventually i quit kiting
- i worked in kite retail for a while and could see the writing on the wall with some of the yeahaars/ shennagins / self obsessed stupidity that a certain percentage of kiters seemed to have hard wired into their brains.
I also met some great people in my time in the sport too. But boy o boy did i meet some cowboys too!
I am a full time windsurfer again now and loving it. There arent as many windsurfers around as there were in the 90s - but is that such a bad thing - epic wave conditions with 3 or 4 guys out kinda suits me - especially compared to the perth surfing circus
I wouldnt rule out kiting in future - but then again it looks like kite crowds also have gone ballistic ...
. My challenge to you is prove us wrong. Debunk the sport by demonstration instead of just talking about doing it. "Don't knock it until you've tried it". Regarding your opening statement, facts and figures please.
What about the stats of the number of kiters who were bashed up by the police after the Sydney Mardi Gras?
Talking of ice skating and kiting. Has any one tried it on the large frozen lakes in the northern hemisphere. I've seen footage of snowboarding and kiting but not ice skates.
Yawn
The facts are , at our local the windsurfers out numbered the kiters many moons ago.
Now all but one of the windsurfers now kite full time and often metion it is alot less restrictive and enjoyable than dancing. Even the local windsurfing instructor has shut shop and is now kiting.
The one poler left, he is a legend btw, said the other day that if he wasnt as old as he is and set in his ways, that he would give it a go.
I hope he dosent, some one has to fly the flag and it would be a shame to see windsurfing completely gone.
True story from our local.
PLEASE do us all a favour and take all this talk of kiting back to the KITING FORUM.
Before buying a sailboard 15 months ago I very briefly had a look at kiting. Whilst it looked like fun, the deal breaker was the way they appear to be dragged around. It just seemed odd and wrong. I wanted to actually "sail", fly along in control, sail as many points of the compass as possible, and ultimately tear chunks out of waves on as close a thing to a surfboard as possible. Windsurfing is hard and technical- that is a huge draw card for me. I still suck at it, but thriving on the challenge.
Got nothing against kiting or kiters (know a few and they're top blokes), I just can't connect with the whole dragging thing. Oh, and clowns like Underoach are sinking the last strands of respect to the good guys kiting out there. Shut him down, it's pretty sad and embarrassing really...
