how much wind do you need

Hello I just stumbled onto kite surfing by watching the video, as high as a kite on Maui. And all I can say is WOW!!! That really looks like fun. However I have a few questions about this new sport. How much wind do you need to really get around on one of these things? I'm from the northeast and have not seen any of them at the local lakes or beaches. Do you have to be in a certain part of the country to really enjoy all this new sport has to offer? Can the kites be used in a local river or lake without to much frustration? I have read up little on some web pages and it seems that flying the kite is the most important thing to learn first. I'm a avid snowboarder and have wake boarded a few times so I think I would pick up the riding easily. If anybody can just answer any of these questions or point me to a good FAQ sight on the subject that would be great mark..

You get planing in a Force 3 and by and large kites require less wind than windsurfers.

You can take part in this sport, like windsurfing, anywhere there's water - but beware. Learners need lots of room because those lines can be like cheesewire in the wrong hands. A good launching and landing platform is very useful because someone has to help you land the kite on dry land. Oh and don't even think about going out in an offshore wind.

Flying the kite is around 80% of the learning curve. Just because you've ridden boards before doesn't prepare you for handling a kite or learning about the wind.

You're best off buying a mag on the sport (which country are you from) and going from there.

Regards

Matthew Farrah www.totalfootball.com Bath, UK