I dont think kiting is more expensive than other equipment heavy sports,
even serious fisherman spend a couple of hundred on a rod and a few hundred on a reel,
look at horse riding and scuba diving even motorsports.
in fact i think its good value as a sport.
Think my gear as it stand cost 2700e and I get a shit load of joy out of it 130 hours kiting last year alone.
thats 13m 11m 9m ozone instinct sport+,3 sets of bars/lines,Nobile pro TwinTip, RRD directional board ,Trampa land board,mystic warrior harness and 5/3 gul wetsuit.All seconhand except the harness and wetsuit.And all the good mates I've made over the last 5 years.
Sounds like a deal to me.And i can myself getting another 2 years out of the kites,