thanks Jim, now that I've been out there to see what its like, I'm really glad I did the seadoo assisted lesson.
As far as gear goes I got a North Rebel, now I just need the rest of the gear to go along with it (hoping to find an big inexpensive used board etc.. for now to keep the cost down)
Good choice. The rebel is an awesome kite. Check out ikitesurf.com. There is a lot of good used boards on there. Norths xride is a great board for beginners and beyond. The Jamie pro is a litte more advanced but still forgiving. Flydoors are a great choice too.