Here in Bermuda is a small reality but it make sense to the discussion.
You can have only one car per family but as many scooters as you want.
When I moved here the plan was to learn Windsurf but I had two major constraints:
1) Buy a decent car with a rack
2) Get the rigs delivered on the island
So I decided to learn Kite. With less than 2,000 USD I bought a brand new North kite, with bar, board and whatever else.
As soon as I got 3/4,000 spare, a car and the time to learn, I moved to Windsurf.
Honestly, I would never, ever move back kiting ... 
So, in order to answer your question: windsurfing is not declining but it is a lot more expensive than kiting and it requires more stuff (i.e. a car, more money) than kiting ...
My two cents 
PS I don't think windsurfing is declining. It has stabilised. It will never get bigger and it probably won't get smaller.
The relatively small percentage of people who do it are thos who love it, and those who are not put off by the effort, expense and time involved to do it.
It is fun (was for me because I kite now).
It is not *cool* and never really will be. (just as kiting is not cool and never will be).
It was cool for a very short time at the beginning until people found out that it takes a bit of effort to do. SUP also is not cool and never will be.
*Cool* sports have lots of clothes involved and very little skill or effort to do. You can pose on a skateboard. You can own a surfboard and not actually have to use it. You can pose on various bikes without actually doing anything.
I dont see that windsurfing being more popular is such a great thing..... overcrowded sailing spots, no parking......Everyone who sticks with the sport long enough to get past the endless catapulting and ragdolling stage knows the its the best... Go down to botany in summer with a seabreeze blowing.... plenty of people enjoying it.... windsurfing is alive and well....
I've been windsurfing for only 3 years and it's been one of the most challenging sports to get started in.
From ebay selling **** to shops reccomending me stuff I don't need and not wanting to deal with customers. (Those days have past after an email or 2)
At no stage was a PFD or helmet bought up and was my common sense that said I should wear one.
The early days were tough and if it wasn't a chance meeting of a few people, I would've given up and sold my gear.
Seabreeze has been a great help with advise and meeting other windsurfers
You would think poledancing numbers would be on the dramatic increase,
seeing as we have a larger population of pensioners as we are living longer,,and,,
we are a nation that is becomming more and more obess,,
C'mon,,,,if ya cant laugh at yourself,,,what can you laugh at??
I piss myself laughing at myself all the time
I would guess the number of red thumbs for this post will reflect the number of old obess poledancers..Its like the census.
^^^^ and if you f@ck the trick you dont just land softly in the water,,
on a skatie you break bones and leave skin on the concrete.
Way more respect for those guys that charge hard on the concrete waves.
Those crew are out skating every day,,not just on the occasions when the wind is blowing and bingo has been cancelled.
Its like the census.
bahhaaaa .. good to see you dont take it all serious and can laugh at yourself as wellObe one obese one
(not that we should really laugh at your obesety problem...sorry)Glad you can laugh at me,,,,my work here is done.
Still trying to work out why you guys are worried about if others think you are cool or not , and are hoping for some big break through that will make sailboarding cool and mainstream again like back in the old days?????
And need more people doing it to make you feel more,,,uhmm,,,sercure about doing it??,,,or,,,uhmmm,..,,.,,,not sure of the reason you need that???????
Please explain.
There has been so many posts about people worried about how to make sailing cool to get others into it???
Why is the sport dieing etc.
If you were a surfer,,you would be stoked to have less crowds in the water and would not be trying to get more people in to it??
Why the insercurity of doing something others think is not cool????
Just get out there and do it if ya like it.Who really cares if others think you are lame??
Young people don't get me started on young people.
Now what were we actually talking about, oh yes sailboarding. Still cool. How does it grow, blokes like Naish running about still being kids and actually being watermen.
Who cares if your sailing a big board or a small one. Have fun.
Teach someone to sail, organize learn to sail evenings in summer, embrace non planning sailing.
Now let's complain about young people again
Quite an interesting topic especially because I will do the best to introduce windsurfing to my children as the grow up.
Found this which relates to alot of the comments: www.windsurfingmag.com
I still think the cost is one of the biggest barriers.
MYTH: IT'S ONLY DONE IN PLACES LIKE HAWAII.
FACT: You'll find windsurfers in Alaska, Kansas, Utah, Minnesota — anywhere with wind and water.
MYTH: EVERYBODY KITEBOARDS.
FACT: There are far more windsurfers, though they're not as visible as kites, which require six times the space when under way.
MYTH: IT'S EXPENSIVE.
FACT: For $1,000 you can get a new setup. No gas needed, no costly lift tickets. The wind is free.
I think in Australia a new setup will cost you from $2000. You sometimes have to pay for parking!!!!!!
MYTH: YOU NEED CATLIKE BALANCE AND STRENGTH.
FACT: That was true a decade ago, but no longer. Boards are stable and sails are lightweight for all.
True but you have to pay for it!
Ok so coming from a 16 year old who windsurfs i would have to say that for young people it is a combination of the cost and the steep learning curve. first you have to buy the gear, then after you have found something decent you have to learn to sail the thing. people my age are putting their money into clothes and cheaper alternative sports like surfing, riding and skating. i say it is definitely the cost because otherwise all my friends would be buying gear and learning regardless of whether they have a car or not.
maybe manufacturers need to look at different production methods for beginners gear. Kayaking went ballistic with the intro of cheap roto-moulded plastic boats. I did see years ago ? Bombora? did a roto moulded hollow board ? a Kazoo or something like that. If the could produce a cheap "bomb" proof board that a beginner can pick up for half the price of am epoxy board I'm sure the sport would blossom....
I still believe that in a few years time when the wide style beginner board that we have today become the ebay specials in the future another boost to the sport.
People seem to get snobby about plastic boards. I think the problem for manufacturers with plastic boards is that the molds cost a lot and thus it is not viable to change the shape each year. I have had some great sails on plastic boards in overpowered conditions they really soften out the ride. Tiga used to make some very competitive plastic boards both slalom and wave.
