Sticker shock, biggest barrier of entry for foiling. You either have to purchase in pieces (foil, board, wing, etc..) and be patient or go all in. For me, I went all in, sold all my surfboards. I saw the potential, was kinda over surfing in crowds all the time, and was ready for something new. I'd surfed from my mid teens to late 40's and rode just about every wave vehicle known to man. You have to rationalize the purchase, 2 good longboards could easily add up to $3000. Take stock in your quiver, see how much you could get for selling a few boards, and use that towards your purchase.
Also, living on Maui with its different wave types all within an hours drive made it attractive as well. Foiling options meant the sub par surfing waves were epic for foiling. Since foil was new, it wasn't going to be crowded anytime soon. That was over 2 years ago. Fast forward to today, those first spots we learned to foil are now crowded foil spots. Not too big a deal, as there are still plenty spots that haven't filled...for now.
So location and wave types will help your decision. I couldn't imagine trying to learn and foil beach breaks. You really need a reef that caps and then rolls or a point break. And if you're in CA, I imagine kelp being an issue. But if you have access to bays or a lake maybe behind a boat or if there's wind you can apply the wing into the mix. If you live near somewhere kite boarding or windsurfing is an option, then wing foiling is a definite possibility.
