ICE, you may not have noticed, but electrics are not just "coming into its own", it's here. If someone wants to fly electrics, there's little to no reason to insist that they start with glow.

I second the suggestion of getting something like the GWS eStarter. Spending any less than that (on new equipment) buys throw away toys that have limited value. I suspect that while the OP lives in Daytona Beach, that their flying field is not actually on the beach. Usually once one gets inland a bit, the winds are lighter. There should be plenty of times when the winds are low enough to fly electrics.

Mig, NiMH are a good choice for batteries. Get them in a size that's appropriate for the plane. If your friend is a careful person, he could consider Lipoly batteries, but only if he's NOT the type who is going to put them on the charger and walk away for a few hours. They're getting safter, but are still a bit unforgiving.