What is your experience, When do you release your safety in the surf?
Do you wear a secondary safety Leash in the surf?
What would you do if a small/ medium size wave hits your kite? release all lines, release primary, or just hold on?
I haven't had a proper wipeout yet, i've been pretty lucky and have been able to relaunch my kite before a wave hits it.
From my expirence don't hold the bar when a wave looks like its gonna hit your kite or you'll have 2 kites that's completely useless lol
In my experience release everything chicken loop and leash .99% of time the kite just washes up onshore ,then you spend 15 min resetting lines and your back out there instead of going home with a ripped kite .
if its dierectly down wind with lines tight in a wave zone, then immediately to single flag and hand on the bye-bye release
if i have some side on it and possible relaunch scene then will steer with top leader line (letting bar all the way out) and have other hand one CL release.
this is if its my kite, if its a loaner I may just hold on
Seabreezeb said.. Select to expand quoteWhat is your experience, When do you release your safety in the surf?
Releasing to safety leads to tangled lines, plus kite still at risk of ripping.
Select to expand quoteSeabreezeb said..
Do you wear a secondary safety Leash in the surf?
Not sure. I am usually on suicide (no quick release) with kite leash attached.
Select to expand quoteSeabreezeb said..
What would you do if a small/ medium size wave hits your kite? release all lines, release primary, or just hold on?
Complete release.
White water, flag out
Wave breaking on kite let it go.
All depends on size of waves
Complete release has saved me and my kite a couple of times, but you have to evaluate where your at ,as your letting go of possibly your only means of floatation, hot launching has also got me and my gear out of the **** a few times
do you guys risk wearing a board leash?
I wear a helmet (have been hit in head before),
Impact vest for flotation (have asthma/ small lung capacity),
and no board leash usually.
throw in my sea specs and some zinc and you you can imagine i look pretty awesome out there.
Lucky its about fun and safety cos if it were a fashion show id be in trouble.
Question one.
Can you relauch in time for the next wave?
yes? Do it!.
If no try like hell anyway?!. If still no.
Small white wash. keep on trying to relauch.
medium whitewash. punch to flag out swim in.
heavy white wash. punch out completely.
small for me is shoulder high waves or less
medium is shoulder to 1.5 head
heavy is 1.5 +
However there are some instances when you want the flagged out kite to drag you into shore with the white wash. If that's the case its better to sacrifice your kite in favour of assistance by getting dragged in.
One time (at band camp) I punched out completely to find myself in a double head and a rip. took me 40 mins to swim sideways then into the beach.
Also if you are still attached to your kite and a wave hits your kite it
Can drag you under the water for a while !
probably a good time to say don't attach your safety to the back of your harness. Side or front is the go.
Select to expand quotePlummet said..
Question one.
Can you relauch in time for the next wave?
yes? Do it!.
If no try like hell anyway?!. If still no.
Small white wash. keep on trying to relauch.
medium whitewash. punch to flag out swim in.
heavy white wash. punch out completely.
small for me is shoulder high waves or less
medium is shoulder to 1.5 head
heavy is 1.5 +
However there are some instances when you want the flagged out kite to drag you into shore with the white wash. If that's the case its better to sacrifice your kite in favour of assistance by getting dragged in.
One time (at band camp) I punched out completely to find myself in a double head and a rip. took me 40 mins to swim sideways then into the beach.
Cool thanks for the tips.
I thought u may be more likely to rip the kite if u flag out?
If you can't launch before wave hits let it go
Chances are if wind has onshore angle it will make its way to
beach for untangle lines rest and relaunch.
Or end up with 2 halves!
Select to expand quotePlummet said...
probably a good time to say don't attach your safety to the back of your harness. Side or front is the go.
Extra long leash for the full sack wack effect too 
So many variables, you can't generalise. You just have to prioritise. Your safety 1st..... Then your gear.....depends on wind direction, shoreline, size of surf, type of break, how kite is sitting in water etc. I've released a kite to save it from a wave, only to have my board wash into it and shred it. Kites, boards and rocks are like magnets. Relaunch is always your secound best option..... Never dropping your kite in the first place is your best. Coming a distant third is releasing your kite. I have a friend that releases instantly every time they drop their kite, but they have torn a kite, so I guess it depends on your history as well. I'll fight for a relaunch, or let myself get washed with kite to put as little pressure as possible on it. ie like you aren't attached. Totally release only when i have to, shoreys or large waves.
I don't bother with a leggy on beachies! only on reef waves or rocky shorelines. 
Select to expand quoteSeabreezeb said..
Cool thanks for the tips.
I thought u may be more likely to rip the kite if u flag out?
Your most likely to tear it in half if you haven't pulled the safety. The canopy then takes the full impact of the waves. Flagged out the kite can ride up and over some waves.
But the least damage usually comes from letting it go completely.
I agree with pearl. Don't drop it in the first place. Do everything you can to keep the kite in the air. There's been many times with I have been under the water in the washing machine and I've pulled a kiteloop or 2 to keep line tension and ensure the kite doesn't go down. Sometimes it has had the effect of pulling you out of the washing machine too.
Select to expand quotemoon waxing said..
^^^ You'll be lucky to get the wind right at "Super Sucks" 
looks like scar reef to me
It actually depends on the kite as well as the conditions.
Had a couple of old eclipse kia's that are truly immortal. Early on I was pretty cautious, and let them go when it looked bad. Spent the last two years trying to kill them so I could justify buying new ones. Stayed fully attached in all sorts of stuff, and they just rode up and over everything that was thrown at them.
Ended up buying new kites cause the seams started to fray, but they are still intact
variable
cross off, gnaraloo, big = prepare to lose gear or else take on the bombie (not recommended, ask keysie)
i'm happy to ditch if i have too, life or limb not worth a kite
i use leash in some circumstances when not having it, or getting board back critical, big surf + windy and a long way off shore eg greeenhead sometimes
but extra careful and aware of it loading up
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