Had a great session at Oxnard today on my Venom II 13m...winds high teens to mid twenties.

..but on my way out I fall on my board right in front of this wave that was about 1-2 overhead in about waist deep water :o

...so I've got about 1 sec to figure out what I'm going to do because I know I'm about ready to go through the spin cycle.

Kite was at 2 o'clock. I decide to let go of the bar and get into the fetal position. I do about 3 or 4 somersaults and when I finally pop up the kite is directly overhead...Love that auto zenith.

Gotta say though, I was really concerned about being wrapped up in the lines and my kite shooting off to the side of the window with me dragging underwater.

I was also contemplating releasing to safety before I let go of the bar...I was only about 40 ft offshore and most of the waves were only waist to chest high.

It all happened so fast and if I did feel my kite shoot to the side while I was underwater, I don't think I would have been able to pull the safety at that point.

I thought about this on the ride home and wondered if I did the right thing and what would you more experienced riders of done? Anyone care to share?

Man, asking us to Monday morning quarterback this one!!
And I will probably take some heat for my answer, but here goes.
Every situation is different. Seems that at the time you got lucky.
Glad you came out of that ok. We make slipt second decisions based on
our experience level and the situation. I know there have been times that I look back on and think, "man, I should have done this, or that differently"

We can only take each experience and try to learn from it.
Would I have something different? I don't know. Did you do the right thing?
Ask yourself this. Did you learn something from it? If so, then I say yes, you did the right thing.

Take care, and watch out for those crazy boards!!

I definitely learned something from this but I gotta say, I'm kind of mad at myself for getting in that situation in the first place...I always pride myself on being really safe and not taking any chances but at the same time, this is an extreme sport and one in which will eventually put us in situations that aren't safe.

I think if I had to do it over again, I would probably pull the quick release...

Keep a grip on the bar and us the kite to pull you out of the spin cycle. Been there done that.

Make sure you can fly your kite when your upside down, backwards and have your eyes closed. That way when your in the spin cycle you still have some control over your kite. Remember this is more of a kite sport than surf sport.

I'm going to take some heat on this but safety releases are dangerous in the surf. If you get caught in the lines your done for. You need to be able to get away from the kite ASAP. Remember you should be well away from people and obstacles down wind. That way when you let go of your rig it won't hit or tangle anyone or anything. Plus-I'm going to take a good bit of heat here but put a dang leash on your board!! That way you don't have to swim or drag back to it. If your worried about getting hit in the head wear a helmet.

I found out in Virgina Beach it is a city law that you have to have a leash while surfing. If your caught without one you get a ticket! Not sure if that applies to kitesurfing or not.

Sounds like you got lucky. It's like driving a car keep both hands on the wheel!!

See ya-Scott

keep the hook knife in reach...couple head overs and that could get you all tangled up.

-lets ride

Quote:

I'm going to take a good bit of heat here but put a dang leash on your board!! That way you don't have to swim or drag back to it. If your worried about getting hit in the head wear a helmet.

Thanks for the comments Scott...gotta say though, this surprised me. I used to always wear a leash but now I don't after all the horror stories I've read. Also...I don't mind body dragging after my board or even going in to retrieve it (note - if the surfs real big, I don't go out). And I always wear a helmet and impact vest. I was also thinking that if my kite did shoot to the edge and if I was wearing a leash, I could possibly get held under water caught between the kite pulling me one way and the wave pushing the board in the other direction.

I don't ride in surf but was thinking about this. So consider the source !

Letting go of the bar without pulling the QR somehow seems wrong to me ? For all the reasons you describe . If you have given up control it somehow seems a safer choice ? Getting in the habit of pulling the pin 1st and then worrying about if it was needed is probably better. I would think that holding on and taking advantage of being popped out of the water might be the 1st choice ? With auto zenith flying out of trouble should be that much easier ???

This is why I tell beginers to practice sitting down and backwards while flying blind. You are going to end up that way sometime. Might as well practice ahead !

To wear a leash around here is to invite everyone to tell you about Jose and the others that have taken stitches even with helmets on. I took enough hits from my skis before we moved away from straps to be shy of leashes but still think they are worth the gamble in some situations. It sure speeds up learning not having to drag back to your board all the time !

Seems to me the advice here is to use the kite to drag you out of the wave (or above it)... Is that the case?

This is another one of those things that you dont really think about until it happens, I guess. Thanks for asking the question... and answering it.

Wear a leash and be aware of your board at all times. Has worked for me for many years. It has saved me on many occasion as well when I get slammed but can get back on my board in a second between waves.

Haveing a board leash probably saved me for drowning or nearly drowning during Hurricane Jeanne a few years ago. I was out having a blast. Caught a big wave and got tumbled when I tried to do a craving jibe foot swap move. The wave was near triple overhead. Lost my kite but was able to easily surf in on my board. Got pounded but the leash saved the day!

Sometimes when you get stuck between the board and the kite with the leash attached to your ankle it helps. Remember you have to keep tension on your lines to keep the kite flying. If you come flying out of a wave with no board you can easily lose line tension i.e. lost control over the kite. The board acts as a sea anchor slowing you down allowing you to control the kite.

Same goes with the mesh backpack that I wear. It acts like a sea anchor and stops me from drifting toward the kite as fast I would without it.

Yes, there are horror stories out there about wearing a leash but there is horror stories out there about kitesurfing without leash.

Scott

as soon as the kite is choked by you being under water and your hands off the bar (PL)it shoots to the edge and then to the apex no matter how much you flail.

BUT

if the kite is powered use it. i have done what you described countless times. always try to correct and follow the power surge or obscene redirect because the bar is right there ( unless unhooked) where your hands are you really only need a glimpse of the kite to correct, even blind the bar position is enough info for your reflexes to correct with out looking and that's what you did.

hitting the loop release enters my mind on land ..flubbed launch, kite tumbles into the hot power zone on the ground and it pops open....as it is tumbling this is the time to hit the loop release.

wrecking ball swing through a wave hell yeah!..twisting like maniac,, good for the sinus' and if your junk breaks from the wave snatch be glad you're in the surf and not 2 miles out

keeping the kite powered keeps the lines right where they should be tight and off your body, entanglement most likely occurs after a drop-slack- holyfv(k knot -then unwanted, untimely relaunch, that's when the knife comes out... hopefully before dismemberment by a line occurs

board leash (with a quick release)... pilot choice, like a helmet, can be a time saver at first .

cool ! keep flying