What to do when shit goes South on the wave

[prayfawind27]

Never rode a barrel myself, What to do when hooked in and entering a barrel? what to do when wiping out in a barrel or wiping out hooked on a wave period. Never had any experience wiping out a barrel, but had some on big surf.

[ronnie]

Seems to be - get the kite up and to the back of the wave.

[juandesooka]

That video's very interesting. I'm a long-time surfer and kite newbie, my main interest is to get into the waves.

This video shows a more realistic perspective you don't get to see in most videos. Pounding unpredictable beach break, going for it hard, and a wipeout on every wave.

It would be helpful to me to see a wider shot, so you can see the kite's behavior.

Interesting too that they are surfing strapless but with a regular surf ankle leash ... a couple of times it snaps back fast. That could be bad.

I'd like to know what happened with that white kite at 0:40....someone had to punch out I'm guessing and that's the retrieval? Seems that could go bad too, trying to grab a free-floating kite with 20m of lines behind it.

[Peter_Frank]

Steep close to shore or even shorebreak waves - the same thing to do: Keep the lines loaded and the kite up

It is typically quite sideshore (if not, it is way more dangerous in fact, so be careful with that) - so dont fly the kite too far forward against the shore, as then the tumbling wave (with you) might lead to slack lines that could be REALLY dangerous if you get wrapped.

Just fly the kite with some speed so it will pull, thats the best thing you can do IMO

We often tumble like this at our best (and for some the gnarliest) wavespot here in DK - always exiting how you end up when the wave wraps to a circle

Peter

[ronnie]

Peter, how does orientation work when your head is underwater?

Logically it seems to me you would try to get yourself oriented and get as much movement of the kite to the right place before you go underwater.

I have kept a kite flying when tumbled in shorebreak, but you can feel the sand so you know which way is up.

Is there anything which gives you a clue as to how to try to control the kite or at least not help crash it when being tumbled in a wave?

I'm guessing in the video they have the kiteleash in suicide mode at a setting which will keep the kite flying but depowered if it is high enough?
Do they go to the leash if there is a risk of being tumbled into the lines or could it just be that the kite is more likely to stay up if the bar is on the leash?

[Peter_Frank]

You can not control the kite when tumbling heavily - the thing is, if you (like you see on the video examples above) get the lines "tight" and the kite positioned just while you tumble - you just leave the kite with hand or hands at the centre while you get tumbled, or let the bar go fully and protect your head.

Thats the best you can do IMO

Leashes tend to be a bit spooky sometimes though - not because of the board rocket effect (only) - but because we see the leash/board getting tangled around your bar or lines sometimes

I am no tube expert - has just had a lot of tumble experience at some of our "steep" spots.

Peter

[ronnie]

Thanks Peter.

So I guess if the kite isnt pulling you up and out and you're being tumbled the going to the leash gets the bar maybe out of the water so its more likely to leave the kite neutral and gives you an opportunity to unwrap yourself better than staying hooked in?

[Peter_Frank]

No, still hooked in - just letting the bar go and protect your head from the board or if a rocky bottom, or hold the bar at the center when you get tumbled.
So very important that the kite WILL pull you a bit IMO - never slack lines if one can avoid it...

Peter

[LiquidTempus]

as Peter said, keep the lines tight. This may mean steering the kite back the other way/up to 12.

You'd be surprised at how much visualizing what you want the kite to do while you are under water will help the kite stay in the air.

[Peter_Frank]

as Peter said, keep the lines tight. This may mean steering the kite back the other way/up to 12.

You'd be surprised at how much visualizing what you want the kite to do while you are under water will help the kite stay in the air.

Exactly - most often one can keep it right - eventhough it is just based on subconscious feel when tumbled upside down - but surprisingly how rare one ditches the kite, eventhough it also happens of course - still not nearly as often as expected