I always liked this video:

Here are my tips for wave barrels with a kite.
Before starting your ride give your bar one spin, this way your lines will be twisted close to where they will be going through the lip. This will avoid your kite being pulled down when your lines go through the lip (the bottom line always gets more pull and ends up by crashing the kite behind the wave).

If you get eaten, even badly eaten, pull the kite into a loop (or several). The wipeout won't even be one then, as the kite will pull you straight out of harms way.
This worked great for me a the last KSP where I had one of my fatest wipeouts in the first day local elimination heat. I thought I was dead for about one second and the kite 'extracted' me from the maelstrom.

Last thing you want in the waves is a kite down.
Nico

I do this in the waves.

Try do avoid very bad situations first. In massive dumping waves I make sure i exit the wave before getting smashed.

Then if crashing occurs first response is park the kite at the edge and teather line tension with bar in and out.

Then if i sence the kite is going to crash i throw a loop if practicle. that usually pulls you out of the wave or at least stabilises you. some times i go straight to looping.

Then if the dissorientation is complete and i have no idea on what the kite is doing i'll let go of the bar and hope for the best.

Last resort is to completely disconnnect from the kite. Id do that if the kite is down and i see i'm going to be washing machined through the lines. I'll punch out and try and get away from the lines.