I just read a story, that two 12 year old local kids went for a downwinder at 5:30 pm in Cabarete.

The wind died, and then started to blow offshore.

One kid came to shore in Puerto Plata, and the other was found by coincidence by a fisher the next day laying on his kite somewhere on the ocean...

Please learn from this and know about weather and local winds...something similar happened to a girl few years ago in Germany in very cold water...she died.

Be careful...

The same happened to a French rider in Koh Phan Ngan a few years ago, except he didn't survive.
He went and never came back. Was never found either. Forgot the details.

Four years ago On Vungtau beach, Vietnam I got blowed offshore about 5km at 5.30pm. Then the wind die and the rain started on and off for 5 hours , almost midnite when I finally reach to shore. Feeling like I was born again. The kite still with me I use it as a float to save me. I was lucky enough because water temperature not too cold.

These are pretty scary stories.
I can't imagine the feeling of lying on your kite waiting to be rescued.
If you swim to shore at least you still believe that you can do something about it.
But just waiting there floating on your kite, not knowing how this is going to end is a very scary thought.
Good thing that he was found.

Lucky they had inflatables. It could've been disastrous if they had ram airs (eg Flysurfer).

@PMU
I was expecting you to reply exactly that... you did not disappoint me

@skinergy

trying to swim against current in cold water can be very energy consuming and therefore may put you in more danger.
depending on the situation, it is sometimes more productive doing nothing.

I wish my boss could understand that

Ninja6879: glad to hear you made it!

loeuftok: good on with the boss!

And these situations are a good reason why kites should have bright colors...so they can be spotted faster.
I also heard about a story of a woman in El Yaque...she paid for rescue and no one cared...blueish kite, she dropped it, and then drifted away...shortly before sunset they remembered her and searched...and found her just when the light was about to disappear...

Predictable yes , but still true!!

Glad he was OK

am i the only one that thinks this kid is fucking awesome, i mean the dude was sleeping, how many of us grown adults would be sleeping in situation like that,in the middle of the ocean,on a kite, in pitch black shark infested waters, DAMN!! this story just made my xmas, WOW!!!