Hey! When the kite gets hit by waves do you 1 Flag kite but keep Leach on?
2 completely eject kite?
3 flag kite and eject harness so your kite hopefully doesn't fly away?
I have ripped one to many kites this winter.
Also does this method change if your out deep on a reef? Cheers
Hey Jono,
Sounds like you have been learning the hard way.
I have always tried to be aware of the conditions.
1, 2, and 3 are all options.
Sometimes there is no substitute for experience.
Ejecting your kite will greatly reducing the chance of it rippping by the forces of a wave
However you gotta choose when its safe to do this
^^^ What they said
Like poker you have to know when to hold them and when to fold them 
Don't drop it in the wave zone is always safest, but boring
Relaunching before the next wave is ideal, but not always possible
Flagging on to one line is an option for small / timid surf, but then relaunching afterwards is tricky
I'm not a fan of ejecting from your harness, especially if it has your car keys in the back pocket 
Other than remember rule no 1
1: in the surf keep the kite flying
2 : if all else is failing refure to rule 1
but when ya cant eject eject if kite is going too be hit with a dumper if ejected no load will be on it and in most cases will be wet and turn inside out upside down and all over the place with lines going everywhere it will just flow with the swell and wont fly away .Only need a couple of beers to sort it out but no damage .Dont flag out cause it will still have pressure on it and will - can be damaged .
I had to let my kite go twice in one weekend a couple of weeks ago.
just wondering if there's no one to get your kite on the beach, what's the chance of it blowing away?
Yeh had same expereince this winter. Suppose in winter will washback to shore so if cant relaunch (which is kind of silly to say relaunch kite, becuase that's an obvious natural reaction), just make sure it wont end up on rocks or into someone else.
Hence I would release. and yet, the other day I didn't and the kite pulled me closer to shore and not on the rocks to the north. I was a fair way out in 4-5m swell, ocean was angry, kite was too big for conditions that came in. Kite was fine, yet every chance of ruining the structure if still connected through safety. Was scary getting dragged underwater for 30-40m, but it did save me from the rocks.
The only thing is I had to swim back out to get my board - that was fun! Not!
What I've learnt, assess situation quick, and have already gone through each contingancy before you head out. I was lucky this time, before I was not and ripped my kite. Having not droppeda kite in the water for 8 years I felt like a new kook, it was like, shi# what do i do again!
If i'm in bigassed surf i try my best not to drop but if the kite goes down and theres no chance to relaunch before the kite gets slammed by the next wave i rip the board off and push the bar out and body surf towards the kite till the wave passses and usually can get the kite back up then before the next wave ,if you dont drop the power and go with the kite youll prob tear it in half with the force of the wave ,if you cant get it up then eject to the safty and this usually stops the kite getting trashed,if it all turns to custard then punch out on the safty as well and usually the kite will wash in and flip and park itself,if its rocky your screwed but at least its only the kite that gets smashed.
*IMO
Be careful if trying to bodysurf towards the kite if it is down in the surf, i wouldn't do it because of the danger of getting wrapped in lines.
If there is no chance of getting it back up, it's onshore and no-one (or maybe just kiter mates) on the beach just eject the lot, it will just wash around in the shore break full of water and sand but still intact.
If I am caught with the kite down in in a heavy spot, I will unhook from chicken loop and safety and just hold the CL in my hand whilst trying to relaunch, if it comes up great, hook back in, if not you are ready to let go as soon as it gets slammed by a set.
I had a scary experience by myself on King Island - in winter, down a 4wd track with no-one in cooee. Very tired after a long session, starting to make mistakes, and I knew it was time to go in. I lost concentration, under-ran the kite a little, lost tension in the lines and dropped it. I immediately set of my quick release, but ended up briefly snarled in the lines. It popped off after a short drag, but it was sphincter clenching stuff.
I am normally pretty conservative about safety, but a combination of a terrible season for kiting, paying a large sum of money to get my kit across, and the best conditions I'd come across for ages led me to stay out too long.
The kite was fine though
Your only bodysurfing toward the kite while its gettin hauled by the wave to keep as much pressure off the kite as poss,not to get slackline.
second that, infact I was washed towards my kite in the end by a big ass wave and was tangled in my lines, being experienced I quickly worked out which way this happened, and as I rotated my body let the whole kite go (was having trouble as I couldn't find the safety leash release), and only just in time!!
Yeh be careful with this one. Didn't stuff my kite, god knows how not - just damn lucky
Like everyone else has said keep the kite in the air or at least get it in the air before the next wave. So far in heavy surf (reef) I haven't found any other options and no matter what you do the kite ends up on the reef. At least when you ditch the lot you can paddle back out then retrieve your intact kite off the reef (minus lines of coarse). Then again other spots you can save the lot by letting it go
Here's what i do it the monster surf.
Go to every length not to crash it. ! So loop that bastard out of the way. i sensed my 8m was gona hit the deck in a 40 knot squall and 5m swell so i looped its sorry arse. i shot off backward bouncing down wind on my back.... hehehe. silly but the kite stayed in the air.
if i am crashing and the kite does hit the deck I pull on the bar and start the relaunch process whiles i'm still crashing. my kite is usually relaunched by the time i pop up out of the water.
Also use a fast relaunching kite in monster swell.
There are a few different things that can be done... Found them all mostly unsuccessful when you're screwed. You will know when you're in this situation.
If you drop your kite it's more than likely going to end in tears. Try your best not to drop it.
Longer it's in the water the less likely it will see "12 oclock".
What I will do if the kite survives the first wave is release the kite to 5th line. It's good if you have one. This flags the kite evenly and gives you a great chance to launch quickly if you have any kind of competent relaunch skills.
The worst case is wash across the reef, roll your sh-t and swim home. Can't say I have done this in a few years. Touch wood.
First season,
If i ever have problems with re launching with the 5th line, it is usually due to one of the three scenarios.
1) gets hit by a wave and turn inside out, decides to fly with the leading edge on the outside of the kite. (followed by cursing)
2) Kite in the water, movement of the ocean lets the steering lines go slack with no ability to move the kite for relaunch. (followed by cursing)
3) pull 5th line, kite falls on its back and decides to float 1-2m above the water, then rolls inside itself. (followed by cursing)
More of an issue with the 8m as opposed to the 11. Most of the time ill find myself swimming to shore. Have had to reject the harness twice this winter, once due to self preservation the other due to trying to save the kite.
Underoath,
Practice makes perfect, for example you need to learn to drive before you get a license, similar, you need to learn to relaunch your kite efficiently before considering waves.
1, In kiteboarding you need to decide to do something, commit to the manoeuvre and there is a good chance you will pull it off. Same with releasing your kite to safety. Flagging a kite involves releasing the bar.
2 Longer the kite is in the water the more messy it becomes, regardless of design.
Your kite is number 1 priority in all situations, take control of it asap, don't let it dominate you.
3 Your stopper ball length is incorrect. The kite is out of tune. Mind you a lifting tendency can keep your kite up and away from damaging white water. If your kite is in correct tune, reach above the depower strap and pull half meter of 5th line. The kite will fly like a box kite above surging currents.
Your 5th line isn't a miracle cure to a basic screw up, but a highly effective powerful tool if you take the patience to understand it and master it.
Cheers for the advice guys! Much appreciated.
Yes I realize not to drop the kite but have been pushing my limits this winter and am a better surfer then kite surfer.
Also this winter has been awesome so out 3 or 4 days a week. (I work nights) and the swell has been all over the place so when the kite is hit by a wave I'm usually trying to get under the one behind making it a little hard to relaunch. I have seen people eject harness which seems to keep lines in less of a tangle and provide a bit of force to keep the kite from flying away. (I'm yet to eject this winter and have tried to body surf or just move with the swell o reduce tension. But this has ripped the kites a few times but no massive tangles in lines.
And when surfing solid close out Perth surf and trying floaters punts or just late reos is one not expected to drop the kite when tumbling underwater???
Cheers pornstar, I don't have a problem with flat water relaunch, naturally oceans swells are a different story. Thanks for the advice.
I've dropped my kite countless times in the waves, i think it depends on what type of wave it is, if its shore dump your pretty much screwed, i found out the hard way this winter too 
Howver, some reef breaks are very forgiving, give Corro's as an example, 3/4 mast and pumping at new years and i dropped it on the bombie a few times with no problems, see 2:20 in the link below. shore dumps are heavy 1t per 1m2 thats hella lot of water regardless if you eject or not
Dropped a kite many times in the surf,never ripped one yet,its all about keeping calm and picking the right time to get the kite back in the air,normally i'll let the first wave hit the kite if i dont get it up straight away, while i set myself to go for it as soon as the first wave has gone through, 9 times out of 10 its all good but the odd time a line can snag over the kite and if it does your best getting in with as little resistance as poss,otherwise it can be costly.
Like Plummet says if you think fast while your being rolled you can crank the kite into a quick loop to keep the pressure on the lines to keep the kite flying rather than being pushed under the kite and it falling out.
Firstly, dump your kite right in front of the wave you are riding.
Then, get sucked over the falls and tangled in your lines.
Shortly the wave should smash into your brand new kite twisting it into a unlaunchable pretzel dragging you under before you have time to take a breath.
Repeat this as many times as there are waves in the set as you frantically try in vain to relaunch said petzel.
Finaly get washed up on shore (over the reef) and swear loudly like it wasn't your fault as you spend 1/2 an hour untangling your lines while your mates are having a ball.
Just as you have the pretzel tangle sorted out realise that your board is still out there somewhere.
Worked a treat for me today 
