Hi Lance,
Hate to be pedantic, however, a hooked in F16 is a backroll kiteloop, it's only an F16 if you are unhooked!
You have either option of chicken loop or 5th line for your leash. if you connect onto the chicken loop, make sure your chicken loop will remain attached to the leash if it is inadvertantly quick released. Secondly this kind of leash setup is a suicide leash so you need to make sure you have a way of jettisoning the kite if you have a problem, preferably from the harness end so you can reach it if the kite is powered in death spins.
The alternative is to attach to the 5th line, this is generally preferable and just stops the kite in the event of a missed pass or dropped bar. Most riders try tricks close to the beach which can result in the kite being blown onto the beach and into the general public in cross onshore winds. The 5th is better and safer!
As for depower, try riding with the bar fully sheeted in, if you have to ease it out to control speed or gusts then trim it in until you can comfortably ride fully sheeted in, then add another couple of inches to the depower and you should be right to unhook.
Keep your kite low when you unhook to get a good edge and a lower centre of gravity until you are ready for your trick. If once you have unhooked you get overpowered and start speeding off out of control, just grab your chicken loop and dump power and think about adding more depower before you unhook next time.
The surf is a different category altogether. Ride a smaller kite and a surfboard and then similar rules apply but riding downwind often stalls kites so depower to prevent stalling is essential. Experiment, but do it downwind of others so if you end up speeding downwind out of control you aren't going to take anyone out.
Good luck and enjoy!
Good winds,
