Last tuesday at Brighton, 15kn wind, small waves.

Out on my mates 13m, second time i have ridden it, very different to my normal kite, having a decent session, washing off the cobwebs after a slow winter.

After about an hour, get out past the waves, not enough power, i dive the kite too hard and it goes down, then loops inside itself. Try to relaunch but I cant get it up, so i pull the safety and start a self rescue, winding up the lines.

When I am about 5m from the kite, I notice that I have drifted in, and im getting into the wave zone, and see a 2 footer coming. Split second decision, i decide to try and grab my kite. Ends up the wave hit the kite first (missed it by about 10cm), and one of the lines wrapped around my pinkie and I get dragged by the kite.

Long story short, emergency department, minor nerve damage, no stitches after being checked out by plastic surgeon.

In retrospect, i should have just ditched the kite as soon as i saw the wave coming. If I had have known that I would end up in the waves, I would have kept trying to relaunch, and wait to get washed in.

Also i was worried about what the kite might do when hit by a wave with lines partially rolled up... once again a split second thought, but something i am still wondering about. Theoretically, it would stay depowered, but what about when the lines start to unravel, if it happens unevenly?

LESSONS LEARNED:

I am buying a hook knife!

Never try and grab the kite in the waves.

Any other advice or lessons that I should have learned?

PS I am posting this as much for myself as for other would be wave kiters... sometimes its hard to know exactly what to do past the beginner stage.

not aimed at you steve as I dont know you...

beginners please dont kite at scarbs until you are MORE than ready. I cannot stress this enough!

more things can go wrong at this location than most other metro locations - dumping waves and lots of general beach punters are a bad mix, let alone each risk itself.

more time spent earning your stripes at good beginner locations, such as pinnas, can save a lifetime of regret.

Woah - scary stuff - could have been a whole lot worse!

My tip would be don't bother trying a pack up / self rescue if you cant get the kite packed up before getting blown / dragged in to the break zone. Even if you are out back behind the break it takes quite a while for an experienced person (do disrespect intended) to wind everything in safely.

When winding up the lines you should first make sure the kite is completely depowered on a flagging line safety, and stays that way for the whole wind up, as that means you still have the kite safe the whole time.

If it looks like it is going to pull hard at any time during the wind up (surf, gust, accidental relaunch) then get rid of it completely.

Even if you had a knife I doubt it would have been no good to you in that situation.

There are a LOT of folks here who have killed kites in the surf. You can always buy another kite, limbs on the other hand are somewhat more precious...

**** happens, wait till you nearly drown in the waves because of lines wrapped around things.

Things to note.

Accept help when offered.

Don't wrap lines around body parts:-)