Also think about a 3 or 4 kg of Axe springing back at your head.

Use if rocks or if not able to retrieve I use pro light weight legy And if I loose kite I can paddle in

Hey salty
A really good piece of advice I got a while back, and like to pass on, is to try to never let both feet off your board (ie fall completely off) at any time, but always keep at least one in contact. This sounds like a no brainer/impossible when learning, but is a really useful strategy if attempted for a few sessions, and then consciously but less strictly applied from then on. For example, if I am gybing or duck tacking, and I mess up my timing or whatever, and sink into water, I concentrate on lift and kite pulling me into a start position, and always with one foot touching the deck of board so that I can get lift back up on top at any time. And if I have fallen, one part of my brain is concentrating on keeping board within reach and under foot the whole time. Same on a wave, if I big or fall, I try to roll with it and "recover" no matter what. You find yourself getting out of some funny situations in time.

Give it a try for 30 min next session, helps to slow everything down as well.

Ps. Exceptions are in barrelling waves and large airs, where you need to abort and get max distance away from sharp flying objects

PPS. And as for leashes, as posted above, only for point breaks and rocky shores, too dangerous otherwise. Try the approach above and in a few weeks it will be far less board chasing

No worries, sounds like you are already onto it

+1 for slow down, sink back into harness a bit more, legs like shockies, constant contact with board

SaltySinus said...
I then find in the process of trying to get the board back, from time to time, a helpful wave will pick the board up and dump it on my head...?

Yeah, I've copped it in the back of the head a couple of times.

I don't use leg ropes

Ricardo1709 said...
Get a longboard leash 9 ft

+1
Never kite without one.

Thanks guys (and girls?) for all of your feedback. Much appreciated....

Surfer62 said..

No leash, not just because you risk a slingshot board to the head but a mate had his leashed board pop through the lines between bar and kite, major drama, immediate kite loops.

I currently ride a Slingshot board (as in the brand) so maybe that's a bad omen!?

I always wear one ,just got sick of losing my board .when I fall of my board seem to go downwind of me and I kind of aware to stay upwind of my board at all times

On a beach break there is no need for a leash. Even if you fall off your board, have to go into shore reset your kite etc, more than likely your board is going to be waiting on the beach within 50m of you. If it gets in a rip and pushed out past the break it will just track downwind slowly and likely get sucked in by the next incoming rip. Leashes are a pain in the arse to kite with irrespective of the safety concerns. Its bad enough wondering if you're going to get sledged by your board when you're not attached to it, at least without one you can power sideways away from it.

Never not ever.

Phil

pattiecannon said..
Leash, unleashers get in the road with all their bodydragging

you are like super kook

Surfer62 said..

No leash, not just because you risk a slingshot board to the head but a mate had his leashed board pop through the lines between bar and kite, major drama, immediate kite loops.

lol. my mate somehow went thew his centre lines. by memory he was throwing a big shift 5 off a kicker and over slacked and fully went thew his lines, total mess!