Cresting waves in sideshore wind

[flatwater]

Hi All.
I've been kiting a bit over a year and feel pretty confident on flat water. I can jump and do some backrolls and land most of it.
Been starting into surf, and seem to get my ass handed to me pretty regularly. Been boardsurfing a long time, so not a new environment for me, but...

Today was pretty much straight side-shore wind. Waves a little less than head high, maybe 5 sec period. With this wind direction, the outbound tack was pretty much straight into the approaching waves. I keep crashing in one of two ways--
1) approach with some speed, get launched without really trying (maybe 5-10 feet vertical above water, 3 or 4 seconds airtime). Even if I land 90% of these, I'm losing ground downwind, and the 10% insure a good bit of dicking around in the surf getting back to my board etc. If I get a little extra air, I sometimes crash into the next wave, gets pretty violent.
2) Approach slower, and try to absorb the wave energy with my knees so as not to fly. Failure mode here is to stall a bit right at the top of the wave and not get a clean release-- my rear foot seems to get dragged as the wave drops out from under and again I'm catching air but now with an uncontrolled rotation. Seldom works out well.

So maybe there is a magic middle speed which will make all this work? Or do you guys do something like carve upwind or downwind just when you get to the wave? Any tips or suggestions appreciated.

Thanks much...

I should add wind today was a bit gusty, 20-28 mph, and I felt sometimes just adequately powered and sometimes a bit overpowered with a 12 m and a smaller twin-tip. The variability wasn't helping, but I don't think it was really the cause of my problems.

[Matteo V]

1) approach with some speed, get launched without really trying (maybe 5-10 feet vertical above water, 3 or 4 seconds airtime). Even if I land 90% of these,....

Indicates strapped, right?

If so, reading a wider area (further out, downwind, upwind, chicken jibe) is the key. From prone surfing, you will be used to positioning yourself, then waiting for things to happen around you. Kitesurfing gives you power and speed to relocate as the wave is peaking up. Sail upwind or downwind for a shoulder. Slow down if the wave looks like it will peak or curl right when you will hit it at your current speed. Either go over the wave as a ramp (before it has gone vertical), or slow down to wait for the remnants of that wave to make a 1 second old closeout (whitewater). Whitewater is bumpy, but softer as it has lots of air in it.

....get launched without really trying (maybe 5-10 feet vertical above water, 3 or 4 seconds airtime)......

Ever try to milk it and stay up there? If so, look around a bit for what you can come down onto. This is one of the 5 main jibes I use for surf. When you get unexpectedly lofted by a wave that peaked up right in front of you, look down - enjoy the view, and see if there is a wave behind it to land on and ride in. It feels pretty good to drop in from above into the pocket. You will have to master riding it toe side ( surfboard - if you were heelside going out), but that is a skill to riding waves that you need anyway - and this is a great way to develop that skill. Since you are on a TT, no problem here. A prerequisite to this is a jump transition (to toe side on a directional). Also of help is the ability to downloop the kite and fly it in the opposite direction depowered for a second or two while you ride that wave in.

2) Approach slower, and try to absorb the wave energy with my knees so as not to fly. Failure mode here is to stall a bit right at the top of the wave

Bad idea. Your knees get enough of a workout while managing chop, load & pop, and landings in kitesurfing. The easy way, if strapped, is to just boost over those waves. If you get a feeling for the break pattern, the best thing is to use a ramp (not curling yet) or a closeout (whitewater) to boost 1 one wave in long periods, or 2 waves in short periods. Avoid going out on anything that is peaked up and vertical.

You just made your first step into a wider world. Let go of the "surfing" mentality and use what kitesurfing gives you.

[flatwater]

Thanks, Matteo. One thing I realize reading your comment is that I've been kiting without sophistication and perhaps arrogantly-- just charging straight out. If the waves were bigger I would know better than to think I could just plow through regardless of wave state. I grew up here (texas gulf coast)--waves are generally pretty small. Having ridden much bigger surf in other parts of the world, I wasn't having any respect for the hometown stuff. doh! guess I was just getting schooled

[jeromeL]

Matteo gave good advice, always remember my big wave session definitely playing chicken

5s interval is small especially for side on , going to be hard to get over and absorb impact.

If you are looking to pass the break the like Matteo said you have to play the chicken game and either find opportunity to get above the wave before it crest else you turn back, also if you look downwind you can find th rip current with no big wave and ride out there.
As you get better it's easier you just boost the hell out of it
Its all timing of when to bring kite up flexing knee and back down to accelerate, carve around ...

Catching the back of the board has been annoying for me for a while, eventually you get a better release.

Good luck, waves are fun.

[Bushflyr]

Why do you care about "losing ground downwind"? It's blowing over 20. You can make up ground anywhere. The break zone isn't that big. When the waves are head high or over you just need to either send the kite before the wave hits and jump over the whitewash or fall off and run down to a non breaking section. If it's peaking up in front of you just send that bitch and enjoy the 30 foot air.

If you want to kite in the waves just get out any way you can then worry about getting back upwind on the outside.

[flatwater]

I was having trouble staying upwind. With side/side onshore wind (its a 400 mile long beach)here you start getting strong sideshore currents--2-3 knots is not uncommon and I've seen 5. The bottom here is a series of progressively deeper sandbars--with a new break on each one (and sometimes they connect up), so effectively the break zone is several hundred yards wide. Excepting the crashes I was going upwind ok, but it doesn't take long to lose a lot of ground dragging around looking for your board :/

[Bushflyr]

I was having trouble staying upwind.

If that's the case you really shouldn't be kiting in the waves. Head high waves can really mess you up if you get rolled, surfing they're nothing, but kiting they can really ruin your day. You should really stay out of waves until the whole idea of "staying upwind" isn't even a blip on your radar.

[plummet]

Just to recap, 20-28 mph, Side shore head high waves 5 Sec period.

That is epic boosting conditions!.

Here's what I do.

Peaking ramp:
Smash it as fast as you can send it and boost to the moon!

Not peaking? boost it anyway if you have enough speed or absorb it with your legs.

Dumping wave:
Got power and speed? boost over it. Be sure to look down as the monster breaks below you. Scream out "CHAHOOOO" and taunt mother nature to send you another monster to own.
Not ever speed and power? pussy jybe and try again on the next wave.

Not enough time to pussy jybe. Slow right down and shoulder charge the lip and hope you don't get sucked back into the falls.

White wash:
Got speed and power? boost over it. Be sure to look down as the monster breaks below you. Scream out "CHAHOOOO" and taunt mother nature to send you another monster to own.
Got speed but not enough power? load and pop without sending the kite and "raley" over the what wash.
Not enough speed or power? pussy jybe and try again or slow ride over the white wash... Leant back when the white wash hits.


You can also run down wind and ride around breaking sections. But this is my least desired method! Its far more fun to boost it at speed!

See around 10-12 min mark in the below linked vid. I'm the weirdo on the mutant boosting on the way out in the waves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaH5hZhdpko

[Matteo V]

I was having trouble staying upwind.

If that's the case you really shouldn't be kiting in the waves. Head high waves can really mess you up if you get rolled, surfing they're nothing, but kiting they can really ruin your day. You should really stay out of waves until the whole idea of "staying upwind" isn't even a blip on your radar.

My summer spots have the 2-6mph current in the same direction as the wind like flatwater mentioned. One of these spots is so safe for riding that many kitesurfers without the skill, still kite there and just do down winders. Some of this skill issue is not really about skill, but rather because they come from kiting the Gorge where the wind opposes the current direction almost all the time. This reduces the opportunity and need for upwind skill development. But they still get out on the ocean when the Gorge shuts down, and that is a great experience for them.

Then some kiters do down winders by choice as they could make it upwind to ride the same breaks, but would rather stay in the break riding the waves than have to work to go out and then tack upwind. That is great too.

Some of us just plugged away at upwind, became really efficient, and can easily cruise UP the beach to other breaks.

Don't give up on ocean kiting just because you are having a hard time with upwind. Fighting the "current in the same direction as the wind" will make you extremely efficient at upwind and that will transfer to your flatwater kiting for more chances to boost and do other moves that lose upwind ground.

[ELI]

A lot of vid. out there.John Pham posts on youtube from Davenport beach ? or Waddel . He has over a hundred with all manner of swell size,boards in use ,and level of kiter. The varied riders give you the options that you can use to get out (some good ,some bad) in close up . The beach requires you to keep upwind to be in the wave rotation with others .