Shore Break Launch/Land

[irwe]

What tips do you have for the following scenario?

Onshore Wind, Shore Break .5 - 1m height, Short period

To get out do you?

1. Paddle out on board dragging Wing behind you.
2. Egg Beater kick dragging board and Wing behind you.
3. Other

How to get back on to shore safely with gear?

When is it a no go for you?

I am imaginging places like Ocean side Cape Hatteras, Great Lakes, etc.

[chirojoseph]

This is so funny.. I haven't actually STARTED a thread on any of these forum in years.. And just 5 minutes ago I started one asking the EXACT SAME questions you are! Here is the copy of my post on the SUPFORUM

I've been debating for a while to start a thread here about all the tips and tricks to get past shorebreak safely and efficiently. You guys are right that ALL the amazing wave riding videos are of spoiled kids launching from daddy's zodiac right next to the shoulder of the wave(ok.. I guess im picking on the New Caledonia and Hawaii bunch but for sure there are places where the "put in" is relatively easy and then they wing to the good swell spots) ... But the rest of us trying to get wave action in less than ideal launches... Sometimes really suffer.

One day in October I was trying to get out in onshore 32 knots in lake Ontario.. Thought I had the swell timed right and pushed like hell to get deep enough to hop on the board... When I realized that the bottom was NOT sand anymore but slick as ice Rocky slate slabs.. Holy crap did I get humbled.. Rejected.. Amazing my foil didn't kill me nor the wing.

I'm in 100%agreement that the old (bad mouthed for kiters) Reel leash has been a, godsend! I absolutely despise the coiled leashes which knot themselves up instantly... And I've had too many times when standing and pumping only to realize the normal leash is wrapped around the mast. Arrghh

The reel leash avoids ALL those problems and I've even went winging as hurricane ZETA was approaching the Mexican Caribbean coast and fallen and watched my entire kit fly 3 meters away in a vicious gust and the leash held up perfectly. It's the only piece of equipment that I rinse religiously with fresh water after every sesh.

Since I have the RL ATTACHED TO A LONG PIECE OF spektra on the back of my old ozone snow kite harness.. It's free to slide from side to side. On the tough onshore days I DO connect the wrist leash to that same spektra, flip the wing strut down, and try to squeeze it between my feet to keep in more under control as I paddle like crazy to get past the break.. All the time remembering what I hate most about normal surfing.. Lol..

As soon as I can, push to knees and grab the wing and get over the last big swells "knee sailing".. When I stand up.. Sometimes the wrist leash IS A BIT OF A MESS around my shoulders or whatever but I don't care (love the stretchy f1 leash for this) and I get past the break.. Once out, carefully transfer leash to wrist and away I go. Id NEVER be able to paddle fast or efficiently enough of the 6mt wing was tied to my wrist.

I'd love to hear the techniques and tricks that the rest of your have developed to get our through serious shore break... What you do when you are paddling your ass off but the wave still Jack's up so much you can't get past and it throws you back... And what you do with the inevitable fall right in the champaign bubbles of the impact zone when you know you have to take 4 more waves on the head!

I purchased 2 NSI stick on anchor points and put them on the nose of the board.. And tied a thick piece of spektra between them as a handle.. With the Hope that at LEAST I CAN control the board and pull the nose down under the wave and not let the leash pay out to maximum length and pull me towards the shallow rocks.. Wing in tow and getting tangled..

Let's keep this thread gong for those that ride in waves and maybe we can save eachother some "wing-mares" by sharing what we've all learned the hard way.

Good winds!
Kyrojoe in mexico

[Balticrider]

Thanks chirojoseph for sharing this!
There is one thing I do not understand in your description: You are writing that you conect the leash with your harness. How can you lie on your board and paddle out with the harness on? Are you wearing the harness without a hook?
Best regards and yes, it is an important theme!

[chirojoseph]

Very very good question!
Like I said.. I'm actually using an old ozone backcountry lightweight snowkite harness that I took the leg straps off.. Had an old, short ssteel harness bar/hook with its incorporated "pad" and I just threaded the 2inch wide ozone webbing through it... Then had the end sewed doubled over so the strap could never "escape" from the original ozone plastic buckles on each side.

It was just a one off experiment as I hadn't yet put lines on my wing but really earned too try it (used to be a windsurfer long ago in lake Arenal costa rica)

Anyway.. It just worked a charm and have used it as - is since June basically.. In the gorge, windy Utah and Wyoming reservoirs, the Atlantic Ocean by VA Beach and then lake Ontario, Erie and now the Caribbean since november.

The beauty is its super lightweight and minimal.. And It SWIVELS very easy over my lycra top.. So yeah.. Just basically I rotate the hook and entire harness 90 degrees so the hook isn't hitting the board and start paddling!

[fluidity]

What tips do you have for the following scenario?
Onshore Wind, Shore Break .5 - 1m height, Short period

I'm still fairly new but plenty of wind surf and kite surf experience preceeding my wingsurfing. Clue is in the part of your text I highlighted above.

Practise to climb on board, grab wing, get up on foil super fast!

Those things used to take me considerable time but now I push board away from leash as I surge on to board holding front handle or leash attachment and I know exactly where to place my knees, grip the wing handles, lift front hand., place front foot to foiling position, reach forward with wing, pull back as I stand on both feet, lift my feet a bit on the last part of the wing back stroke and board shoots up on to foil.