borad recovery in waves

arkay · Since 06 Jun 2008 192 Posts Manzo/Hillsburrito Stoked

I took advantage of the winds in Manzo yesterday, hopefully I was way out of the way and upwind enough from everyone... mainly just body dragged around and threw my board into the waves. since i,ve never kited in waves. First observation is that the waves and the wind (NW) were heading seemingly opposite directions and the waves wanted to push the board up wind. gr. Then waves would tumble the board, dont want to be in front of the board for that! when i _finallyA managed to make it to the board i would just wait for a wave pass and try to charge into the board before the next wave... usually the board would be pushed away again. any tips aside from get past the waves or dont fall Very Happy

$ociopath · Since 28 Nov 2007 523 Posts Twilight Zone Addicted

A GoJo board leash combination Idea

I once had to come in to shore to get upwind of my board then body dragged straight to it. It helped having a bright yellow and red board.

stringer · Since 31 Jul 2007 694 Posts Chucktown Flying Tomato

dude,
It was a rare and awesome situation we had with the solid SW swell coming in with solid NW wind.
If you get separated from you're board at a beach like manzo (especially on the inside) your board will end up on the beach almost every time.
Just don't sweat it and meet up with it in the shallows.
Its good to get outside of the break too so that when people want to ride a wave in they don't have to miss out because there's someone inside who can't make it out.
It sounds like you were trying to stay out of the way though.

pdxmonkeyboy · Mon Jun 15, 09 9:29 am

Typically the current will carry your board south, it seems at Manzo, the farther south you go the harder the current is. Could be wrong but it seems that way to me.

I can say from experience on saturday that you do not want to be anywhere near your board when the waves are breaking. I jibed right in front of a swelling face, luffed and fell off the board. When I fell, I spit the board towards the wave.... I instantly thought, not good, not good, not good. Yanked the kite HARD to try and jetison out there but in the end BAM!!! took one on the head and the board knocked the shit out of my head. I had a huge lump and a little split. Got a little tunnel vision and LOTS of spots. Pretty freaky shit really.

Even a little shorebreak and smash your board into you pretty hard...so keep that in mind when your futzing around.

Awesome conditions this weekend though.

arkay · Since 06 Jun 2008 192 Posts Manzo/Hillsburrito Stoked

Youch, glad your ok. I learned the hard way in the kiddie pool, at least is was the kiddie pool. I took a wave in my back while "trying" to start and was pushed and the board behind me in the wave. Dove under the water to get out of the way but lofted my kite, whoops. Waves seemed small from the beach, they looked much bigger when my head was at water level Embarassed