Just to let you know whose boss.
Dumped my kite right infront of a 1.5 head high set. Thought Ok I can relaunch this. Had the kite just about to leave the water and bam. Hammered by the wave.
Instanly i'm doing the submarine supernman Swallowing water. I manage to steal a breath before getting dragged under again. Trying to reach the release, but its just hard with the force of the water. I finally reach the safety and punch out of the chicken loop.
But still connected to the safety. The next wave hits and bam. more submarining. This time sideways as my safety is connected to the side loop. At this point I would quite like to breath so I punch out completely.
Swin in.... luckily no damage to kite or me.
Hey at least you pulled the safety. What someone the other day after he had punched out, winding his lines up as he was getting submarined, one wave after the other and still he persisted. Kept shouting release you fn idiot ( was a big day) and he just looked all dumb at me and kept winding...
Yeh I reckon most of us get our kites hit with at least one wave, you are always like...nah I can get it up, I can do it and wham...its like someone is hitting and stretching your own skin...hate when I feel a kite getting dragged out of shape!
Burst my catalyst's leading edge today :(
6 month old kite + 25 knots and a whole heap of downward speed into what I suspect was a sandbank... sigh, I always thought a head high set was how my kites were going to be mortally wounded.
Plummet - I like reading your posts - high entertainment value - way out there
I know I am likely to have more trouble releasing the safety than the chicken loop when dragging under water.
I release the safety then the chicken loop in that situation - easier to orientate.
Glad to hear no damage done.
Cheers
AP 
I dropped my kite in head high waves once yesterday and once today,boths times I was able to relaunch just in time,been lucky lately,
2 weeks ago I crashed and dropped my kite in the waves in a rip,by the time Id relaunched my kite and got it under control my board was out of sight,my mate searched for it for an hour,going back and forth but could not find it,3 days later it washed back in about a km from there I lost it and one of the locals found it and gave it back,so so lucky once again
Select to expand quotePlummet said..
Just to let you know whose boss.
Securely tethering yourself to a powerkite and then riding in waves,
reminds me of those crazy dudes who like to do escape acts.
You know,
dudes like Harry Houdini who would lock himself up in chains,
while wearing a straightjacket and handcuffs,
and then sealing himself up in a milk-can filled with water.
But somehow he always beat the odds.
lol.
Select to expand quotetheDoctor said..
if you're not unhooking in waves
lose the leash
thats makes good sence
sounds a bit scarry...
Good to hear your equipment worked under pressure
I had a very similar experience when a rear line snapped, spinning kite rapidly and tangling all lines. Lucky my mate was watching...he thought it was funny, although I think he was in shock but excited I got to the safety's before I ploughed into the shore 
Select to expand quotegokid said..theDoctor said..
if you're not unhooking in waves
lose the leash
thats makes good sence
unless the waves are a kilometer offshore...
or there is no beach
or its cross off
etc etc
yeah. i'm not sold on no leash. In this instance leashless would have save me a second submarine superman. But It got me closer to shore.
In all other instances I have punched to leash I have not been dragged under the water. Its been a more controllable surface drag. In that instance its a lot safer to be on the leash. Your kite drags you too the beach and you don't need to worry about being sucked out to sea in a rip.
Select to expand quoteT one said..gokid said..theDoctor said..
if you're not unhooking in waves
lose the leash
thats makes good sence
unless the waves are a kilometer offshore...
or there is no beach
or its cross off
etc etc
yea that makes good sence too
Push away release is the go plummet piece of p**s to release( although you do have to watch you don't accidentally ping it while adjusting your harness) all manufacturers should be making push away by now my new plynns have a side pull and it's S**t so have converted to a push away like my other bars, I have my kite set to flag both lines so I always know if it gets hammered by a big set it's best to punch out on both at the same time as it's not going to make any diff if I punch out to the safety,only use the safety for if I have an accidental release.
These days if it's 2m + and the kite goes down with no chance of relaunch before I'm waterskiing I just punch out and swim in,although up where you are it's a bit rocky so I understand the dilemma of a 50/50 kite trashing.
Personally I'm a big fan of those cutting edge Velcro quick releases on the F one bar.
Or Core going to a rotor release. Dumb arses! Dumping the QR is all about muscle memory and instinctive movements and some squeezer flies solo with a completely different release.
Select to expand quoteradman4 said..
Push away release is the go plummet piece of p**s to release( although you do have to watch you don't accidentally ping it while adjusting your harness) all manufacturers should be making push away
I didn't have a problem releasing once I reached it... The issue was getting my hand to the release while being dragged. its sounds simple. but when your being forced though tones of water..... not so simple.
Anyway. I could have punched out first rather than trying to relaunch.... damn it was close tho.
Plummet, that sucks fella. Glad you're okay.
I found I couldn't breath whilst reading your post! I was imaging being in the situation.
Silly question, but I've yet to see waves with my kite, ... how high of a wave could that happen? I.e. does the wave just need to be taller than the height of the kite?
I cant understand it . With the second QR when are they going to make a 10cm cord release that connects to another d link wielded to the spreader bar right infront of ya . Instead of a 2 ft long springey thing connected to the side of harness or worst at the back . IT IS NOT COMON SENSE to put it anywhere else but at the front . But what would I know I am only a SIMPLE man . Ok if you are into handel passes as such fine, but for the average joe that stays hooked in why the hell don't they make just a small 2nd QR and attach it to the front area .
Or by the way glad you made it plummet .
Select to expand quotePlummet said..radman4 said..
Push away release is the go plummet piece of p**s to release( although you do have to watch you don't accidentally ping it while adjusting your harness) all manufacturers should be making push away
I didn't have a problem releasing once I reached it... The issue was getting my hand to the release while being dragged. its sounds simple. but when your being forced though tones of water..... not so simple.
Anyway. I could have punched out first rather than trying to relaunch.... damn it was close tho.
Yep know where your coming from I have made myself rules head high+ with a wave between me and the kite punch out and never ever have your feet in the board with it in front of you learnt the hard way years ago nearly popped out my hip joint when the wave hit the kite ,
Sub head high if your not gonna make it lay on the surface bar all the way out and go with the flow then be ready for a fast launch before the next one.
It's working as haven't ripped a kite with a wave yet.
Oh know don't say that, I'm willing the risk of drowning to death with an unreachable safety leash, just because having one for handle passes means that I could do handle passes, which I won't, but I could and that's cool, cause I could if I was able....here's to spongy long saftey leashes that we can wear wear on the unlikely scenario we want to handle pass!! YEh!!
Ya I did the underwater drag thing and there's no way u can get to the safety no matter where it is til you stop being dragged. Now I release both safety and chicken loop at the same time if I'm about to be worked. The Naish stuff releases so easy. Won't go into leg ropes though, they can be good and real bad when they wrap round your lines
Hey Eppo,you have 4000 posts
,you should get a reward or something,maybe a new kite or board from Seabreeze or maybe not,at least a few free coldies
Select to expand quotesuface2air said..
I cant understand it . With the second QR when are they going to make a 10cm cord release that connects to another d link wielded to the spreader bar right infront of ya . Instead of a 2 ft long springey thing connected to the side of harness or worst at the back . IT IS NOT COMON SENSE to put it anywhere else but at the front . But what would I know I am only a SIMPLE man . Ok if you are into handel passes as such fine, but for the average joe that stays hooked in why the hell don't they make just a small 2nd QR and attach it to the front area .
Or by the way glad you made it plummet .
haha..funny thats what I have if I was home id send pics, its just an old cabrinah quick release with a cabrinha (clip). theres probly somthing unsafe about that but I dont unhook yet and have an issue with the north iron bar chicken loop just detaching somtimes
