Just another little lesson in my kite-life: I couldn't get the kite up after dropping it in front of the breakers, in the channel. (I guess my board drifting thru my lines to the kite and beyond should have given it away!) I had to swim like **** away from the kite to get more tension on the lines and up it went.
At least I didn't have to body drag upwind to the board!
Up Quick!
In my mind, thats what I would (will) be doing. Just relaunch as mad and quick as possible.
When my kite goes down in the surf I swim to shore as quick as I can, then I don't need to be swimming backwards, pulling backline, ducking under a wave (going upside down, getting pushed toward kite).
It makes it much easier to gain tension in the lines, and you can walk around to an angle better suited to launching.
We don't really have big waves here in Mackay, we have been having some long awaited strong winds lately. swimming against the waves wouldn't have helped me yesterday after work! I was out on my 13 in about 20kts when 1 then 2 of my lines broke 
i am not sure why but it wasnt in my favour!!! goo thing i was in waist deep water. lately i have been out in the deep and i am glad it happened in the shallows... 
Thank god the kite shop here is stocked up. i have new lines today and i will be back tomorrow after i untangle the mess still atached to the kite. 
Thanks for posts so far! I was a bit far out for an easy swim to shore and thankfully in a channel (off the side of a break) - but still advice gladly taken on board for beachbreak excitements.
DMan, see other post on knots! Let us know if you achieve enlightenment.
