Hi
I have been getting smashed by the shore break this winter, I am okay when heading out but when i come in , i try to time it so the set has finished but still cant seem to get out of the water quick enough to avoid getting smashed and rolling up the beach in a tangle of foil, wing, board and leashes.
Any tips on getting in without risk of injury and or damaged gear would be appreciated.
I have kiters leash, quick release on my board leash. I pop the release, then leave my board behind in the shore break. I run with wing, up onto the beach and put sand on it. Then go back for my board. I'm confident in my boards construction, so I don't worry about the board and foil tumbling in the shore pound without me.
Whoa I would never do that 
waves here would snap a foil easy.
Bottom handle helps. Get as far in as possible then float in on the back of last wave of a set then run like feck, timing is your friend. Great fun watching others do it. Not so fun being the one coming in 
I try to foil in as close as possible and then scramble and hope for the best. Can't image doing is without a bottom handle. Have been lucky so far but just a matter of time before I break something. Hopefully will be equipment and not a part of me.
Agree with not abandoning board in breaking surf.
Stay high on the foil and the main thing is to just get in past where the wave is fully breaking. When you jump off hold the wing so it helps glide you down and takes some of the impact from jumping off at full mast height, you will know if you have ridden in to far as you will hit the bottom. I agree with Hilly I would not leave my foil washing around in the waves in shallow water but rather as i jump of flip the board and put the foil wing on my head or grab the bottom handle to get full control over the board, use the other hand to grab the wing. This all works of course as long as you ride in far enough. If you fall in the impact Zone then just get on the board and ride the bucking bull in a bit further dragging the wing.
Even the best plans go to **** sometimes and holding a foil and a wind wing can be a challenge but that's really part of the fun!
Select to expand quotepaul.j said.. holding a foil and a wind wing can be a challenge but that's really part of the fun!
So true, and watching your mates come in
Notice that all these options begin with foiling in. If you can't reliably foil in then be careful or stay out. Learn on flat water.
i recently went out in overpowered conditions and couldn't reliably foil back in switch. I got pummeled. It's too hard to see the sets sitting down.
Also the advice about not stopping in too deep water is key. Sitting duck.
It's probably not the answer you want, but we've used Plan B on a few occasions. Find somewhere else to launch and land with no shore break. Ride to the break. Have fun but make sure you don't get caught too far inside. Ride back home.
There's a variety of alternatives that wingdings open up:
- Launch in a boat harbour. Sneak out and ride the waves. Ride home.
- Ride a leeside spot where you can sneak out into the bigger wind and swells but escape back into a bay.
- My current favourite is the swells wrap around the outside of a breakwater and roll in through the flats on the backside of the breakwater. The waves inside are small but clean and roll for a long way. It's about a 30 minute upwind ride from the launch spot.
- I have another favourite beach which is long and shallow tidal. The shore break eventually subsides into knee high slop. It's easy to spot where it gets shallow from the sand sucked into the waves. Just stay high on the foil past that and jump off when it looks about waist deep.
Select to expand quoteLeeD said..
Anyone can get out through 3' shoredump.
It's tough when it's 5' breaking in 5' of water.
again, not helpful whatsoever
someone with no ocean/wave experience will be intimidated by 3' shoredump even without a board,foil, or wing
please stop trolling this forum, I don't care how many decades of watersports experience you have, you come off as arrogant know-it-all
Hey Juzzy your vid isn't playing above ? Keen to watch it.
my first ever ocean wing I decided to do the entire cut run (24km ish ) - because I'm a dead set moron) and came in at golden bay instead of secret harbour. I had to restart through the surf . I eventually did but I was literally burning the last of my gas tickets. It was a nightmare. I was spent.
To give you some time indication the lads finished it within an hour or so. three hours later I got there .
The thing I'd add to that vid is maybe if it's a bit full on, prep yourself and try entering the water with just the wing to start with. Come back in, park the wing securely on the beach. Then try with just the board and foil - no wing. Just get out beyond the break and then back in. If you can manage each on their own and understand how the break affects your ability to get out, it can make a heap of difference. Once you're confident with each component, then combine the 2 and approach with a plan.
It's great that LeeD is such a hero. Wow, what a man!
Size of waves can be intimidating depending on size of person, how ungainly the gear your carrying is and your experience. A 1m wave might be intimidating to some, especially if you aren't strong and can't carry your gear easily (big foil, big board and big wing).
As with all these things, don't listen to LeeD and give up. Find a place where it's within your capacities and build up confidence and technique.
Vid will not play, but I assume it is technique based around holding everything the right way which is the key. It is challenging work getting through the Golden Bay shore dump on a kiteboard let alone a wing Wish I had seen that.
As mentioned above I try to find an easy access point a little away from the break and go around or wing down to the break. I have done lots of damage to wings when caught in the break, even sooky 3' waves. Combo of inflatable toy and carbon axe does not end well
Coming in through the surf will keep even the best honest at times with or with out a wind wing. Here is a vid of Ben Tardrew who is one of the better foilers around and even he can get smoked if in the wrong spot!! Only a short clip but at the end you will see what i mean
Depending on the break and how far out it breaks, we sometime use the anchor technique.
Drop an anchor past the breaking zone with a well visible buoy on top, have a carabiner clip on it.
The visibility is important for you to spot it when sailing back in and for others not to get tangled in the anchor line.
Going out:
-take the wing out first, fly right side up, attach to carabiner, it will just fly above the swell (does not work if breaking way out).
-come back and take the board out
Coming back in:
-attach the wing
-take the board in
-go back out to get the wing, don't leave the wing unattended too long in case you have a rogue set breaking where you left the wing.
I tend to carry my board over my shoulder foil first heading out, wave would hit my stab first then foil then bottom front of the board, lifting the whole thing above the break.
Coming in if sandy, fly high as far as you can go and do a graceful parachute jump with the wing, let the board go land itself. Does not work on rocky shore, there best is have a buddy help you out.
Thank you everyone for feed back , i feel a bit better knowing that i am not the only one getting smashed in a shore break.
Doesn't look there is an easy way to do it, as i am relatively new to this sport I though i was doing something wrong when trying to get back in. This is the first real negative i have come across with this sport compared to kiting. Looks like i need to find somewhere in my local area that has no shore break or kite in winter and go back to wing foiling in summer.
Select to expand quotedrlazone said..
Depending on the break and how far out it breaks, we sometime use the anchor technique.
Drop an anchor past the breaking zone with a well visible buoy on top, have a carabiner clip on it.
The visibility is important for you to spot it when sailing back in and for others not to get tangled in the anchor line.
Going out:
-take the wing out first, fly right side up, attach to carabiner, it will just fly above the swell (does not work if breaking way out).
-come back and take the board out
Coming back in:
-attach the wing
-take the board in
-go back out to get the wing, don't leave the wing unattended too long in case you have a rogue set breaking where you left the wing.
I tend to carry my board over my shoulder foil first heading out, wave would hit my stab first then foil then bottom front of the board, lifting the whole thing above the break.
Coming in if sandy, fly high as far as you can go and do a graceful parachute jump with the wing, let the board go land itself. Does not work on rocky shore, there best is have a buddy help you out.
Jesus my car is full enough. Now I gotta carry a sand anchor !! Good thinking though if a shore break access is all you got.
to hilly . mate that was after I had to walk a kilometre with wing in hand (because I didn't know how to leave it parked on the beach) to find someone to ask them where the hell I was !
jason said "come in where the palm trees are" . the entire coastline is dotted with fn palm trees!!
yeh it was funny. Although I think I was screaming with laughter and crying in pain at the same time.
live and learn.
.. above: dude coming in is the easy part. Just ride the back of a wave until she dissipates on the sand. Fall off grab wing, hold it as high as you can and hope the best for your board. If board gets hit let her go. You will work it out. Heck if it's just sand ride your foil slowly into it and jump off. I do it all the time when I downwind to my folks house. You get better at it over time.
Select to expand quoteFoilColorado said..
someone with no ocean/wave experience will be intimidated by 3' shoredump even without a board,foil, or wing
+1
I would even say that someone with ocean/wave experience will be MORE wary of a 3' shoredump than a novice, because (s)he knows what can go wrong...
Select to expand quoteeppo said..drlazone said..
Depending on the break and how far out it breaks, we sometime use the anchor technique.
Drop an anchor past the breaking zone with a well visible buoy on top, have a carabiner clip on it.
The visibility is important for you to spot it when sailing back in and for others not to get tangled in the anchor line.
Going out:
-take the wing out first, fly right side up, attach to carabiner, it will just fly above the swell (does not work if breaking way out).
-come back and take the board out
Coming back in:
-attach the wing
-take the board in
-go back out to get the wing, don't leave the wing unattended too long in case you have a rogue set breaking where you left the wing.
I tend to carry my board over my shoulder foil first heading out, wave would hit my stab first then foil then bottom front of the board, lifting the whole thing above the break.
Coming in if sandy, fly high as far as you can go and do a graceful parachute jump with the wing, let the board go land itself. Does not work on rocky shore, there best is have a buddy help you out.
Jesus my car is full enough. Now I gotta carry a sand anchor !! Good thinking though if a shore break access is all you got.
to hilly . mate that was after I had to walk a kilometre with wing in hand (because I didn't know how to leave it parked on the beach) to find someone to ask them where the hell I was !
jason said "come in where the palm trees are" . the entire coastline is dotted with fn palm trees!!
yeh it was funny. Although I think I was screaming with laughter and crying in pain at the same time.
live and learn.
.. above: dude coming in is the easy part. Just ride the back of a wave until she dissipates on the sand. Fall off grab wing, hold it as high as you can and hope the best for your board. If board gets hit let her go. You will work it out. Heck if it's just sand ride your foil slowly into it and jump off. I do it all the time when I downwind to my folks house. You get better at it over time.
I was out solo, prone foiling on NSW south coast few months back, my wife spotted a 3m+ man in grey suit right swim right up to my feet, i never even noticed until she waved me in, caught the next wave and foiled to the sand and stepped off, actually this worked pretty well, bit of adrenalin helps get it done
