Two surf turns for kites, plus wipeout survival.
In short
Two turns unlock wave riding on a kite: the forehand snap in the pocket and the more vertical re-entry off the lip.
Both come down to going hard off the bottom, committing at the top, and keeping the kite low and moving with the wave.
What you'll learn here
How to set up and execute the snap and the re-entry, where the kite belongs during each, and how to survive the crashes that surf riding guarantees.
Wave riding rewards commitment, not caution. These are surf turns done on a kite, so the kite becomes a tool for keeping speed and support while the board does the carving.
The forehand snap is the turn that feels as good as it looks. It happens in the pocket of the wave and stays flatter and less vertical than the re-entry.
How to hit the snap
Go hard off the bottom first. That bottom turn loads your speed and sets the line you carry up the face, so a lazy bottom turn gives you nothing to snap off.
Aim for the lip, or just under it if the wave has not broken yet. Time it so you meet the steepest part of the face with speed still in the board.
Jam your back foot down hard and snap the nose back down the wave. That hard rotation off the tail is where the turn gets its name and its spray.
Keep your weight forward on the way down, but do not bury the nose. Too much front foot and you nose dive, too little and you slide out the back.
Keep the kite low and moving in the same direction as the wave. A low kite keeps drive through the turn without yanking you up and off your rail.
Do not watch your spray. It looks like a pose and you have better things to focus on, like setting up the next turn.
The re-entry off the lip
The re-entry is the snap's steeper cousin. It is more of a pivot turn and far more vertical, so you take the board up toward the lip and pivot it back down the face.
Treat it as the same bottom turn with more vertical intent. Same low kite, same hard drive off the bottom, but you aim to meet the lip square and rotate off it rather than carving through the pocket.
Survival tips for when it goes wrong
Riding in surf means you will crash your kite, so plan for it. The goal is to lose as little as possible each time and get going again fast.
If you wipe out, try to keep the kite flying in the air. A kite still up is a kite still working, and it saves you a relaunch in the impact zone.
If the kite hits the water, relaunch before a broken wave reaches it. Modern hybrid and bow style kites relaunch quickly, even after a wave or two, though a badly tumbled kite may refuse.
If the kite is down and a wave is about to hit it, unhook and try to hold the bar. Letting it drag you in from the bar means fewer tangled lines when you reach the beach.
Let go of the bar if the wave loads too much force onto it. Saving your shoulders and your kite matters more than saving a few metres of ground.
In bigger, more powerful surf, be ready to fire your safety release. Being dragged under by a powered kite in whitewater is a real drowning risk, so know exactly how your release works before you need it.
Read the beach before you ever let go of gear. Never release a kite where it can wash across crowded sand, and weigh the people downwind of you every time.
If you are stuck behind the break, self rescue. Deflate and roll the kite, close the valves so it does not fill with water, and paddle in on your board.
Stay with your board. It is your best flotation and your safest way out of a bad spot, so never abandon it to chase the kite.
Put your own safety ahead of your gear, always. You can buy another kite, and no session is worth a rescue or worse. Check the warnings before you paddle out on a big day.
Questions & Answers
Should I learn the snap or the re-entry first? Start with the snap. It carves through the pocket and is more forgiving of timing than the vertical re-entry, so it builds the bottom turn and kite control that the re-entry then demands.
Where should the kite sit during these turns? Low and travelling in the same direction as the wave. A high kite pulls you up and off your rail, while a low kite keeps drive through the turn and lets the board do the work.
What kite handles surf crashes best? A kite that relaunches quickly and predictably. Hybrid and bow style kites recover well even after being smashed by a wave, which matters far more in the surf than raw high-end performance.
When should I fire my safety release? When a powered kite in the water is dragging you toward danger and holding the bar is no longer enough. In big whitewater, releasing early beats being pulled under, provided the beach downwind of you is clear.