Big Wave Progression: 5 Things I’ve Learned the Hard Way
It’s only natural to want progression, that need to push your limit and see what’s possible. And while bigger isn’t always better, it can be a lot of fun to step things up and tackle more critical waves. The kite is a great way to access those waves you might not otherwise get a chance to ride, but that comes with its own challenges and risks.
Over the years I’ve ended up in some crazy situations and out on days that made me nervous (to say the least). I’ve learned a lot and sure, there are some things I wouldn’t repeat and some things I’ve learned the hard way, sometimes twice. But for the most part I’ve been able to manage those risks and avoid catastrophe.
I figured I’d share some of the things I’ve learned and hopefully help others have fun and stay alive on the water.
1. Assess the conditions and always have an exit strategy.
You must be comfortable in what you’re about to go into and you ALWAYS need an exit strategy.
So imagine the worst-case scenario, usually it’ll be something like your kite going down in the waves and you can’t get it back up. What happens then? Are you getting washed into a channel or onto rocks? What will you do at that point based on the conditions? (HINT: If you don’t have an answer to that question, don’t go out!)
Understanding the local conditions is going to give you the confidence to make decisions if it goes bad. And also give you the confidence to go out there and have a rewarding session rather than hanging on for dear life and having an ordinary session.
When it all goes wrong. At the Zoo, Western Australia. I might have lost the kite but I still had my board, a great argument for wearing a legrope…
2. Fly the kite.
Once you’re in the water, your Number One goal is to keep your kite in the sky because that means you can get yourself out of any situation. If you do get yourself into trouble, you need to focus on that above all else. I like to hone my focus on the kite and say to myself, “fly the kite, fly the kite, fly the kite….”
If I do have a really bad wipeout and I don’t know which way to fly the kite, I just let go of the bar. It’ll either stay in the air or fall to the left or right of the window. But basically if you don’t know which way to fly, don’t fly it at all and release.
Kiting Cloudbreak in 2021.
3. Keep calm and carry on (with point 2).
If you’re caught on the inside, the worst thing you can do is focus on the wave coming toward you. Use your peripheral vision to do that while you focus on point 2, flying the kite. Plus, staring at a huge wave coming toward you just increases adrenalin and detracts from the important thing – keeping the kite in the sky!
4. Preparation is the key to confidence.
The kite allows us to ride waves that might be bigger than we’d surf. But you still need the skills to deal with these waves whether you’re on the kite or surfing. There are some great online programs that deal with what to do in big waves and provide some great skills and techniques such as breath work and breath holding, slowing heart rate, calming the mind and other water safety practises. My good friend, Mark Visser has created one called The Ocean Warrior that I recommend. We also like to bring Mark to Kite Weeks when we can so he can share this knowledge in person. Check it out and see if it’s right for you.
Mark Visser hosting a practical breath-hold session in Fiji during Kite Week.
5. Know your gear and look after it.
You really can’t afford to be on poor equipment, especially on big days. There’s no room for lines breaking or kites deflating so you must be able to trust your gear and ride the best in these situations. Make sure you carefully examine it while you’re setting up and if you haven’t used it for a while, ask yourself, “is today the day I want to pump up this thing that hasn’t seen the light of day in 6months?” Probably not.