I Didn't lose it, it was a goodbye.

(I took this picture of my breakfast while Manolo was landing my kite, right before this adventure. )

Today,  as I was replying to a Facebook thread about my kite and how I lost it to the ocean today,  I realized, I didn't lose it, if was more like a good bye, more like, you have accomplished your job, and now its time to let go.....

Today @ La Playita in Tulum,  I had being kiting since 8 30 , honestly the conditions weren't great,  but I was having a blast.... On shore winds, 12/14 knots at the most, and lots of sea weed..... really choppy as well, and wavy in the back by the reef, as its SE winds..... 

anyways, I kited like 3 hrs, I spoke to the crew at Morph,  I even ordered a customized breakfast,  I had my coffee, found a cigarette some where, and going back and forth from Orange Juice to Coffee, and really enjoying my breakfast. while I was watching Manolo riding my kite, and doing some tricks, when he landed the kite, seemed that the wind was picking up, I was sore for all morning riding, had a different harness, so my abs are as well, both , sored and red..... Manolo, said to me : man, if you take the surf board you are going to have fun as the waves in the back are really nice...... I thought it was a great idea, so I took his surfboard, and my kite, and I started riding.... this is where it gets weird.... as my behavior on the water started changing, as I immediately did something I normally don't do..... I rode, all the way to the end of the Hotel Zone, past Rosa del  Viento, just going Upwind,  and then, I came back, all the way through the reef, probably at 1 km off shore...... I passed La Playita Morph,  and decided to go, again unusually,  all the way up towards The Ruins ...   

Remember the Self Rescue Situation I had with Manolo by the waves? ..... well, when I was going back downwind,  I rode by this same site, and the waves were  very big,  I realized the waters where kinda .... I wanted to call them "spiky" just like the "potato bag effect" you see in San Francisco bay, just after passing Anita´s Rock, and before crossing the Bridge...... I also noticed that the current which was really strong on shore ,  over here was actually going off shore...... so, anywyas, I dint stayed, and I kept riding downwind, right in front of Papaya Playa, I was probably 2km away of shore.... maybe 1.5 km .... hard to tell, but The Rock in front of El Pez, looked very small....

well, something told me to turn around and start carving upwind ,  and getting deeper and deeper into the ocean, as I was past the reef, and the waves were getting bigger, nicer and super round!!!!,  My goal, was to get to the waves in front of La Playita, and ride out finally....

when I was going upwind,  the direction of the waves and the wind and current made those rides almost perfect.... not so much when i was turning downwind, as the direction of the waves and wind, left me underpowered...... but going upwind they were so great, so I had to stop there and play..... the water was really milky, as the ocean was super "jumpy",  and I was quit far, so i couldn't have a mistake..... That being said......

I see this wave forming, probably, 8 to 10 footers.... super round ..... and breaking really nice.... and I was in the middle of the set.... I start riding it, and its taking me so smooth, that Im barely using my kite to tow me, and Im just on top of the surf board riding the wave........ when I start turning on the wave, and I have to down loop my kite to continue riding the wave...... the wave was faster than the wind was..... and I just saw how my kite touched the water, while I was on top of the wave..... I knew right then, I was in deep sh*t! 3 seconds later..... I see my self under the water, and being pulled by a tractor, that same wave took my kite, and destroyed it while it was dragging me,  my leash was on suicide mode, so not even a chance to depower the kite a bit..... when I finally got to the surface..... I can see my kite like a Hawaiian Dress...... and the struts totally twisted to  a point that I couldn't identify how my kite was twirled..... I started doing my self rescue, I haven't even started doing my first wrap around, when I look back, and another white monster crashing in my head...... and after went over me, started dragging  me again, as it caught my kite again..... thats when I realize I can't self rescue....... so, what  I did, as well, because now I have no tension on my lines, I started swimming towards my kite, as I need it as a flotation device, as Im quit far...... as I reach it, another wave, and here I am, all tangled in between the kite my bar, even the board was tangled...... I have a knife on my harness, but so many lines around me, so I started wrapping my lines around my bar, anyway possible, and trying to get the lines off of my body...... another wave...... then my surf board starts taking away,  and by now Im just floating on top of my kite and trying to decide what should I do, as as well my kite is ripped and twisted so much, so I can use it as a sail.....  I let go off the kite, and went to get the surfboard...... and swam back to the kite...... again , I climbed into my kite, and start using it as a boat, using half of the kite as a sail, to get blown on shore,  but now I realize, the Rock in from of El Pez, is now further ...... I started looking around me, and I noticed Im at the Rip Curl, and this thing is taking me Off shore... well, my dear kite, I guess we are not going to make it, either I let go off the kite and swim on the surf board out ( If I had a Twin tip, the situation would have been different ) ,  or I let go off the surf board and try to rescue the kite....... another wave...... a bigger one,  and Im tangled again, now with the bridles of the kite...... so, the answer now is very obvious....... I untangled myself and finally released the safety from my leash.... It was weird, .... as now, all the drama stopped, and I felt more in control, as during all this adventure, I felt totally out of control of the situation, as I was getting pounded all over the sea.....  I started swimming on top of the surfboard, I opened and released my spreader bar, so my belly is flat on the board, and started swimming in, I still have my harness on, which helps me float, ...... I kept looking at my kite, going off shore,  floating away,  and it looked so small as now its a total tangle with bar , lines and fabric.....

I swim a little bit more and it was rough as I was trapped on this current, off shore..... so I just calmed down, and started paddling softly, I remember during that period, my friend Gustavo from Brasil, when he taught me how to surf, and he always told me how to remain calmed, and paddle only over the surface and not to do a lot of effort, and take little brakes.... that worked very well.... Valeu Gu!!!!

by now, my kite is totally off site....... and my mission : to get out of those waves, and that current,....  looooong story short..... I swam out,  long ways, safe, tired, with my abs totally burned... and with a feeling of having lost something or somebody, its difficult to explain...... and this is now how I realized, that was the best way to say good bye to my Kite. The Ocean has claimed it.

Manolo said that to me,  man I think that was the best way to say good bye to your kite, claimed by the ocean.....

Thank you all, for those who went on the trucks and the kites looking for me when you realized I had problems, although you didn't find me, but it was a big relief knowing that you guys went on my search....

all good now, another experience, and another eye opener..... :)


 i just wanted to share this story with you, for whatever is worth, if anybody can learn something out of this....

I have been a professional kiteboarder for over 10 years, and this things happen....just be aware. :)

Always Respect the nature, 

Always be prepared to react and be able to take decisions under pressure, 

Always remember, 2014 was a rehearsal, 

2015 is Showtime,

David Furchtgott

Morph, Life is Better in the Air.