Video Post!

Found this great video set from the Aussies on how to self rescue if you end up crashing your kite.

Crashing is learning, so you definitely want to get the self rescue down.  A lot of people think you have to just float downwind after you self rescue.  Not So!  You can pull that kite tip to you and sail that bad boy right back to the beach.

Here's the basic self rescue:

And here's the more advanced version if you have to deflate the kite (or it blows up and deflates itself, etc):

There are cycles in crashing. When you first begin, it'll be accidental, then for a while you won't crash much at all, and then you'll get more adventurous with your jumps and tricks, and the crashes will come back. Heck, even a seasoned kiter will get an inverted kite or weird gust once in a while. So the better your crash recovery technique, the better your gear will hold up, and the more fun you'll get out of every season. Good luck!