In general, I agree with the prior posts.

What amazes me is that, as sailors, no one has mentioned taking the wind angle into account.

The wind is almost never straight onshore. Even a 5 degree difference in one direction or another will make a huge difference in the tack you want to be on at launch. You DON'T want to tack in surf, and you DEFINITELY want to be on the tack that is taking you out to sea fastest. It gives you more options for being able to bear off without ending up back on the beach, forcing you to tack, etc.

Most of the wipeouts I've seen were caused by getting too sideways, trying to tack, etc. in the surf, and those situations were almost always caused by the boat going out at the wrong angle.

Think about it like stating a race. Watch the wind for at least 15 minutes (30 minutes is better) prior to launching to track any trends, oscillations, etc. If you're just launching (not doing a LeMans start), wait to launch until the wind angle is best (or is starting to swing in your favor).

Hope this helps.

Mike