My beach is totally exposed to the Pacific (ie no shelter). How does one safely launch through the surf? By late summer we
will be down to < 2ft breakers.

You need to have your rudders as far down as possible, shove off in the lowest of the surf, head up just before the curl and drive off for speed behind the curl.
Get the rudders down as soon as you can safely do it.

Those are the basics.
Good luck,
Rick