Is a major part if it . Knowing your kayak and what you are capable on it . Nothing will replace time on the water . Entering and exiting through surf always has risks even for the guys who have been surfing 20 years and kayaking 12 years . These are the guys who don't use leases anymore by choice . The odds of the them loosing a reel are minimal . There are also the unforeseen circumstances like a whale breaching under you , or a dog ( seal ) grabbing your catch off the back of the kayak and rolling you . There is the possibility of having forgotten to back the drag back off after rinsing the reel the day prior , now you have a reel in the rod holder that is not going to give an inch . Guess what will happen when you hook a big black ?
. Anything could happen in the real world , what if you rolled the yak after hooking a 30 lb yellow partly due to wind swell ? You now have a yellow pulling your leashed rod and kayak away from you . With you no longer onboard , he is like a runaway freight train . This sport is not for the faint of heart .
. Heck I have watched an angler juggle rod and reel in hand only to drop it in drink . Probably his go to setup. Maybe he had Mack slime all over his hands? The confidence thing comes with time on the water , which nothing can replace . Hope this sheds some light . Trust me, all or most of the things mentioned above have happened at least once or came very close to happening . Tight lines.