I had a rather uncomfortable experience in the surf a few months ago prior to going out I had read somewhere that you should rig to roll and dress to swim and this is something I do without question now I wear a wetsuit of some kind dependent upon conditions and light easily removable clothing over the top if its cold/windy booties on the feet and of course the PFD, I take minimal gear and the gear is strapped down. As far as anchoring is concerned I have arpund 40m of line so if I want to anchor in a certain position I drop the anchor 30m or so away wait for it to catch and then I just let the line out till I am in position. My anchor line has ease of release and there is a float on the end for later retrieval if I have to let it go.