Hey all. Does anyone have any experience going from waist to seat harness for boosting? These days go out and just boost all the time and getting lower back problems, even with the mystic x hard shell. I already do all the core and gym stuff with ongoing treatment for tight facet joints L3-4.
hope that the seat will give me more longevity and more low back support?
tried the b2 shorts and no good really.
any advice much appreciated or experience with the ion radar seat?
54 and feeling it.
cheers

For boosting, especially with injured lumbar spine, seat harness will be a lot easier. Because of the lower attachment point it is easier to lift the board and stabilize the boost. However, not all seat harnesses are the same. You need to try in the shops to see which fits best. I have three suggestions:
1. Choose a harness where the attachment point is lower than your belly button.
2. When you are powered up, you must feel the support at your lumbar spine.
3. Don't worry about your age.

Mystic Marshall has done the trick for me and bad back. I reckon it improves boosting, as U can get hook lower when powering up.

I've always used a seat harness, always had lower back issues.
always loved my 2001wipika pilot seat. ( now my foiling harness.
use a Dakine nitrous shorts seat harness with a 2003 Wipika spreader bar. Ditched the dakine bar/pad as the pad would put load on hips and aggravate my back. No pad allows free movement of bar without the added pressure. I now just get limited by my knees.

maybe this will help your choice.

ps: better board release will help no end.

harness is the hardest thing to get a good fit..Your only option is to try different ones and it helps if you can get one from a friend or shop to try. I use both, Mystic X for LEI kites and Mystic Driver seat for foil kites. It also helps to have the right bar setup - a small loop and massive depower..like Mystic freeride spreader bar.

Why were the shorts no good?

i use Dakine Fusion for twin tipping. It's supportive but massive, and can be restrictive around the legs.
Prefer my Mystic Star, which is a hybrid - waist with briefs and leg strap - but can't beat the diaper for comfort.

I don't have a back problem that interferes with my kiting but use Ion Radar harness with a sliding rope for quite some time (3 years?). I found it super comfy, the leg straps don't dig in at all ( basically I don't feel them) and there are no issues with boosting either. I got it when I hurt my ribs but never went back to my old Mystic Warrior. Liked it so much that I bought another one as I lost some weight and my L size was a bit too big even when set to min size. I therefore I have size L and M. We can line up a kiting session if you want to try it (lately I like downwinders from Leighton to Trigg) - let me know if you want to do this (I am currently away camping but will be back on 11th Jan).

i know we are all different shapes and what works for me may not work for you but it is worth a try.

I don't have back problems, but have been using the Dakine Nitrous shorts with a Dynabar rope slider spreader bar for a number of years. Comfortable, very functional and of course don't ride up. I find them much kinder to my back than a waist harness. Only problem with Dakine is that they are just hopeless with supply - waited 6 months for my last shorts to arrive.

I had chronic back problems and I think the seat harness made it worse (restricted nerve in lower back, couple of compression fractures). The seat harness lets you get away with bad habits and the locked in forces can put a lot of load on your low back.

I switched to waist harnesses and have had zero back problems since. The physiological problems are still there but I think the waist harness promotes improved technique and all the flexing and movement have been great for building a healthy back.

It's important to adjust a waist harness properly. It needs to be snug but not too tight. If it's too tight when it rides up it gets jammed around your ribs. A looser harness comes up then slides back down when you bring the kite down.

You need to ride with your back straight, hips forward, arms relatively straight. Ride with the kite a little lower so it pulls the harness down onto your hips.

Cheers for all the replies. I suppose it's something I'm going to have to try. I love the fit of my waist harness and it feels super comfortable, it's more the fact that I literally do hundreds of jumps in a hour session that maybe aggravating my low back. So I'm wondering if a seat harness would ease that problem? I just love to boost.

Seat harness straps can be murder on testicles.

The only time I've had anything like back pain from jumping with a waist harness is those jumps where you get snapped like the cracker on a whip.

Big floaty boosts shouldn't be a problem if you're sending the kite forward and landing with speed. The slide up of the harness should be momentary and it should come down as the kite comes forward.

Tip.getting your "nut sack" on the wrong side of the leg straps on a seat harness takes your mind off lower back pain

Yeh and the they dangle pretty low these days

Seat harness for sure. In racing circles they are even cool :) and yeah good ones are totally comfortable. I was just kiting yesterday on a TT in my racing seat harness and noticed how I never have to touch my harness its like its not even there. Mine is a Dakine, super light and strong, highly recommended.

Ion seat, coz Dakine is like a hens teeth.

Got both. Ion is better coz of extra support for the bar, but the bar must be Ion one.

No nuts issues if and only if with a wetty. If not wearing something under the straps, good luck with that.

Boosting is higher, 100% convinced in that.

Cheers for that. I suppose if you can hold down I bit more power, you should in theory go bigger? I may try the seat harness and it makes the back worse, but besides other things I have to give it a try.

Put it this way, went out this arvo with old w. harness, I really dont know how I used it for many years. Its rubbish.
This one does not move, meaning your skill will improve 100%.
Yes, the centre of gravity is lower. Works for me, but Im light.