I'm new to both kite surfing and this forum - so, Hi!

After my first experiences with kitesurfing in 2015, i'm currently in the process of buying my first own kite gear, yay! unfortunately i'm currently in the classic newbie's conundrum "waist or seat harness??". I originally wanted to get the Mystic Aviator because it worked great for me in the kite course but loads of people told me that i'd regret that soon and will want to get rid of the "diper" very quickly. So, i'm thinking "waist harness it is". Problem is, I'm not the classic hour-glass shaped girl and when i once tried a north waist harness i permenantly had the hook between my boobs. great. so i'm very undecided and have absolutely no kite center anywhere near me (i'm a landlocked swiss) and hence cant follow the advice that will undoubtedly follow "go try different models on and see for yourselves" (thank you anyhow, i know you meant well!). I've tried googling for a waist harness that has a low hook position but got zero results for that. So i was wondering if anyone of you knows:

Are there any girls waist harnesses out there with a low hook position?

i'm imagining something like a broad spreader pad with the hook positioned low instead of in the middle of the pad so even if the harness rides up a bit (which - i've been told - it will, no matter what you do), the hook remains on the belly and not in my cleavage.

Any ideas? Any tip for getting me out of the dilemma (even a good old "get a seat harness, you'll never be happy with a waist harness!") will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you and cheers!

Gave a girl lessons a few years ago and she had this harness, then kited with a chick wearing the same in very powered conditions, due to most kites long throw at the bar and girls lesser arm reach I'd certainly give one a go, ultra light as harnesses go( especially seat) and they look good






Cheap as chips too

Don't let people tell you, you have to wear a waist harness. It's all about comfort. I tried one years ago and hated it. If the hook is too high your reach is limited. I wear Dakine Nitros Shorts and won't wear anything else (13 years experience).

When u first get your p's your mates tell you you have to get mag wheels, a subwoofer and a playboy sticker on your 93 Barina hatch back also..

But your probably not a kid anymore! so do what is comfortable to you, there are damn fine looking seat harnesses out these days if style is a concern I think "nappy harnesses" are a thing of the past.

Also consider any of the 'boards short harnesses' that act like a seat harness with a lower pull but just are sown into a pair of shorts. Not as durable and a little more expensive but look a bit better.

It sound's like you'd be far better in a seat than a waist harness as seat harnesses can't
ride up and keep the bar in close to give you better range and posture rather than a harness
that ride's up and is very uncomfortable and put's you in a fully stretched out position just
to try to control and depower the kite by letting the bar out. Try on a few different brands..
Dakine fall apart and so do naish. Try prolimit or mystic if you want 1 that will last n not fall
apart after using it for it's intended purpose. good luck

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Fly on da wall said...

It sound's like you'd be far better in a seat than a waist harness as seat harnesses can't
ride up and keep the bar in close to give you better range and posture rather than a harness
that ride's up and is very uncomfortable and put's you in a fully stretched out position just
to try to control and depower the kite by letting the bar out. Try on a few different brands..
Dakine fall apart and so do naish. Try prolimit or mystic if you want 1 that will last n not fall
apart after using it for it's intended purpose. good luck

I've the same seat harness, blokes version, vega from memory, never once washed it, ride only in powered to overpowered conditions, kite every windy day , and we get plenty per year, lasted two and a half years no issues like the past dakines , but on a newbie as I ripped by arse on some reef, they are lightweight and IMO the lightest on the market, with that though comes a real nice fit compared to most out there and I think I paid just over $120
From memory

Another consideration or something to combine with your low hook harness is a smaller chicken loop, it helps bring the bar in closer.
Also, after a couple of sessions you will naturally ride with the kite lower and lose the poo man stance, which in turn stops the kite from pulling your harness up.

Take a look at the 2016 Slingshot compstick (above bar depower) its trim block can be moved up and down to suit riders with shorter arms. I am thinking of getting one my self

thanks a bunch to all of you! Short arms are deffo an issue so you got me convinced - waist harness is off my list.
Cheers!

I had a Mystic Warrior waist harness for my first few years of kiting, then changed to Dakine Nitrous shorts 3 years ago. Couldn't believe how much better it felt, harness doesn't ride up, no pressure on ribs, reach easier.

The only problem is you feel a bit more fixed at the hips. My hook also slowly shifts to one side during a session and I have to keep yanking it back to the middle. I've just bought a Dynabar to see if it helps with these issues, not even taken it out on the water yet but pretty keen to give it a blast.

The Mystic Supporter seat is what you want. Try 1 on!

I'd say by the time you progress to a waist harness, your seat harness will be flogged out anyway. That being said, IMO seat harnesses teach you a poor riding style, and its easier to learn to ride upwind with a waist, since you can twist in the harness and open up your body a lot more.

I kite with the dakine vision seat harness, and it's great - but it gives hella wedgies.

I went with a seat because my back is broken and wanted to not have the force go through my lowerback.

I'm still a newbie kiter, but I decided to bite the bullet and go to a waist harness - I bought an NP waist harness, I'm not long torsoed so all waistys sit high on me, but this one is okay!

It's worth going to all the shops and trying loads on, maybe even try the ones designed for wind surfing?

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Livlove said..
I kite with the dakine vision seat harness, and it's great - but it gives hella wedgies.

I went with a seat because my back is broken and wanted to not have the force go through my lowerback.

I'm still a newbie kiter, but I decided to bite the bullet and go to a waist harness - I bought an NP waist harness, I'm not long torsoed so all waistys sit high on me, but this one is okay!

It's worth going to all the shops and trying loads on, maybe even try the ones designed for wind surfing?

Yeah, I have a dakine seat also and it wedge's hard up ya bum... and falls apart like the naish seat!

Mystic seems really comfortable without the wedgee's and very supportive and well made. N I pay retail so no affiliation with any products.

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KIT33R said..
Don't let people tell you, you have to wear a waist harness. It's all about comfort. I tried one years ago and hated it. If the hook is too high your reach is limited. I wear Dakine Nitros Shorts and won't wear anything else (13 years experience).

+1 for the Nitrous Shorts. Comfortable and don't ride up. I haven't used my waist harness since buying them.

Dakine nitrous with slider gives a low hook...
This is the best set up...

+1 for seat. Lower hook and centre of pull means you can carry more power, and I find heaps more comfortable and supportive when boosting. Actually using a seat with Dynabar which works pretty good at the moment.

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jamesperth said..
+1 for seat. Lower hook and centre of pull means you can carry more power, and I find heaps more comfortable and supportive when boosting. Actually using a seat with Dynabar which works pretty good at the moment.

My wife got this one!

kiteshop.fr/harnais-kitesurf-culotte/1024-dakine-vision-2017.html

She wears by it

tbh women usually have such narrow waists that there shouldnt really be a reason to wear a seat harness.

even if you dont have a narrow waist you are still a woman so you should have much less trouble than men keeping your harness down.

The issue is usually in the kite behaviour. If you keep the kite too high it will have a tendency to ride up. If you keep it low it will ride down. Therefore keep the kite low.

if you have to keep your kite high because you are going upwind in very light wind you need to make sure that you lean right back against the power/lift of the kite and dont poostance. The higher the kite the more you have to lean back.

+1 for dakine shorts, love them!

The shorts are great or low profile seat harness as shown above.if you can find someone who can weld.I cut the hook off the spreader bar and re insert it and weld it back in.giving you even more reach on the bar againing other 20 to 40mm.