Well barn i got to laugh because as a partially deaf man i would rather pay for physio than the $10000 that they want for hearing aids but as you guessed im still deaf after going down the chiropracter route for years for my neck so its a delemma do i save for head when the end result is i will hear **** i dont wAnt from people i dont want to listen to or spend it on windsurfing . would like to hear my kids better though most of the time im telling them to shut up . its my personal catch 22[:)
had the spasm thing happing regularly a few years back. has not happened for at least 2 years now. absolutely sure i have it cured with the following 3 things.
1 regular paddleboarding
2 a good chiropractor with regular 6 week visits
3 seat harness
A waist harness should not ride up only maybe after a stack, some people not all that have been using a seat for a long time have gotten into the bad habit of sitting in the harness so when they go to a waist it wants to ride up.
When using a waist keep your shoulders back and your stomach up if that makes sense.
I believe my back feels better after a sail with the waist harness but everybody is different.
Backs feeling pretty good - Chiro says its an offshoot of my usual chronic problem but the exercises/ breathing thingy she gives me can help.
Proud new owner of a Mystic seat harness 
. I found someone who could explain everything better and find ways around the issues I was having opening the clip.It's a mans harness but feels pretty snug and good. Cripes talk about supportive and snug!
Should make a big difference to my sailing power and comfort..
The only thing I was wondering is as its so tight / snug etc when I have a nasty stack it won't come undone like my old one used to so the stacks may be nastier..? Sometimes after a stack I'd be sailing along with the old one and then realise the spreader strap had been ripped undone as I catapulted.
Bring on the wind Wed !!
So much for the new harness. I tried it on today and the top of the back was digging into my back. I didn't notice that in the shop so it didn't get used and I'll have to go and try & get a womans harness somewhere.
Terrific sail nuking on the 4.8n dead flat water..hero gybing .I'll rmember today as one of those days.. few whoops..I only lasted 40 mins and noticed my lower back was aching so came in.
Not sure if it's not totally healed and sailing was aggravating it or the harness is the reason I have a problem. I think I certainly need a new harness though.
If you are after a women's seat harness I can highly recommend the pro limits pure girl seat harness. I brought one a few years ago and love it, it is however starting to fall apart, stitching coming undone fraying so doesn't look great but still works fine. I will definitely buy another one of these its the most comfortable harness I have ever used and I have owned at least 6,and 2 of these were waist harnesses. These were ok when I was waves sailing but I got a really sore back when I used the waist harness on flat water with big sails. DONT buy a men's harness they simply don't fit our shape properly and I think that is the problem with waist harnesses, no matter the technique they would always ride up on me and end up under my armpits unless they were done up so tight that I could hardly breath,!
You can still get the pure girl steat harness I think they are around $150.
Ive got a ladies seat harness . It was the only thing in the shop that fitted my skinny little ass I cant get nail bags to fit either i always have to take them in. Why is everything made for the obese now?
I rarely log posts however this was a huge personal issue for me so hopefully I can help someone else get back on the water
I can vouch for DAM 71's expertise, about 4 years ago I nearly had to give up sailing due to this very
issue, I was living in brisvegas at the time and DAM 71 took me on as a patient, i was fit but unknowinglly had developed a weak core which left me prone to back imjuries of the type you describe, I now live in WA and am sailing 2-3 times a week ( including two Simon Bornhoft course where you sail 5 - 6 hours a day !!). The key for me was core fitness, which I now work on a couple of times a week, the other is a good harness, I went through about 4 before I finally settled on the dakine t5, however it is all so personal that you just have to try and buy, the cost of a harness is not that bad !!! ( compared to not sailing ). Find a good sports physio, preferably one that wind surfs and get to the root of the issue
, DAM 71 is sports physio who has worked on a number of windsurfers ( including I believe Matt Pritchard), if I still lived in QLD I would still be seeing him for regular "back maintenance ". I come from a medical family and have always been warned off chiropractors, the one time someone cracked my back I was stuffed for weeks, I avoid them like the plague now !
Good luck
Doug
I've got a modern harness now and heaps better! I do core exercises for my upper back problem and also if I can sail 2 x a week cope better.Suffer if I only go once every 2 weeks or so...
I think using the bit 7.2m cambered sail 3 x in a week with the 1991 harness (not cinched up correctly either) was a big part of the problem. The new harness is SO supportive!
Glad you got your back under control. In a way it's good to have a problem as then you work at keeping fit/ core muscles etc.I am more aware of my posture too as I know as soon as I am slack in that respect I get a headache.
I have also back pain issue from last year. can't sit on chair for a long time. I feel lot of pain in my back when i sit more time. I don't know about this pain. Is it due to my belly fat or it is a serious matter. Reply must. What you say about it.
Best thing that anyone can do for back pain is have some dorn therapy. A german lady in Avalon Sydney performed this on may back a few years ago and fixed my siatic problem for good. I always windsurf with a waist harness.
