My current prolimit rambler seat harness is getting a bit tired.
Thought I might get a new one.
What do people recommend as a seat harness for slalom/gps speed sailing and general cruising around.

I like the Hybrid ones, the best of both worlds. :)

Don't get the Severne Pod !!! They are Fkn horrible! They are nothing compared to the Rambler

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AusMoz said..
Don't get the Severne Pod !!! They are Fkn horrible! They are nothing compared to the Rambler

I've got and love it apart from the hook straps loosening every few runs

Severne CMR if you can get hold of one. Best harness I've ever had. Higher hook, great hook too. Full back support, feels very comfortable and very versatile, I use it for flat water and waves.

Get one that fits you as it's your arse and back which has got to use it

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AusMoz said..
Don't get the Severne Pod !!! They are Fkn horrible! They are nothing compared to the Rambler

Luv my Severne Pod
it's just a personal choice we're all built different, some look like a tub of lard and need a "laz y boy" strapped to their ar*e while others ( like me) are just svelte and beatuful you've just got to go and try different ones on.

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Ben1973 said..

AusMoz said..
Don't get the Severne Pod !!! They are Fkn horrible! They are nothing compared to the Rambler

I've got and love it apart from the hook straps loosening every few runs

Exactly!!!!!! Lossening up every few runs! Harness bar actually way too short too

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AusMoz said..
Exactly!!!!!! Losening up every few runs! Harness bar actually way too short too

The hardness-bar is a long forgotten important part of a harness. If you are width-challenged (either wider-than-average or narrower-than-average) then you should have a bar that is of corresponding size so that the harness pulls evenly across your body.

Other bar features should also be available - I prefer a roller hook because I wear-out my harness lines (maybe I sail too much), other people prefer a sliding-bar (particularly long-distance sailors).

It would also be nice if the welded bits didn't corrode

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mathew said..

AusMoz said..
Exactly!!!!!! Losening up every few runs! Harness bar actually way too short too

The hardness-bar is a long forgotten important part of a harness. If you are width-challenged (either wider-than-average or narrower-than-average) then you should have a bar that is of corresponding size so that the harness pulls evenly across your body.

Other bar features should also be available - I prefer a roller hook because I wear-out my harness lines (maybe I sail too much), other people prefer a sliding-bar (particularly long-distance sailors).

It would also be nice if the welded bits didn't corrode

Yep agree totally! The bars on my last 3 harnesses have all failed - welds especially! I'm going to be looking at kite harnesses I think.

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AusMoz said..

Ben1973 said..

AusMoz said..
Don't get the Severne Pod !!! They are Fkn horrible! They are nothing compared to the Rambler

I've got and love it apart from the hook straps loosening every few runs

Exactly!!!!!! Lossening up every few runs! Harness bar actually way too short too

First couple of runs I had the same issue, straps coming loose. What you can do to resolve this issue is re loop the strap. Have been using it for 2 years and haven't moved.

Can't say enough about the Liberty Carbon Harness. Becoming very popular with PWA slalom sailors for good reason.

No slip.

It depends on whether you want a high or low hook. For GPS speed sailing I like the Severne Pod because it has a low hook. I solved the slipping straps by looping the straps as noted above in posts by Remery and Catchmeifucan.

I used to have a Prolimit Rambler, they were good. I currently use an ION Fuel. They have minimum padding so fit to your body shape, unlike harnesses with hard padding/shells where they only fit where they touch. 4 anchor points for the spreader bar, so you can adjust height a bit. They had a bad batch of spreader bars 6 or so years ago, which broke prematurely, but fine now. They were cheapest on the market too. I bought a spare harness (about 5 years ago when I bought a replacement spreader bar, still unused) as getting seat harnesses can be difficult as the shops tend to want to sell expensive waist harnesses.

foward wip is good.

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mathew said..

AusMoz said..
Exactly!!!!!! Losening up every few runs! Harness bar actually way too short too

The hardness-bar is a long forgotten important part of a harness. If you are width-challenged (either wider-than-average or narrower-than-average) then you should have a bar that is of corresponding size so that the harness pulls evenly across your body.

Other bar features should also be available - I prefer a roller hook because I wear-out my harness lines (maybe I sail too much), other people prefer a sliding-bar (particularly long-distance sailors).

It would also be nice if the welded bits didn't corrode

Before I buy a harness -I check the welds - found holes in the welds in a few new harnesses.

I have a Severne Pod for years and has no issues with it.
Best seat harness I've ever had.

Not for you if you like a big padded harness though.
Have a look at the Starboard Drake (developed with Liberty) in this case.

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dkeating said..
My current prolimit rambler seat harness is getting a bit tired.
Thought I might get a new one.
What do people recommend as a seat harness for slalom/gps speed sailing and general cruising around.

If you like your Prolimit Rambler, maybe replace it with the updated Rambler or Race. The hook height on Prolimit Race is the same as the Rambler, only difference is the Race has a bit more back support.

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Awalkspoiled said..
Can't say enough about the Liberty Carbon Harness. Becoming very popular with PWA slalom sailors for good reason.

Been looking at getting one of these, been using a Dakine XT Seat Harness up till now and need to replace it. Was originally thinking of switching to a waist harness as you see most people these days using waist harnesses but after seeing the liberty harness and how a lot of PWA slalom sailors are now using this harness, I'm interested in hearing from anyone that's used one and was wondering what the liberty harness is like compared to a seat harness.

Because of lower back issues I have I need to get a harness that has decent back support so was wondering of you can let me know more about the harness and if it will provide the back support I need.

I mainly sail slalom and speed boards and occasionally wave kit. I have though just invested in a old JP formula board and a foil so will be using it for foiling as well

as an tangent to this topic, I'm not convinced that seat harness gives better back support. I say this as someone who always used a seat, even in waves, until about a year ago. I have had fewer back problems since then, after switching mainly to waist. i suspect that with so much weight and force on your lower back and coccyx, that every bump and jolt from the rig imparts sudden compression on that area many times a minute. Rather than supporting your back, the seat is jarring it. This does not happen nearly as much with the waist harness. At least that's what i think is happening with me. (That said, I'd still go for a seat if using a big sail, long lines, out board straps and really hanging out off the rail using your body weight in that way.)

The worst for my back has been the more modern free-ride seat harnesses, they just seem to block all the movement of the lower back.

The waist harness is much better, for me, but the regular ones will keep sliding up when slogging. The best for me has been the hybrid ones, they fit like a waist harness but can also be positioned precisely over the hips and will stay there due to the leg straps. I now use it for everything, Formula, slalom and waves. Highly recommended.

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musorianin said..
as an tangent to this topic, I'm not convinced that seat harness gives better back support. I say this as someone who always used a seat, even in waves, until about a year ago. I have had fewer back problems since then, after switching mainly to waist. i suspect that with so much weight and force on your lower back and coccyx, that every bump and jolt from the rig imparts sudden compression on that area many times a minute. Rather than supporting your back, the seat is jarring it. This does not happen nearly as much with the waist harness. At least that's what i think is happening with me. (That said, I'd still go for a seat if using a big sail, long lines, out board straps and really hanging out off the rail using your body weight in that way.)

Agreed. Thats why I started using a waist harness for 5.2m and below. 6m+ I use a seat harness, as the water is flatter and less jarring, and I find seat easier for controlling larger sails.