Hi guys. I am new to windsurfing and I am wanting to buy a harness. I have a few questions first of all i was wondering which kind of harness is best for a beginner (waist or seat) also if you could give me a few tips on using the harness eg. When to hook in and where to set harness lines. Lastly if any body had any info as to whether or not you can use a life jacket with a seat or waist harness?????. Any reply would be very appreciated. Thx

Willpower, Same as FormulaNova, seat harness, in preference to a waist harness. The bloody waist things always ride up.
Maybe a waist if you dedicate to waves only.
From Guy Cribb school, his thoughts on hooking in and feet in, was this should be within the first 20 meters, get the hook in, then the feet sharpish. Any further along and its slack sailing he thought.
You ask about life vest, the NP high hook is not to bad a vest, compact and takes the chill out with the padding in the front. Some wont wear a vest at all.
My initial was not too as well, but late 2008/9 a windsurfer lost his life in Northern NSW or Southern Queensland when he was caught in an outgoing tide and huge rollers coming in. No vest and ran out of steam when he became separated from his gear. Promised family I would always wear a vest from then on.
Makes waterstarting a lot easier as well.

Waist harness with long lines for a beginner then depending on your selected discipline, Seat for speed and waist for waves/freestyle. A waist harness will happily do both so it's up to your preference. Getting in the harness early helps you plain but as a beginner you'll be catapulting heaps due to the fact your hooked in, Long lines and a waist harness will help with de-hooking when in trouble. To get going hang low off the boom until fully plaining then stabilize and hook-in and then straps. When you get better it will be hook in, get plaining and then straps. Then after that, hooking-in, plaining and straps at the same time...always front foot into the straps first. My 2 cents, Enjoy the catapults...Just sheet-in when going over, Less painful

Not sure if somebody else could confirm similar observation but when I have been using seat harness I always had terrible back pain the day after.
When switched to waist harness no more such problems ever since.

Macroscien said..

Not sure if somebody else could confirm similar observation but when I have been using seat harness I always had terrible back pain the day after.
When switched to waist harness no more such problems ever since.

wearing your id collar didn't help ??

DNSDC said..

FormulaNova said..

Oh, yeah. I just had a rethink. If you wear size 38 shorts, then I think your best bet is a pair of almost brand new Dakine Nitrous HD harness shorts, specifically in black. I just happen to have a pair for sale too, what a coincidence! When I say 'almost' brand new, they haven't even gotten wet yet! Unfortunately I bought size 38 and need 36, so these have to go.

Just like a seat harness except more comfortable.

http://www.dakine.com/p/kite/harnesses/nitrous-hd

Perhaps they're designed large to allow for the wetsuit underneath?

Good point Maybe I will keep them for when I take up kitesurfing in winter?

Waist harnesses are easier for beginners to hook into.
Ultimately wave sailors prefer waist harnesses, and speed sailors prefer seat harnesses.
Waist harnesses only work well if you have a waist.
Seat harnesses work better with a life jacket than waist harnesses. I also prefer the NPX flotation vest to other life jackets as they don't ride up.

I experienced what Windxtasy and Mineral said above.

Waist is easier to start with, but for me it quickly turned into a "chest harness", and I had to play with the boom height and harness lines length, and that didn't work well.
I prefer my the seat harness these days.

I would consider a waist harness again, just read up on the better ones.

It seems to be related to body shape, tall, long waisted, or heavy people and most women seem to be forced to wear a seat harness. Most people I see in a waist harness are short or average height, reasonably fit and generally younger.

Windxtasy said..
Waist harnesses only work well if you have a waist.

So this is why I can't wear a waist harness.

I've used a seat harness for 25 years. In that time I've sailed in the waves and on flat water, on wave boards, freerace boards and race boards. Maybe its what I'm used to.

Try both and see what works for you

lao shi said..

I sailed with a seat / surf seat for 20+ years. Last year switched to a waist and wonder why it took me so long.
Use it for waves, slalom, speed and the only area it does not work very well in is slogging with bigger slalom sails.
However I had to try a bunch of different harnesses and get a wider bar to get it to fit solidly around the hips rather than the waist.
I use mine with a prolimit vest which is not a perfect fit but doesn't bother me when sailing.

Lao, thats great for people that actually have a waist, for the Larger Gentlemen with no waist it just keeps slipping up

hardie said..

lao shi said..

I sailed with a seat / surf seat for 20+ years. Last year switched to a waist and wonder why it took me so long.
Use it for waves, slalom, speed and the only area it does not work very well in is slogging with bigger slalom sails.
However I had to try a bunch of different harnesses and get a wider bar to get it to fit solidly around the hips rather than the waist.
I use mine with a prolimit vest which is not a perfect fit but doesn't bother me when sailing.

Lao, thats great for people that actually have a waist, for the Larger Gentlemen with no waist it just keeps slipping up

I would have thought a large stomach or beergut would have stopped a harness riding up? Not saying that's you..[:0

Macroscien said..

Not sure if somebody else could confirm similar observation but when I have been using seat harness I always had terrible back pain the day after.
When switched to waist harness no more such problems ever since.

YES!!!

I tried a seat harness for the first time last weekend and my back has been screwed all week. I absolutely loved that it didn't ride up but the back issues are a bummer.

Maybe due to the wind being marginal so was only in harness 1/2 the time and even then all the weight was not always being taken through the harness. Heavier winds may make a difference.