Just curious what other people use. Do you use a fixed harness bar or one that slides?
Me= slider

not seen a slider since the 80's.

slider for waves

fixed for flat water blasting / slalom..

Been using a fixed for ever.

Bought a F.O Indie harness last season with a slider and love it.
Would not use fixed now.

Fixed, though I plan to go back and give the sliding bar another go as I get peeved being restricted when pointing upwind

Slider always, I sail in waves mostly. I like to rotate my hips so I'm facing in the direction that I'm going, it gives me better leverage on the board and rig, as well as improving my vision of the water texture.
There are few sliders left in the market, but you can get a slider conversion for the DaKine NRC waist harness, which I use and like.
What I would really like to see is for DaKine to bring back the "surf seat", it had a slider configuration with a high hook, best harness ever IMO, but they quit making them. The legs tire out quicker with a waist harness.

I use to have DAKine surf seat as well till it basically fell apart after years of use. I have now changed to a Blank Force convertible harness which is actually a kiting one, but I like the high hook and fact it changes between a high seat and waist harness. Still prefer the DA Kine Surf Seat as it was lighter, but the Blank Force is a pretty solid harness with good support.

Using fixed right now but wish it was a slider. Used to have a Surf-Seat too. Was awesome. Using a Fusion now - would be good if it slid.

Fixed spreader bar, slack harness.. So rather than have the hook move, just turn your body in the harness. Also means you can run the waist harness lower.

I can't understand doing a harness up tight, it's so uncomfortable not being able to change positions..

Anyone seen that dude at Sandy Point with two hooks?

Hook up hook down ........but you gotta be able to slide around

Slider all the way, every time I try to use a fixed bar, I get catapulted all the time.

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king of the point said...
Hook up hook down ........but you gotta be able to slide around

KOTP - You are a poet and I didn't even know it...

Seems like there are a lot of sliders who tack both ways.

And I thought it was only kiters who were into that sort of thing.

I had a slider of some sort, way back, think it was a Pryde, whatever, it worked well and was definitely less stressful on the spine. Can't remember whether it eventually fell apart, or maybe I lost it. I've been searching for a modern version but have not found one yet. Maybe we could invite DaKine and Pryde etc to this forum topic and hope that they might be prepared to reintroduce a new and improved slider.

Have been using a slider forever. As the harness wears out i just swap the bar over to the new one I now have a north pryde harness.

I used my Da Kinetic Surf Seat with a sliding bar till last year. The original aluminium bar wore out years ago. I had a stainless one on it since.The plastic buckle shattered during an ugly catapult. So I replaced it with a Naish seat harness with a fixed bar. The leg straps are uncomfortable and it's hard to swim in the surf unlike the Da Kine Surf Seat. Finally I got a Da Kine Chameleon waist harness with a fixed bar. IMO this one eats them both.
It provides great back support and allows plenty of body twist. I like to wear it tight, but that's personal preference. It would work fine worn loose. It's also by far the easiest to swim in.

Question for all those who favour a slider:
How much side to side 'slide' do these harnesses provide? For example is it about 10cm (ie. 5cm either side of centre)?

Depends on how wide the spreader is, I found a spreader bar from an old harness for girls that is only about 8" wide, which is shorter than the usual 10 to 12" wide. It gives me plenty of slide, which I prefer.

It also depends on the harness, as to how far apart the buckles are.

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barn said...
Fixed spreader bar, slack harness.. So rather than have the hook move, just turn your body in the harness. Also means you can run the waist harness lower.

I can't understand doing a harness up tight, it's so uncomfortable not being able to change positions..

Anyone seen that dude at Sandy Point with two hooks?

AMAC

I've still got the same question; would like more responses:
Question for those who favour a slider:

How much side to side hook movement/slide does your harness provide?
For example is it about 10cm (ie. 5cm either side of centre)?

[I'm not interested in wearing my harness loose to achieve this. Rather be snug and secure and know exactly where the hook is.]

I use a slider and although it sometimes ends up on wrong side especially after a catapult a hip shimmy and job done!

Am sure there are times when I am going to come off but the slider allows a bit of error and you can catch yourself before swimming.

Just went back to a slider after 7 years on a fixed...
LOVING IT

Dakine T6 is the bomb !!!

WindWarrior,
Is this the slider that you've got?
Wondering if the retaining strap on which the hook slides stays tight?
Looks like it would stretch out, get a bit loose, and then become awkward to unhook?

Gday AF1,

nope I don't have that bar.
The new T6 Dakine has the standard spreader with two metal loops that the webbing loops through.
To try and answer some of your questions, the bar on mine moves/sides about 10cm each way BUT that is dependent on how tight you crank down the belt that runs through the spreader. The tighter you crank it the less movement. If I crank mine as tight as is comfortable it will only slide about 2mm in each direction.

If you want more movement/slide... you simply rig it looser.
Note, there is a waist velcro belt that stops the harness from moving laterally up and down your torso and from rotating around your waist so you can have the harness reasonably tight (beer gut dependent) but the actual spreader belt as loose as you want.

I actually sailed today using a fixed harness/spreader bar after 12 days on the Dakine and hated it (the fixed spreader has a GoPro mount on the back which is why I used it today)

The dakine T6 is the best harness I have ever had or used. The comfort form fit of the harness body itself is simply incredible.

G'darvo WindWarrior,
Is it possible that the 'Maniac' might be a better bar option than what you've got?

^^^ that looks like a kite bar

The hook is unsafe for windsurfing, if you get twisted up you'd be farked. People seem to be forgetting that nowadays as kite harnesses are so available and many windsurfers use them



Also, is that all fabric (ie: no metal from one side to the other, only metal loops on each end of a nylon fabric strap)???

Slider or fixed? You guys are pussies. I don't use a harness so I can look like Arnie.

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barn said..
Fixed spreader bar, slack harness.. So rather than have the hook move, just turn your body in the harness. Also means you can run the waist harness lower.

I can't understand doing a harness up tight, it's so uncomfortable not being able to change positions..

Anyone seen that dude at Sandy Point with two hooks?

Opposite here. Firm harness with sliding spreader bar. It needs to move about 3 inches so I can turn my hips in the direction of travel, especially when sailing upwind. I have a couple of Da Kine speed seats that work well and an older North race harness that I continue to rebuild and repair indefinitely.

Two hooks on spreader bar? That would be Andrew McDougal, founder of KA Sails Australia. Same principle as me but fixed bar with two offset hooks. One for each tack. I think AMac ordered a few boxes of them years ago when he had Wild Winds and he still has them stashed away in reserve for his personal use!

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Here is a picture of a sliding bar from the early days. I found on ebay. I have one the same somewhere - not in this condition though.

Slider

Slider.
Tried some fixxed Harnesses because every Dakine I got is finnished after mx 2 year because the crappy stiching, but can,t get used to the fixxys.
The Dakine Maniac looks like a great way to convert a normall harness into a slider :)