Hi all just joined and looking forward to getting some info on which harness to use.
I have been looking at kite harnesses for windsurfing seeing I have a sus back
.now what do ya think the best is sitharness or just the back harness by its self .I do not know anything about this .I have been doing windsurfing on a 80s mistral board in sweden on a fresh lake for about 10 years and now near golden beach QLD and looking to do the next step in windsurfing. I should of got a harness years ago instead of hanging on for dear life with my hands.
I am 34waist and 80-85 kg and tall if anybody has a harness for me to buy.
THANKS
Barry
Hi Barry,
Try and find a Dakine impact harness - it's basically a bouyancy aid / impact vest with a built in harness. After a major back op a couple of year ago this got me back on the water. I think other companies make them now.
Best bet for beginner gear is to spend some cash and get the good stuff. Second hand beginner boards cost a fortune in this country... but then they really hold their value well and you can sell them for good money when you need to progress.
Would recommend buying a good boom (preferably brand new - I highly recommend Prolimit - you can get them for about $250.... do not cut corners on a secondhand boom - you'll save $100 maybe and it'll probably have most of the life gone from it).
Would also recommend buying a 2007 or later 4.7 - 6.0 sail (maybe a local with better knowledge of the conditions can advise on size) ... any brand, as long as it doesn't have cams. Wave, freestyle or freeride will be good for you.
Also recommend purchasing a decent carbon mast from new - buy the right thing (60% Carbon 430 mast) and it'll last you for years.
Seriously, don't skimp - it'll really slow your progress down. The latest gear is sooooo easy to sail on compared to older stuff. It's light, easy to control and the board technology has really moved on in the last ten years.
If I were you (assuming that you're at / getting to the point of waterstarting) I'd be looking out for the following:
JP X-cite Ride 110 - 120 litres (relatively new) or simillar
Prolimit Boom
Gaastra Poison / Naish Force or something similar (all sail manufacturers build something that will be suitable) - basically a wave sail with plenty of x-ply - it'll be stronger and more likely to resist your attempts to damage it as you learn to use the harness.
Good advice above. I also favour spending some money on good gear, which will reward your efforts and make progress easy. A good boom and mast is money well spent, as is a good quality extension/base. Good rigging is necessary at all stages of the learning curve. You want to avoid breakages.
Getting the right board is also going to help you.
Sails are pretty forgiving, but I agree to stay away from cams in the learning phase.
I'm less convinced that sails have changed dramatically in the last 10 years. I have new and old ones and the old ones work fine. It's one area you can economise a lot and not hurt your progress. Onshore wave sails make great general use sails.
Sit or Waist Harness -there is a question ...I started my windsurfing career on brand new sit harness and every time after day on the water complained on terrible back pain. Hardly can walk and took me up to 7 days to recover especially when some wave sailing was involved. Since I changed two years ago to waist harness never had this problem again ? Works for me and never want return to sit harness again. I am 48 y.o and 81kg. Harness I have is Neil Pride with hard and strong back support not softy. I did try borrowed when forgotten mine once old softer one with terrible result - back pain again.
Happy to hear others experiences sit vs. waist harness.
Re the above post, I think it can go either way, but I have spoken to a pro who changed to a waist to relieve back pain with good results.
I think you have to try both and see what works for you.
Waist harnesses are heaps better than they used to be, for sure.
thanks all for that great info ,great site this.
I am looking at a 2008 Cabrinha vest harness for 100 bucks.
I would say I am a very experienced 80s style mistral windsurfer got fast for that old girl I thought but my hands killed me with no harness .The old mistral being like a tugboat was great to ly on when stuffed in the middle of the lake. I tried in turkey a newer lighter board but not much wind and that was hoples being no wind
I don't know where you live, but I just noticed there is a demo day at Caloundra in October with a ton of new gear. YOu should try and get to that. It will make your decision a lot easier.
I am moving in a weeks time 4streets from that event (golden beach ) yeahhhhhh.
already tried the rental block out there for a surf but at 30 bucks for an hr buying a setup is easy getting the money is another thing
thanks kenho .
its time for some grub then F1 and watch Webber catch ya next time and thanks agin to all
JUst my 2 cents.. I'd think that a seat harness would be better for a crook back? If you start to get hassles you can sit more and take the weight off your back..?
It will depend on what part of your back is crook.
I have a bad lower back and find that after using my seat harness it all seems to re-align and feels great for weeks. Bonus is that I can use my bad back as an excuse for more windsurfing. 
To clarify my original response, I find that waist harnesses offer far more support than seat harnesses - my problem was in the lower back. However, I haven;t sailed a seat harness in ten years, so who knows.
I used to have a bit of lower back pain with a waist. I have now switched back to seat harness and haven't had any back issues since.
Regarding what brand/model. I think the best thing is to try a lot of different ones. I am the same size as you and i love my Dakine Blast, but we are all built different so try hanging of a piece of rope in the store, and put some weight in it. Some harnesses feels really good because they are soft, and then when you really load them up the pressure will move around getting more uncomfortable.
WOW so much info in such little time . I have sciatic lower back pain and a bit of a nerve problem in neck to boot but its mostly muscles problems .every body looks at the injury but muscles holds everything you know and after a few years out of windsufing I want to have some fun in life and build up some muscles at the same time .perhaps wave surfing is the go no gravity pushing down on disc problems that way .HAHA.
Talking about gravity that is why I thought a waist harness would be better sit harness pushing up Hmmmm.but everybody to there own
I have a muscular upper back problem.. Who'd believe that people that are in to such a full one sport could do so with injuries..?
I wonder if missus is having a hard time figuring out
hmmmm
Yep I gotta try ,you can only try and see what happens .I have had a surf with a hire outfit and went fine but sick of geting sore hands .If you dont come off (anyway that was the idea anyway )its not a problem and it worked fine that day.
I surfed a lot on a sweden lake and the season was when it got colder after summer with no wetsuit and nothing on the feet great fun .didnot come of much and had the wife in a sailboat to warmup abit in middle of the lake ,warm clothes that is .then out again for a bit of a surf then a tow home sometimes .great fun in summer also but not that much wind and that changing all the time s----
I wonder if missus is having a hard time figuring outhmmmm Now you just need to mount a portion of a boom next to the bed...problem solved.
