If you are shopping for kitesurfing gear, the harness should one of the first things to buy, in my opinion. If your harness is uncomfortable it may ruin your session altogether. The main job of the harness is to transfer the pull of the kite to your body, and as a kite may pull hard at times, you better have a harness that fits you well and that sits at the right place on your body all the times. Harness should have a spreader bar with a hook (which may be optional – pay attention when buying new harness), metal rings on both sides to attach safety leash, and a handle on the back so your instructor may ground you if you take off unintentionally, or you may pull someone to safety if need be. It would be nice if a harness has a pocket for a knife and the knife itself (you never know when it may come handy). Harnesses do vary in size, so, you should pick the right one: XS, S, M, L, XL and so on. Keep in mind that wetsuits add an extra size or two. There are adjustment straps on both sides of the spreader bar and you should use them to keep the spreader bar tight and snug. It is a good idea to soak your harness in the water for a few seconds before adjusting the straps, as they always shrink when dry. Check their tension every now and then while riding as strap adjusters have a tendency to give way under pressure over time.
There are four types of harnesses on the market today:
1. Waist harness – this type is by far the most popular and is favored by most kitesurfing schools. This kind really looks like a thick belt, it gets especially wide in the back, and it sits on your waist keeping the hook of the spreader bar at or above your belly button. Belt harnesses have one major weakness – they tend to slide up towards your chest…
2. Seat harness – essentially this is a waist harness with straps that go around your legs to keep the harness on your waist, preventing it from riding up to your chest. These harnesses have an extra set of adjustable straps that go around each leg and you should make those comfy for yourself as well.
3. Shorts with built-in harness – these are basically seat harness camouflaged by swim shorts. These keep the hook of the spreader bar in the lowest position of all harnesses, and they are less bulky than the regular seat harness. Pick the size mindfully as they are usually not so forgiving when it comes to wetsuit/no-wetsuit transition.
4. Vest with a built-in harness. If you considered getting a vest anyway then this is the ultimate solution for you. Impact protection for your chest and back, additional buoyancy, and harness all-in-one.
It will be your own decision based on personal preference of importance which harness to go for, as they all perform one main function very well: housing the spreader bar to link you with the kite.
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