Hello all,

Im new to the site and to the sport.

I want to get a harness but am confused as which style would be best for my needs. I would like to do big jumps and freestyle tricks and eventually get onto rails (I can do them on my snow board and wake board)

Would a seat harness or waist harness be best? I was thinking the waist harness but am not sure.

Also I want to do land boarding and Kite surfing, will I need two separate harnesses or is there one that will do the job?

Thanks in advance for the advice,

Reckless

The best harness for you, IMO, will always be based on personal preference and body build type.

If you are skinny and there is not much difference between the size of your waist and your chest, then a waist harness is going to ride up on you and sit around your rib cage. Personally, I can't stand that so I don't use waist harnesses. But they do put your hands in a more natural position if flying on handles.

Seat harness create a lower pull point which takes time getting used to but on skis you can really sit in to it and hold a ton of power down. They don't ride up but they aren't for everyone if you don't like the position it puts the bar / handles in (especially on a landboard).

I would highly recommend you try before you buy and better still try the harness loaded before you buy it. Meaning go to a store that will allow you to attach a spreader bar to the harness and a rope to the bar and then attach the other end of the rope to something that won't move so you can really lean back against it. Ideally the rope should be attached to something high so you know how the harness will feel when a kite is pulling on it. They do feel very different.

I kite ski and landboard. I'm skinny. I use a Dakine Fusion seat harness (one size too big - on purpose) and it is comfy and secure.

read this thread

http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=5132

Freestyle guys usually go for Wait harnesses. I ride three harnesses. My favorite is the Dakine Tabu. I'm going to grab a couple mYstic harnesses, give them a shot, you can probably find a demo, or head to the closest kite surf/ wind surf shop for proper fitting.

I use the Dakine Fusion harness for everything from water to land to snow. It works fine for all kite sports and can get wet with no worries.

The only thing I can't use it for is buggying because the way the seat harness wraps around your sides and the stiff back support that is built in. It makes it almost impossible to actually SIT in the buggy. I use one of the old Quadrafoil harness's for the buggy with a roller spreader.

As mentioned, try before you buy. Many people love the waist harness's but they always ride up on me and I can't stand them. Everyone is different and there really isn't one harness that fits everyone's styles.

When you buy you will also want to take into consideration what you will be wearing underneath. You might want to get it slightly larger to fit over snow ski suits, wet suits, clothes etc...

Harness can usually be snugged down a little smaller but it is nearly impossible to stretch them larger.

Thanks for the advice.

I think my best option is to head to a store and try a few out.

I've been using "Dakine XT Seat" harnesses since 1999. They have a low hook height so you can really sit down on the kite to hold lots of power and the hook is down at your center of gravity which allows for easier tricks and jumps.

Scott