Best harness for lower back pain: Ion Apex select or Mystic

[madmax7]

After 2 weeks in Maui last year w wind everyday, I would switch between seat and waist...

When I came home, in pain, I did 2 weeks of physical therapy and they showed me exercises to do daily. Bout 15 mins worth. That I added to my regular routine

PT was 1 hr 3 days a week for 2 weeks

No back pain issues since

Nothing wrong w finding right harness...

Good luck

Max

[Flyfish]

PT was 1 hr 3 days a week for 2 weeks


Nothing wrong w finding right harness...

I forgot to mention...

PT for 8 months. So many sessions I had to patition insurance to pay for more sessions. I would do PT exercises 3 hours per day 7 days per week... Muscle activation technique same as above for 2 months..... Then finally Yoga... Still do Yoga as much as I possibly can.

Not saying the Engine Harness will cure back pain or is some how magic. Your body and mind is the only cure. The harness just helps spread the load in a really good way.

[mike dubs]

Suffered with back pain for 30 yrs windsurfing and kitesurfing, had an Engine harness for 2 yrs and its reduced loads.


Mike

[Laughingman]

Engine harness.
. I was thinking to myself "you'll have to pry this harness out of my cold dead fingers". My brain says "why doesnt everybody get it?" it's soooo supportive.

It's rediculusly simple: The rigid shell spreads the load uniformly.

Because of this, the harness is smaller so it never moves from your lumbar.

I know eh... I will never buy another soft shell harness, It amazes me that anyone would still spend money on off the shelf crap.

Everything else out there is basically the same crap, unless the shell is rigid there is no way to spread the load evenly and there is no way it will not squeeze in on the sides, this pinches your back and puts the load onto the sides of your spine. Sure you can add height and lots of padding and soft outer material to make it better but that will not stop it from collapsing around your back.

[taiguy]

Rode a mystic warrior harness for 4 years (still have it) however, I'm now a big fan of the Dakine Nitrous shorts/seat harness. It basically incorporates a waist and thigh slings, like a rock climbing harness, into a pair of board shorts. I use this combined with a Jay bar and it's so damn comfortable. You get a lower tow point and still have tons of freedom.

[fernmanus]

I have tried many waist harnesses. The best I have found by far is Engine. Yes, it takes longer for a custom harness and it costs a bit more too, but it is worth every cent.

[Telekiter]

Hey there, Poosibly those molded harnesses are realy good BUT I would be very hesitant to it if I live in an area that require the use of thick wetsutits or drysuits part of the year. Then the harness will certainly not fit at all.

I have used the Mystic Darkrider (yes very old) and OR Session2 and now I´m on the Dakine Fusion (seat harness) combined with a DIY sliding bar. I have used my sliding bar an ALL mentioned harnesses above.

The Dakine Fusion is (for me) by far the most comfy harness.

/Urban.

[jsquid]

Hey there, Poosibly those molded harnesses are realy good BUT I would be very hesitant to it if I live in an area that require the use of thick wetsutits or drysuits part of the year. Then the harness will certainly not fit at all.

Don't be so certain, I live in one of those areas and I use my Engine harness with just a rash guard, a 2mm shorty, a 5/4/3/ wetsuit, and with an OR Soul Drysuit. Fits fine in each of those situations.

[Sportentusiast]

With the risk of creating more confusion I´ll put yet another harness on the list and that is the Manera Exo.

FYI, we are distributing F-One and Manera in Sweden so you might think that I´m totally biased and just "pimping". I´m however also a physioterapist since more than 20 years and have been working with some top athletes competing on international level so I at least have a fair understanding of back problems and would NEVER recommend anything that I didn´t believe in and have experience with.

The problematic thing with "back problems" is that there are so many variables affecting / creating this problem so no one-solution-does-it-all is applicable if you ask me. Still it´s very important to listen to the people writing about their experiences since it will give you a bit of guidance in the harness jungle.

I can only compare the Manera Exo harness with the different Mystic harness that I, my close surrounding and now customers been using for about 10 years and I strongly belive that the Exo does a better job with load distribution. If this harness will do the job for you or if it works better than the other harness recommended I of course can´t tell but we at least have good experience with it.

Best of luck with your choice no matter what harness you´ll buy!

Bengt-Erik

[senorparker]

Engine Ride's website is showing that the harness is out of stock. I emailed Coleman (owner/founder) a couple of days ago to see if they're taking orders. I haven't heard back. Anybody know the story? I would imagine it is very difficult to keep up with demand and perhaps they need a break from new orders.