Waist Harness Problems

[PeterB]

Hey again guys,

I've been riding a size small Dakine Chamelon waist 2013 for the past two years now and I have been consistently struggling to keep it around my waist; almost every session it seems to rise up and the spreader bar ends up at a diagonal angle just below my nipples

I cannot seem to do it up any more; even when I have taken it off. The straps are stiff as anything.

Is the Harness the wrong size? Im 32 waist in jeans normally and its 5mm wetsuit season where I am
Am I being too weak or something?

Please help as I do not understand what I can do

[ZigZag]

There are 3 things you can try:

1. Maybe you keep the kite too high, and your stance may be too upright. Try riding with the kite at a 45^ angle, and hike out over the board at a 45^ angle as well. Then the kite will be pulling on the harness perpendicular to your body.

2. Get a bigger board, and use a smaller kite. The kite will pull less, so less chance of the harness riding up.

3. If your chest is the same size as your waist, then you really do have a problem. Some push up and pull up exercises to develop the pectoral and the latissimus muscles will help.

[dwaynej]

Riding stance and riding ability.

Need to always be perpendicular to kite lines. If you are falling at all, the harness is going to ride up and best way to reset without landing your kite is to lie in the water facing up at the kite at 11-1 and push the harness down.

I changed back to my seat harness when I took up foil boarding as the numerous beginner spills meant my waist harness was going to ride up on me.

[edt]

been consistently struggling to keep it around my waist; almost every session it seems to rise up and the spreader bar ends up at a diagonal angle just below my nipples I cannot seem to do it up any more; even when I have taken it off.

get a seat harness. some people just dont work well with a waist harness. Thank goodness you have a choice of really fashionable nice looking seat harnesses, gone are the days when seat harness meant it looked like you were riding a diaper.

I don't ride my waist harness as loose as dimitri does but I usually have an inch or so of slack in my waist harness, it's how you ride that makes it ride up. I keep my kite pretty low and that brings the harness down.

[PeterB]

Thanks for the replies!

I definetly think I have been standing up too high and have been keeping the kite high. Fortunately my chest is bigger than my waist though! haha

I would really like to keep going with the waist harness untill all other routes are no good as I like the "free" feeling.

Please keep suggestions coming through if there's anything more people can add!

Also I have two new questions!
1) How can I make the harnesses easier to do up?
2) Out of curiosity, what is the main difference in design between the Ladies and Mens harnesses? Is there much in it?

[dyyylan]

I think women's harnesses are just smaller

Definitely just practice on keeping it down, I ride with my kite at 45° or below and use my abs to actively push my harness down... You can kinda squirm a bit while riding to hold it in place if you kite is low enough

Sometimes after a jump or a crash it will turn into a chest harness, but you can just push it back down when riding again

[tmcfarla]

I'm in about the same boat- 30 inch waist and not much of a chest. I've been kiting for years and just can't keep a waist harness from crawling up unless I am really underpowered. I've ended up with a board-short harness, it isn't perfect but it is the best solution I've found yet. A lot of people will say it all comes down to keeping the kite too high, but I really don't believe that is always the case. If you are just starting out and you always keep the kite high up, sure, change that first. Otherwise, just get a seat harness or board-short harness.

[Robsw6]

possibly do some chin ups


failing that get some steroids

[Frank82]

I've had the same harnas and it's crap, during a big crash the spreader bar rotated and plowed itself between my ribs, now I've got a nice big egg of cartilage where that happened. My advise: get a mystic warrior or ion apex and all your troubles will be gone.

[PeterB]

I've had the same harnas and it's crap, during a big crash the spreader bar rotated and plowed itself between my ribs, now I've got a nice big egg of cartilage where that happened. My advise: get a mystic warrior or ion apex and all your troubles will be gone.

That's interesting, did it often ride up for you too then?

I was wondering r.e the ladies harness as they state "sculpted to curves" etc but I could get my hands on a size L naish alana; which looks pretty cool too though.

If I still find it riding up after I significantly change my riding behaviour over a few sessions may consider a change, as I have gained around 10kgs since I bought it.