Forum for kitesurfers
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ichabod
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Postby ichabod » Tue Mar 21, 2017 9:41 pm
I know a lot of kiters end up with rib damage from hard crashes. I'd be interested to know if an impact vest can prevent this. Are cracked ribs more often due to the harness pulling up or is it usually from water impact on the rib cage? If from the harness then is that a reason to be wary of hard shell harnesses like the Ride Engine?
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Peter_Frank
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Postby Peter_Frank » Tue Mar 21, 2017 10:13 pm
In my experience, it is either from the bar getting between your board and your ribs, or the spreader bar somehow getting into your ribs at a crash.
Not from hitting the water (if nothing in between), so not sure an impact west will help on this very issue, if the spreader bar bends your ribs ?
But would help on the risk of the bar or board bending your ribs
Think most of us have tried it, and have had to ride with a seat harness and take a break for some weeks before this if severe rib damage
Peter
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Starsky
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Postby Starsky » Tue Mar 21, 2017 10:17 pm
Have sone both. Bad bail on a kiteloop where the spreader bar did the damage, but also did some damage with simple water impact when learning to foil.
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dwarf
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Postby dwarf » Tue Mar 21, 2017 10:29 pm
Broke my ribs couple of years ago on a kiteloop gone wrong. Landed on my side and broke 2 lower ribs. I was wearing an inpact vest but that did not help. IMO a wrong harness that squeezes you (LIKE 90% OF THEM!) is the cause of many rib fractures. My rib cage is permanently deformed on 1 side and most harnesses give me pain after 30 mins. These days the only waist that still works for me is somehing like a Manera Exo as it does not squeeze.
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knotwindy
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Postby knotwindy » Tue Mar 21, 2017 10:35 pm
Yea, an impact vest can help some but
It is hard to find a good one. It has to be small and thin enough that it will not interfere with your riding so you will actually wear it and thick enough in the right places to help. Landing hard with your arm out to the side will expose ribs on the sides where very few vests have any padding.
The question about the Ride Engine harness or other stiff harnesses is a different issue. Mine tends to move less and on mine the bar moves less as well so less chance of rib damage for me and it does not squeeze, either.
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iriejohn
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Postby iriejohn » Tue Mar 21, 2017 10:45 pm
In a previous life I raced motorcycles on closed circuits and more than once sufferered broken ribs. 6-8 weeks of pain from every sneeze, cough, hard shit, laugh, and sleeping upright in an armchair is fucking horrible so because it's a place I don't want to risk being again I wear an impact vest when kiting. Ion Vector (which also has side padding) doesn't restrict movement, can't fault it.
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knotwindy
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Postby knotwindy » Wed Mar 22, 2017 1:49 am
Nice find, looks better than most.
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Bushflyr
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Postby Bushflyr » Wed Mar 22, 2017 2:26 am
In my case it was the spreader bar. I went over the nose of the board on a big wave drop and got the wind knocked out of me but was totally fine until the kite ganked the spreader up into my ribs and snapped a couple of them out of place. I'd venture to say that most rib injuries are due to similar circumstances as you can take a really big hit over a distributed area and ribs will tend to flex and not break. (Obviously a really big hit will break them....) The concentrated force of a spreader pulling up, though, can snap something pretty easily.
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ShaveTheWhales
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Postby ShaveTheWhales » Wed Mar 22, 2017 2:52 am
Once upon a time a shop guy told me TT footpads had to be thin and close to the deck to get more feel when riding - look at foot pads now, an inch + thick and everyones goin hard with more comfort and heel safety..
We all know the spreader bar is a big snapper of ribs - but we have to keep it close to our body for more feel when riding ????
Bullshit... a clever company would me make an optional velcro pad for each of their harnesses that can be used with or without. We have all kited with the spreader bars that are Not meant to rotate upwards - that have pulled away about an inch or two and rotated upwards.
No Rocket scientists left in kite companies ??
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piccio
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Postby piccio » Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:17 am
I use seat harness ,broke ribs twice ,first time one rib and pain started after two days, could not sleep lying..... very painful a week .....back kiting after one month. second time broke two ribs from a very bad crash completely out of control and I felt pain immediatly but it was softer than first time and could sleep without problem ....back kiting after one month like first time.
I am not sure but I think that is the high tension of the line going to break ribs at moment of crashing when it passes yust above and touches ribs.
Used after then an impact west few times. it was ten years ago.
think head protection much more important than impact west...mostly because others are some afraid of people wearing it and stay "large"
ciao
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