Hard shell harnesses comparison

[AJ]

Hi there
Anyone had a chance to try and compare Ride Engine with Dakine C1 and Mystic Majestic X ?
Aloha

[maffhieu]

I've been riding with a Ride Engine for almost two years now...

I've only tried the Majestic X on the beach for a few minutes.

The Majestic X back plate has more flex (Ride Engine is super stiff) and the back of the Mystic is much flatter compared to the RE (lumbar lock)

[Sun]

I have been using a medium MajesticX (with spreader bar and hook) for a few months now, I came from a medium 2015 Warrior.

Frankly, the first session with the MajesticX was very painful. It kept edging into my ribs, and I had a pretty sore back afterwards. I seriously considered selling it and returning to my trusty Warrior.

In a bid to keep face, I kept trying the MajesticX. Every session it got better. It has now surpassed the Warrior for comfort, in that I am COMPLETELY unaware that I am wearing it. It does not construct breathing, it does not dig into my ribs, it does not ride up. The biggest weakness the Warrior suffered from was a tendency to pinch on my sides when riding overpowered. The MajesticX does not do do this, it feels the same no matter the riding conditions. Or rather, I can’t feel it no matter how I ride.

One complaint is that the graphic on the back is prone to scratches. This is true even if you use the stuff sack Mystic supplies with the harness. Only other complaint is that it is hard to find anyone selling the rope slider separately. Honestly both the hook and the slider should come with the harness at the price Mystic is peddling it for.

If you take anything from this story, it should be that a short demo may leave you with the wrong impression of the MajesticX, or maybe any other hard shell.

[ChickenD!ken]

Brunotti’s SmartShell (NOT A GENUINE HARD SHELL) is really great halfway solution with good lumbar support and plenty of flex. Has only extended my sessions since getting it a few months ago. Also cheaper than RE, Prolimit, Dakine etc.

[plummet]

You could also add a jay XTC harness to your list. I have one of these and am loving it!.

[alford]

Agree about 2017 RE, you need to refit every time it's put on. If you get sloppy with tightening it will ride up to your engine. The back also scratches easily. It's also a bit of a pain to loosen and take off. When tightened and adjusted properly an excellent harness. Also you can buy a custom vinyl for the back plate if you want to have a custom look.

[bjw]

I was using the C1 and my back was getting really sore. I don't blame the harness completely (my back isn't the best) here as it was super comfortable, it didn't ride up and I could wear it looser. My back was getting bad after kiting so I switched to the Mystic X.

The carbon hard shell is totally stiff and does seem to wrap around my back. It was comfortable straight away and my back was not getting sore any more. It's not as versatile as the C1, I can't wear it loose, it just stays in the one spot. But it is far above in comfort and function and does aid me to kite for longer.

I was super surprised how much difference there was.

[bigwave]

Hi there
Anyone had a chance to try and compare Ride Engine with Dakine C1 and Mystic Majestic X ?
Aloha

I have had quite a bit of time using the Ride Engine Carbon and the Dakine C-1 . Recently I have had the opportunity to try the Mystic Majestic X as well. The Dakine C-1 is very comfortable with excellent lumbar support. Being a 3 piece style shell, its not as stiff as the RE or Mystic. It stays in place well and does not have to be as tight as the RE.I've used it with fixed hook ,Option Slider and Cabrinha Fireball. Great value for the price.
The Ride Engine Carbon is really comfortable and you can feel the stiffness. I have not used the 2018 version yet with the new "Dakine" style straps. I like the Tubes, pretty quick to adjust and get on and off. Of the three, I feel it has the best lumbar support. Having used both Carbon and Hex Core, I would say the performance is pretty close with the Carbon being slightly lighter and perhaps stiffer.I mostly use it with a slider bar.
The Mystic Majestic X is pretty impressive. At a recent Airush demo we had ,our Mystic rep brought some harnesses to demo and demo I did. While it doesn't have the same lumbar support as the RE or Dakine IMO but it really fits well with a solid feel around your waist. To me, it feels smaller when its on but the shell size is the same or slightly bigger than the RE. The fit is defiantly different from the RE. How much did I like it, well now we have added the Mystic Majestic to our Harness line up! I used it with the slider bar. Also, when I first used Mystic , I was not a fan of the Click system. Obviously that has been redesign and it seemed pretty user friendly.
They are all very good products. If you can demo these you will feel differences and then you can decide which one will best suit your needs.

[riddim1]

I purchased the C1 new in 2016 after a demo. Felt awesome in the shop. I liked the lumber padding and the shallow back plate. Thought it worth a shot as it was almost half the retail cost of the RE. After a year or so of riding, hoping it will bed into my back I little more, I’ve now given up and sold it on. It’s not a one piece shell but three pieces, as such I found it difficult to breath as the sides would push in on me. The harness would ride up after 10-15 mins on the water. I’d have to stop riding 2-3 times a session to tighten the straps which would utimately exacerbate my breathing issues. The Maniac Sliding hook was a waste of time. It was cumbersome and didn’t do the very thing it was designed to do....slide. I deleted the hook and modified the spreader with some dyneema splice rope which worked much better. I’m sure the the Option Slider of the 2017 model works much better again. This was only my experience with the C1 and very subjective. The finish of the Dakine Harnesses are A1 IMO and they wear really well. Mine still looked new after 12 months. I’m in the market for a replacement now and keenly reading reviews on the Mystic and RE. Leaning RE at this point as I think they are the benchmark with the hard shell and a mate swears they don’t ride up, very comfortable etc.

[ralu81]

I had a similar experience with the C1 as riddim1. I wrote my issues in another thread about it and have moved on after trying to break it in for the entire spring and summer. I'm more than likely going to demo a RE sometime next spring. It looks like Dakine did a total over haul of the C1 design and put the Renegade name on it. Not sure if the C1 is discontinued but I might give the Dakine another shot as it looks like they corrected my biggest issue with it, being the small back/pad area. I definitely will not buy it without a demo this time.