waist or seat harness ?

[timba15]

Which harness do you recommend for snowkiting ?

I've already got a Dakine Fusion seat harness but have read a few articles about using waist harnesses in preference to seat because of the extra clothing you have to wear.

cheers for your replies.

Alex

[Windzup]

Hey Alex,
If you have a Fusion harness already, then you are set for snowkiting. The waist/seat debate boils down to personal preference.....which do you prefer? I use both, just depends on my mood, although I spent the summer kitesurfing with a waist and I find that I use a waist harness 70% of the time out of habit now.

The Seat Harness
Pros:
!. Low hook height/low center of gravity(easy to sit back against the kites pull)
2. Protects butt when sitting (from the cold cold ground)
3.
Cons:
1. Scoops up snow and keeps it in-between you and the harness.

The Waist Harness:
Pros:
1. Easy to throw on, with less buckles and adjustments.
Cons:
1. Rides up with jacket, exposing underlayers to snow.

I use the Fusion, and Storm seat harness from Dakine, and the Tabu waist harness.

Ultra Nectar is designing a kite-jacket, which will allow the rider to wear a waist harness underneath their jacket, and a slot on the center of the jacket will let the spreader bar hook stick out. This should allow you to wear a waist without it riding up.

Windzup,
Brian Schenck

[Guest]

I use both, too.

If you have an old Fusion, you can open up the part where the leg cinches fasten, and insert some hard plastic tailbone padding. That's a bonus.

In general, you are pretty restricted by clothing in the winter, in comparison to summer kiting (unless you are a dry suit type).

Your hip mobility is restricted a bit, and even with pants on you find that bringing your knees up is a bit harder than in summer, so the seat harness doesn't help out the situation. With the exta butt protection, you also get the protection from sharp shit when you get your ass dragged around a bit, and from snow going up your back when the jacket rides up with the waist style.

For the waist, with a slippery jacket, like Gore-tex or similar, the waist harness tends to ride up easier, and slide around on the outside of the jacket more, too. You can put the harness on under the jacket - some people do that - but there are draw backs to that, too, depending on whether you are using a safety, the type of hook/release, etc. You are less restricted by the harness.

It depends on what feels best for you. I find that I rely less on my harness in winter anyway, and a loose harness doesn't bother me.

It all works.

[fetguckd]

i have a naish seat harness i can wear UNDER my snowboard pants, i shove the spreader hook out the zipper and wear a belt with my belt line pulled just a little higher then the top of the hanress, gets a little chilly down there at times but works great other then that

[bay surfer]

My friends laughed at me when, I waterproofed the bottom of my seat harness, but when I sit in slush the harness is my first line of protection.

[MNmob]

If you cut open the hand pockets in your coat you can wear your waist harness under your coat so it won't ride up.

[cleenjeep]

The hook is easily accessed through the zipper area of my regular winter jacket, which has the second zipper slide. Then a simple button keeps the coat shut beneath the hook.
Although, I have foiund that the waist harness makes it very hard to move around, and get back up after a fall. It limits my movement greatly. I am thinking of going to a seat harness.