hi guys; I'm going through ongoing harness saga. they either kill my back -Dakin; Mystic ; or ride up and kill my back Ion Apex. to compound problem Ion is using those toothed strap locks that are not fit for purpose. I borrowed Ion shorts with build harness and my back was okay but movement is bit restricted.
those of you that use hard shell harness, are those any better?

This tooth system it's easy to adjust for sure buy when I am jumping it needs adjusting every 15 mins. When straps are wet they just slide out. It's fine for surfboard but when you jump high it's different story.

Ride Engine... check the gear reviews. :)

I also had problems with the buckles on the ION harness shorts. They did not stay tight and became loose over time.
Got in contact with them and received replacement which work fine.
Happy now with my shorts...

CS

Woott said..
Ride engine was no good for me at the ribs. I use Manera Exo now and the Union harness looks great as well. Just a shame no actual shop in wa carries them.

I had the same with the Ride Engine. Did hurt my ribs. Was great in terms of not riding up though. So in general it is hard to give recommendations regarding harnesses. Need to try one, ideally demo.

I like the soft shell Mystic Warrior.
lasted 4 seasons so far.
I have it so it rotates when I change direction
Not sure I want to go to a hard shell
whats the advantage comfort wise?

I just posted a similar inquiry on the gear section: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Review/Waist-harness-advise?page=1#6

Due to past back troubles, I can't risk just demo any waist harness, and see... so any suggestion or comments would be appreciated.
My post:
Which harnesses give the best lumbar support?

I have a long history of herniated disks due to sporting injuries. About 10 years ago I tried to switch from a seat harness to a waist harness. Make it short: after half an hour I was off the water for two weeks and took 2 months to fully recover. I understood it may have been just that particular waist harness, but I could not afford to experiment. So I kept my seat harness and modified it to suit wave riding (sliding rope spreader).
Now, I am thinking of giving it another try.
I ride the Perth shore breaks mixed with some low key ol' skool jumps, usually powered up on a smaller surfboard. The harness does not have to be wave specific, as I can modify the spreader easily for rope/sliding. The most important thing is a firm lumbar support with a relatively low attachment point.
I appreciate any advise, especially from those with similar back problems.

Hi. I had heaps of issues with harness movement, bruised ribs etc and I recently took out a mortgage to pay for the Mystic Majestic X hard shell. WOW, what a difference, no pain, no movement. The big clincher for me is that I do not notice it whislt I am kiting or have any rib pain after.

bjw said..
I had some major back issues that would kill my back for the next 4 days after kiting. I had the Dakine C1. I upgraded to the shell harness Mystic X and it was instantly relieved.

It was costly, but before the upgrade i was starting to wonder whether Id be able to continue kiting at all. It was that bad.

Spend the money!!

Agreed. I have one now and it is fantastic.