I've seen more girls with waists the seats. it comes donw to preference and what feels good. Basicly the seat puts less strain on your back and doesn't chafe your nipples of when your learning with the kite over your head. Both have there merits adn there's probly alot of people that own both or atleast have used both I use a seat but am slowly looking at a waist just for the extra freedom for the lower half of the body. Try a couple on and see what you like.

seat harnesses can cause chaffing, which can get quite painful. just go to a shop and try some one, see if you can demo one. its all about personal preference.

Hi Blaster

I used a seat harness when learning cause I had one. I now use a Dakine Tabu waist harness and I am really pleased with it. Comfortable and has stood up to heaps of use.

Regards,
Nigel.

I've got ongoing lower back probs, so a waist is out for me. Tried one a couple of times when I was first starting out, but it was very painful. I'm using a Dakine Fusion seat now. No chaffing, ever. I also prefer having the spreader bar set *way* low, which the Fusion lets me do.

My GF rides the same harness, but it's chaffing, so she's looking to try a waist at some point.

The downside of riding the seat (done up as tight as I do, for the back support) is that toeside takes a fair bit of work to maintain properly. I can't ride blind worth a damn with the seat either....just can't rotate around far enough to do it.

quote:

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Originally posted by Blaster
From what you all have said I think I'll get a Seat for learning and helping my lower back issues to start.

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What back probs you got?

I'm in a seat, and progressively progressing, having trouble especially with toeside, as for blind......don't even go there.....wel never on purpose.
i imagine a waist would be better for these styles of riding, would that be the general concensus (like there ever is one!)
OR does someone out there use a seat and ride blind very well,
if so are you concerned about how big your arse probably looks when riding blind AND wearing a nappy

I hear alot of people using waist harnesses getting low back pain.

From a medical perspective it makes sense to take the power around your pelvis and let your back be able to bend and pivot from there in a natural way. Your back is designed to load bear seated on your pelvis and the all important stabilising muscles get into spasm and cause back pain when been asked to do things they shouldnt do like be in traction at the bottom and take a forward facing force in the middle [a bit like a horse carrying a rider]

I used a waist harness for windsurfing for a few seasons over 20 years ago, it gave me back ache then and I think I am a lot less supple now. At the time it seemed a lot less consticting than the chest harnesses which preceded them [the very early ones without spreader bars, just a hook on a steel plate].

Then seat harnesses came into vogue in the late 80s and I felt they were a definite advance although with better waist harnesses available nowadays most wave polers use them intead.

Seeing that a lot of wave kiters using waist harnesses I did give them another go but I found as the kite is usually pulling up and not across as in Poling, the thing was constantly squashing and chaffing my ribs and constricting my breathing. Also i felt my upper body movements were constrained when wave riding by the higher and off centre fulcrum point of power. Anyway I went back to a seat and reckon its way better and the only fault I can find is that it does chafe between the legs a little when I'm in boardies [but not in a wettie] and the wind is light and I'm doing a lot of walking upwind but this is much less of a problem with the upwind power of surfboard and hypertype.

I say always go the seat.

Niall

Yep, core is key. A bit of regular abbs and back exercise can save you from debilitating back spasm. And it doesn't have to be much - once a week should do.

Hi Guys,

There is no doubt that the seat will reduce back pain, and as a long time sufferer of a bad back I need a well fitting harness which allows me the freedom of movement to ride the way I want.

Personally I don't like the seat harnesses because they just feel too restrictive for the way I like to ride. I ride a combination of Unhooked, hooked in power freestyle, kite assisted freestyle, kiteloops (bad for the back) and also for surf riding on a surfboard.

With the range of different diciplines and styles, the only way I can really achive the riding I want is to use a good waist harny. This years Flying Objects Waist is really nice. It has enourmous back support (which initially took a while to get used to) and can slide from side to side for hooked blind and toeside and also works well sliding for waves.

As a beginner, you would be better served by a seat as your kite will spend a bit of time at 12 o'clock, but as you become more accomplished, you tend to ride with the kite lower and will appreciate the waist for the added flexibility it offers.

So my advice is to start with a comfy fitting seat and once you start freestyling, check out a comfy waist. Go into a couple of stores try on everything, both seat and waist from all manufacturers, in your size and hang from a rope to get a rough feel for what it's like. Buy the one that fits best and feels most comfortable regardless of price, your body will thank you for years.

Good winds,