So I have been kiting for a few years, but mostly in cold water with little wind so still consider myself a beginner, but I am happy in choppy conditions or in the swell, but not so happy in waves - just want to get through them.

I learnt with a seat harness but see very few people using them. So I went and bought myself a waist harness and have been trying to get used to it, but I am struggling.

How do you stop it riding up? If I wipe out in the waves or trying something new, the harness ends up too high. I have tried to pull it down, but can't seem to manage it with the kite still flying and don't want to have to land the kite just to adjust the harness.

Also, it seems that my body position has changed - I struggle to stay upwind in marginal conditions where I would be able to on the seat harness. I also seem to kick up more spray using the waist harness.

So my question is, is it worth persevering with the waist harness? There must be a reason why some many people seem to use them.

Regards,
Calvin & Hobbes

For most practical purposes there's little difference between a waist and a seat - assuming the waist fits, actually starts around your waist, and your stance is good. It certainly shouldn't change your stance. Waist's are however less forgiving of bad stance.

It will occasionally ride up in a big stack, if that happens, I can pull mine down lying on my back in the water with the kite at the zenith.

I think an important factor particularly with waist harnesses is that they really have to be a snug fit. Better a touch to small than atouch too big. That could be the issue. also I find I have much less harness movement when I am wearing my wet suit. The material holds better I think.
In summer My harness rides up more when I wear a rashie than when I wear a t-shirt. But In a big wipeout it always comes up a liitle.

CalvinHobbes said...

I have tried to pull it down, but can't seem to manage it with the kite still flying and don't want to have to land the kite just to adjust the harness.

I fly the kite to 12 o'clock. Lie on my back in the water and push / wiggle the thing back down.

Alternatively, I fly the kite low when I'm cruising along and push / wiggle the thing back down / around.

I also use a thin wettie top for summer (Probe insulator, about $70 from dive shops) which has worked better than rashie or rashie + t-shirt combo.

I also tighten the straps up first, wet it, then reposition the 'inside band' and tighten the harness again. Also make sure your velcro is clean and sticking before you go out.

CalvinHobbes said...

So I have been kiting for a few years, but mostly in cold water with little wind so still consider myself a beginner, but I am happy in choppy conditions or in the swell, but not so happy in waves - just want to get through them.

I learnt with a seat harness but see very few people using them. So I went and bought myself a waist harness and have been trying to get used to it, but I am struggling.

How do you stop it riding up? If I wipe out in the waves or trying something new, the harness ends up too high. I have tried to pull it down, but can't seem to manage it with the kite still flying and don't want to have to land the kite just to adjust the harness.

Also, it seems that my body position has changed - I struggle to stay upwind in marginal conditions where I would be able to on the seat harness. I also seem to kick up more spray using the waist harness.

So my question is, is it worth persevering with the waist harness? There must be a reason why some many people seem to use them.

Regards,
Calvin & Hobbes

Which brand of waist harness is it?
Make sure when you put it on that it is actually around your waist, it should be done up tight around the waist or narrowest part of your torso.
Snug/tight and actually around your waist is the key.
If yours is too big too start with, then you have a problem, but hopefully thats not the case.
Some harnesses that are smooth on the inside willd tend to ride up easier than ones that have thermo formed pads on the inside.

If you are riding with your kite high a lot, then that will be an issue too.

Waist harness's should not affect you ability to go upwind unless you are riding too overpowered and are riding poo stance (arms extended and leaning forward, bum out style).
Waist harneses are well worth the effort to perservere with in my experience. I rode seats for years due to a lower back weakness, then discovered that if I did a lot of lower back strengthening exercise I could use a waist harness and this has actually helped to further increase my lower back strength and flexibility. It is far easier to ride toeside with a waist harness.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

I started with a Dakine Fusion seat and thought it was ok, but wanted a bit more freedom for toeside etc, so I bought a Flying Objects Flight Control waist harness last season.
I tried it a couple of times but didn't really like it, it kept riding up and just didn't feel right, the hook sits up higher which made it harder to reach the depower and I just didn't seem to be as balanced for jumping etc, especially when overpowered.
Over the next couple of months I mainly used my Fusion seat but kept persisting with trying the waist aswell, mainly when I knew I was having a short session as I seemed to get tired quicker and could feel it in my lower back.
Well by the start of this season I was only using my waist harness, I went on a kiting holiday in October and had about 4+ hours on the water every day for a week in 20 - 30knots with absolutely no back pain and no harness rash whatsoever.
I have not used my seat harness since and am not likely to ever use it again, the waisty is just much more comfortable and gives you so much more freedom.
I find that it hardly ever rides up even though I wear it looser now than when I started wearing it (so it will slide around when I ride toeside) and if it does ride up I just fly the kite real low, lean back and just wriggle a bit and it actually comes down or sometimes I just hook my thumb in the handle at the back and give it a little pull down.
I think what helped was that as your kite skills improve you can get away with a much smaller kite and you tend to ride with it a lot lower.
So my advice would be to persevere with the waist, you will eventually love it and if you don't I'm guessing you don't have a Flying Objects.

pic ?

CalvinHobbes said...


Can anyone tell me what the elasticated pieces on the harness are for? You have the velco that goes around your waist, but then on both sides there is a wide piece of elastic with velcro at the ends - I am not sure what you are supposed to do with these.

They stop it riding up I think...