I bought a Cabrinha Impact Harness I bought at the suggestion of the salesman when I asked for an impact vest and a harness. Initial plays on the rope in the shop and I thought it woul be OK, and save a bit of money.

I finaly got out on the water with my V16 at Brighton this afternoon for a final lesson, and I was wearing the new harness. It had me short of breath by the time I had walked out to the water, and a few strong pulls practising body dragging knocked the wind out of me, and judging by the bruising I now see under my ribs, did a bit of damage as well. The spreader bar repeatedly pulled up underneath my ribs, no matter how tight I had the straps. I was constant trying to pull it down, but it kept riding up, taking the wind out of me alost every time.

Swapping to the instructors normal waist harness showed how bad it was, but that harness was too small and the damage was already done.

The problem seems to be that it has no rigidity, basically an impact vest with a spreader in the front.

So - thumbs down to the the Cabrinha Impact harness - now it will just be an expensive impact vest, and I'll be off to the shop for a proper harness - a seat harness this time.

Is this the Impact VEST harness you're talking about?
HAve had the waist harness for years and it holds up fine