I have a DaKine Surf Seat harness which I quite like. It's a convertible harness that can be a seat or a waist harness. It's wearing out and I need a replacement.

I have a bad back (crushed disk in my lower spine) and I believe that I should use a seat harness to keep sideways pressure off my spine. The Surf Seat seems to ride a little higher up than full-on waist harness but I have never tried it as a waist harness.

Are there any harnesses out there on the market like the surf seat which give a higher hook height but retain the seat configuration.

I am moving into bump and jump sailing now days and looking at getting a small wave board. Everyone else uses a waist harness for this sort of sailing. Has anyone had good luck with a waist harness and a bad back? Is it absolutely necessary to use a waist harness?

Hi, Ian,

Had much the same back problem as you and I am older than you, so the following might help, being based on experience:

On the seat harness, suggest you look at the Dakine XT model. This has an enlarged back support which I find useful. I used the XT for slalom and waves here on the Bay (Melbourne) but a couple of years ago, I decided to try a waist harness. Oh, what a difference! (but also had to change my harness lines). Began to use the waist harness for everything from 4.0 to 7.5 but found the back problems reappeared.

After 12 months of the first waist harness, I decided to get a Dakine T4 and oh, what a difference to the first waist harness (not Dakine!). The T4 gives a much better support to the lower back and the Thermo mould construction really does work (at least for me).

I didn’t like the way that the harness hook bar slides on the cross belt (far too much friction), so replaced it with a Reactor roller bar which is MUCH better (and reduces wear on the harness lines).

On The T4, I don’t like the way the male clip on the cross belt has to be threaded through its mating female clip (it’s just fiddly and being on the side of your body, it’s difficult to get to). Nowadays, I leave the male clip really loose, thread it through its mating female clip, then pull the cross belt away from my body with my right hand, whilst pulling the cross belt tight through the clip with my left hand. Sounds ugly, but really only takes 30 seconds to tighten the cross belt.

Most importantly, my lower back usually doesn’t twinge after a sail and I put this down solely to the construction of the T4 and the Power belt (which is part of the T4 and is similar to the belts that weight lifters use). I’m using the waist harness on all sails up to 7.5, except when I expect to use the 7.5 for the whole day when I use the XT (which also has been converted to a Reactor roller).

In passing, the Dakine sizes are way off/wrong/crap (pick one), so you need to try on a harness to make sure it fits you. By other harness makers, I am classed as a Medium, but to get a Dakine to fit, I had to go to an L in the XT and XL in the T4.

Reactor roller bars should be available through your windsurfing shop or through Sunshine Coast Sailboards, direct. These bars come in 2 length sizes and I use the one with an overall length of 270mm and a single slot at each end of the bar. I’ve changed all my fixed harness lines to adjustable type (20 – 26”), both as an experiment with stance and also to allow the use of the seat harness and wave harness on the one sail, if needed

Hope all this helps,

Regards,

WindmanV

Hi Ian
switched to waist about 4 years ago and yes it did hurt my back more than the seat (both dakine). started wearing my slam vest (ex kite) which keeps the harness from riding up (as you know I do not have the V shape) and so less back issues.

Now I sup most days if no wind and back issues have virtually disappeared

Cruiser1755 said...

Hi Ian
switched to waist about 4 years ago and yes it did hurt my back more than the seat (both dakine). started wearing my slam vest (ex kite) which keeps the harness from riding up (as you know I do not have the V shape) and so less back issues.

Now I sup most days if no wind and back issues have virtually disappeared

Hi Kerry,
I'm looking forward to trying out the waist harness (hopefull this weekend). Hopefully my life jacket will keep it pushed down a bit. Last thing I want is to screw up my back further. I should really do some stretches/warm up before I go out.

I replaced my same Dakine with the Transit and then made the change to the sliding hook



This was the closest harness I could find and I have found it really solid and comfortable.
You have to try a few sizes on as I had the side dig in until I had the size right now perfect. The slider helps, I hate the fixed hook harnesses.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for the info and pice graceman.

Sbaordcrazy, how he's doing it in the pic is how I do mine. They guy at the store told me to do it that way.

Seems like the way you suggest would prevent the bar from sliding back and forth.

Seems like the way you suggest would prevent the bar from sliding back and forth. Durr....I didnt realise it was supposed to! The new method did seem to stop it from riding up as much ,but I suppose i also bought a shorter bar about that time so i could adjust it tighter.Maybe that fixed it..Ill go back to the old way..
The new harness's look better.The one in the photo has a velcro overlap that looks really comfortable .Mine has a strap & buckle that you tighten to make the 2 sides join so it doesnt really support your back..

I just used mine the same way the Dakine Surf/Seat worked.
With the strap through the hook it allows the bar to travel and gives the option of adjusting it for height and comfort .

I have a new Dakine Stainless bar a little longer and a lot stronger, I think.
The old Ali one in the picture looked a bit ratty.