Dakine Pyro Harness Design Flaw

[adamT]

I have just experienced the 2nd failure on my 2nd Dakine Pyro Harness..

1st failure:
Time - About 7 months of use
Failure - Ripped through the 2 rivets holding the buckle to the harness.
What happened to me - Winter at 3rd. Very cold water.. Kite lines got all tangled and I had to self rescue and swim into shore. Got there and almost passed out.. pretty sketchy, but I had friends around to make sure I didn't die.. Thank god..

2nd failure
Time - 2 months of use
Failure - Same as above
What happened to me - Sunday last weekend I ended up being able to fly into the lower launch "unhooked"...

Dakine was cool enough to send me a replacement for the 1st failure. I have just sent Dakine an email and pictures about the 2nd one.. However, even if they send me a new harness there is no way I will trust it.. .. I have asked them for a newer version..

I would suggest that if any of you have this harness that you watch it like a hawk, or just throw it away. At least carry an extra harness in your car in case this happens to you and you end up making it back to land alive, and you want to go back out...

Adam

[adamrod]

jeez. that sucks. usually dakine is really good with their customer service. you should call them and ask if they've had a lot of problems like that. dakine stuff is usually really bomber.

[adamT]

Ya, they were really cool about it. They didn't even want me to send them the broken harness this time. They just said to send them a picture of it "destroyed" ..

So I sent them this picture.. ... Kind of weird slicing through a relatively new harness....

[windhorny]

"my dog ate it" :shock:


Dude, you told me about that and I have watched mine since closely. But I have also had 4 dakine harnesses with nothing go wrong. Is it possible that something is rubbing that area alot? Possible it is very very bad luck? I would be curious to know how many others had/have this problem. glad you are ok though, you have had enough "experiences" as is.

[hawaiimind]

Adam, did you tell Da Kine about the amount of back rolls you do? That could be a factor, repetitive stress. I feel your pain, I would not put that same model/year around my waist again. How about I give you my backup Mystic Firestarter, I'd like to see if you can destroy that one, doubt it, been rock solid for me.

[adamT]

Thanks, but I have a backup, and I think they are sending me a new one. It sounded like they were going to send me an upgraded version.. But if they don't I might take you up on your offer..

[windhorny]

from looking at your pics again I realize it's not actually the rivets that let go of the strap like I thought you were saying. So the stitching is coming undone or is actually breaking somewhere? Just curious what to look out for because I love that harness.

And it cant be the backrolls, I do backrolls, frontrolls, kiteloops constantly when i am on the water and no sign of any wear. I do however have last years model.

[adamT]

Basically if the rivets pull through the nylon strap the harness is dead.. stop using it..


What happens is the rivets pop through the nylon strap (the 4 silver dots you can see on each side of a good harness). On my first harness this happened and the stitching held for awhile, but then gave out.. kind of dumb of me for ridding when the rivets had given out..

This recent failure: The rivets pulled through (I now know what that popping sound was that I had heard. I just thought it was my spreader bar readjusting. On the next tack the stitching pulled and I was riding unhooked right through the center of everything trying to get to the beach in one piece.. It is strange though you can see in the pictures above that the 2 rivets that pulled through are gone.. Not sure what happened to them.. I'm wondering if the back sides (part inside the harness) were somehow smaller (meaning slightly defective/not installed or assembled correctly) and that is why they pulled through... Attached is what the strap/buckle is supposed to look like..

Anyway, I will though the pieces in my car and if I see you you can check it out..

[windhorny]

I looked at mine closer and i see that same wear spot to the left of the rivets but it doesnt look like it effects the integrity in any way. Hmmm. you got me paying attention though, that's for sure.

[maxsteamer]

Hello AdamT,

This issue is an old one with "Dakine" I have a windsurfing harness that I was givin' to test when I use to race, the saltwater works like sandpaper on the rivets, if you take a close look at them you will see what I'm talking about...I do feel your pain as I had to iron man it back to "Berkeley" with a huge windsurfing Sail...That I will never forget.

I used to work with the Dakine Company through my shop on design through our team riders and this sort of thing used to happin' to the big guys mostly.. I think they should take this case to the design team? not just send you a new harness.

They were wrong to have you destroy the harness?? unhooked at 3rd holy sh*t!!! your lucky to be alive, it should have been shipped back to them and put under a scope!!

I think some of the same people still work for them? I will give them a ring and see if they need to turn you in to a rider for them? this will do two things, it will help them to build a better "Kite Harness" and keep AdamT from flyin in to a tree.

This is a great company been around a long time... my design with them was the first plastic covered harness line now called the C/Loop for kiting.

Glad to here your OK!! and made it back in.......................Max