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I'm in the market for a new waist harness and would love to hear what you guys recommend. I was pretty happy with my North air styler, but after the air pocket burst, the harness would ride up and be quite uncomfortable. I imagine most/all harnesses have tendency to ride up and crush the ribs, but would like to hear if there's one that does not or that is much better than others.
thanks

MG

North styler is super comfy

MG wrote:I'm in the market for a new waist harness and would love to hear what you guys recommend. I was pretty happy with my North air styler, but after the air pocket burst, the harness would ride up and be quite uncomfortable. I imagine most/all harnesses have tendency to ride up and crush the ribs, but would like to hear if there's one that does not or that is much better than others.
thanks

MG

I found the Ocean Rodeo Session harness http://www.oceanrodeo.com/harness.html as the best harness going if you have issues with waist harnesses riding up. It has adjustable "climbing harness" styled leg loops that that prevent the harness from riding up. It also has covered straps/buckles to prevent your kite lines from snaging. A really cool feature is the quick-releaseable leash attachment on the back. With over 2 years in developement, this is by far the most thought out harness I've seen!

I also own a Tabu harness from DaKine and can honestly say the OR harness is a more comfortable fit. I had the same problem with riding up and looked high and low for something better. I've seen a harness from Mystic and North that are also hybrids (waist and seat harness in one), but the OR looked like more of a traditional set-up and seemed to allow the most freedom of movement. Check Ocean Rodeo's forum for some good non-biased feedback on this harness. http://www.oceanrodeo.com/forum.html

I wanna know why Slingshot doesnt make a harness.

my personal favorite is the dakine tabu. It gets expensive though, because you have to buy the spreader bar pad if you don't want to crush your ribs.

Liquid Force makes a really good waist harness as well. Last years was super comfy, but a bit too bulky for my taste. Supposedly this year's is less bulky and ligher...

The only way to choose a harness is to try it on, but I agree with kitebored, the tabu is awsome, its great for waves or carving toeside also the cabrinha is nice because of the plate in the back,
Their is lots of nice harnesses out there, you just have to find the one that fits you particular back shape.
-Evan

I was having problems with the Dakine Pyro loosening up while riding, and heard a couple other people having the same problem. I finally got a bar pad, and now it is much better behaved, and my ribs are a little happier. If you go for a pyro, be prepared to get the pad too.

(This is for an 05, and may only be a problem with the combination of harness size, waist size, and bar size).

It is so hard to tell what's good until you've ridden and body dragged in it. I keep going back and forth between my seat harness and the waist harness and owned a total of 4 different waist ones in the past year.

I think the reason I like the cabrinha is because I am thin so it holds down on me better. For someone with a more defined build, it wouldnt matter as much.

Mystic harnesses are now available in the USA: http://www.mystickiteboardingusa.com. These are the best harnesses out there. When looking for a waist harness, you want 4 key things; 1-back support, 2-comfort, 3-flexibility, and, 4-a harness which will not ride up. The Mystic harness addresses all theses issues and has an extra belt tie at the bottom of the harness which stops the spreader bar and harness riding up. Check them out, Live2Kite is offering them.