Rider: 57kg, intermediate/advanced
Style: Freestyle
Weather: 20-25 knots
Build Quality: small/ athletic
Disclosure: team rider
My Comments:
hello iv bin riding with a base flying objects harness which iv never found particularly comfortable, however i did an s-bend and the d ring ripped completely from the harness stitching and all.
-can this be fixed?
and does anyone have any recommendations, suggestions for a better harness?
Im also looking to buy a new kite iv bin riding a 7.5m 07 bandit and absolutely love it iv never had any problems with it and it gets me out in every wind condition however i have ridden it pretty hard and the stitching is getting pretty warn out so i think its time to invest. Im loving the unhooked kiting and have bin told the bandits prob not the best kite?? any suggestions?
cheers
fabienne
not exactly sure with the harness, but most harnesses have to ring attachements. If you attach to only one then you are putting way to much stress on that one part of the harness. If you are unhooking then rig up a leash attachment that spreads the load over the 2 attachment rings.
As for kite, my suggestion would be the Best Kahoona in a 7.5. Very forgiving and will help build confidence to unhook and go harder by not smacking you when you screw up!!
Hi Fabienne,
I weigh 53kg and I use the women's Mystic Warrior http://www.mysticboarding.com/products/women/harnesses_kite ..
The harness is really comfortable and never ever rides up. It just sticks there perfectly. I love it. I have been using mine for 6 months now with heaps of unhooked stacks with no signs at all of wear and tear.
I use Ozone C4's. They are fast, have light bar pressure that can be customized to suit your own tastes and they are easy to use with heaps of pop for freestyle tricks. I would highly recommend them for anyone wanting to push their freestyle to new limits. If you are after a more forgiving all round kite then I would take a good look at the Ozone Catalyst. The catalyst is extremely light kite that is super smooth, has super light bar pressure, turns on the spot and always stays in the right spot.
Cheers
Shannon Ducker
Hi Fabienne,
About your harness, you can take it to Dean the Kite Doctor and he can resew the D-ring but probably not worth it. The FO Base is exactly that, a basic harness designed for Wind surfing so not up to the rigours of kitesurfing and also not suited to a girlie shape.
We stock the biggest range of chicks harnesses with FO Minx, ION Nova, Pat Love Eve and Maui Magic Luna all in stock and plenty to try on. All sizes XS,S,M and L.
With regard to the kite, Shan is right on, especially if you are unhooking, the C4 is da bomb with light bar pressure, excellent response and made for unhooking. The style of kite has a lot to do with the success or failure of a style, especially unhooking. The Bandits are more delta shaped which aren't ideal for unhooking as they have so much power at all times. A C-shape is better and makes unhooking easier. A good rider can do any tricks on any kite, but whilst learning, the right kite will make a big difference.
The C4 has a shorter bar throw which makes it easier for people with less than ape long arms to utilize full depower without pulling you off your edge. We have other stuff too but the Ozone would suit you best.
DM
Hi!
Try/use harnesses from other girls. It depends on your body hey!
I'm very happy with the pro limit pure girl. But try, its different for anybody.
Have fun!
Hi Fabienne
For both your questions, the answer is try. Try different a few different models of harness on in the shop, hang on them every which way, and see which one fits you best. As far as popular harnesses for girls, Pro-Limit Pure Girl or FX, Mystic Warrior or Hypnotize (womens) and the North Air Styler come to mind, but trying them on is the only way you will ever know for sure. Even better if you know someone who will let you burrow theirs so you can see how it performs while actually kiting. And yeah, a lot of harnesses with a handle pass leash are designed to spread the load over both of the attatchment points, so if you attach it to a single one it can cause them to tear off, especially when riding suicide.
As far as kites go, depends on what you are looking for exactly. If you have been happy with your bandit in the past, maybe have a look at the latest one. The B4 is quite a different beast for unhooking compared to the previous 3, the squared up wingtips make it perform more like a C kite, particularly when unhooked.
As far as other options, there are a lot of things you could look at which will give you a good, C shaped unhooked feeling without going to a more hardcore C like a Fuel or Torch. The North Vegas, Slingshot RPM, Naish Park and the Ozone C4 all fit this bill quite well. They give you the more user friendly aspects of a Hybrid or bow kite, but still have a much more traditional C shaped canopy and perform like a C shape.
Hope that helps.
