I have previously run with a seat harness however that was on the river in Perth where it was a bit flatter than Moreton Bay. Given the chop in the bay and the fact my harness recently broke I am thinking of moving to a waist harness. There are a lot of blogs around however I am interested to get some local feedback on what waist harness people are using and what thoughts there are on swapping from a seat to a waist - will it fundamentally change how I need to sail given I like to hook in lean back and hang on. My stock setup is 6.5m 100L sailing in 16-20kts. Cheers Jason
Waist you need to think to maintain stance, if you slump harness will pull into your ribs. Seat you just sit in obviously. Waist is great for freedom of movement & is nicer for jumping & gybing plus gives your kidney's/back a little protection if slapping down.
Personally for anything other than race sails I use waist harness, in wilder conditions & racing i'll often use waist as you can more comfortably sheet out (break at the waist) to control power.
I still use a seat harness(Dakine XT) and 90% of may sailing is at Queens Beach Redcliffe. Its all about tuning and what you get used to. I use a seat harness with a wave board down to 4 m sails in 30 knots and it feels perfectly comfy. My tuning doesnt change whether I'm on a Freerace board with a 8 m sail, of a Wave Board with 4 m sail.
I sail at Queens also and use a waist harness. Occasionally
when going over the larger steep chop I unhook without meaning to. At the same time I prefer a waist harness
as I feel less likely to be catapulted over the nose. But we all
sail differently and different set ups make people feel comfortable.
You need a seat harness Jase. Better in every respect. Especially if you like to push hard and sail off the fin (same here)
Tryed waist & just couldnt get it to stay in place no matter how tight it was done up. Tryed a seat harness which i found better but hook felt too low and requires longer lines. Now have a Flying Objects Transit which is a combination of both. It resembles a waist harness with straps under your butt. PERFECT.
Thanks, I think I will stick with what I grew up with, a seat harness. I hope everybody has a great Christmas and thanks for the advise this year, it is a good community up here and I'm looking forward to getting to know you guys better as we move through 2015. Cheers Jason
Hi all - I just can't get comfy in a seat harness so stick with a waist.
Been wearing a ski suit for the bouancy with the waist harness as a life jacket gets in the way.
Has anybody found the best type of life jacket that fits with a waist harness and does not get in the way?
cheers
I bought an impact vest as opposed to a life vest.
It has less buoyancy but because of this it fits under
my waist harness. All the foam bits are over my ribs
and its just wetsuit material under my harness. A good compromise if you don't need a full blown life vest.
Just read your question properly. Mine is last years model Mystic impact vest. It slips on, no zip, so stays snug.
Hi Spanishwog
I use a short sleeveless waterski wetsuit, rashy and seat harness. For me it's a great combo and the buoyancy kept me really happy when my board and mast separated in Cairns 2.5 km off Green Island. Only get stung on arms and lower legs by jellies. Can get a bit warm in summer but a quick swim solves that issue.
