Harness

Welcome to the Kitemana Q&A on harnesses. A comfortable and well-fitting harness is an important part of your kitesurfing equipment. There is a large selection of different types, such as waist, hardshell or seat harnesses in different sizes. That doesn't really make it easier to find the perfect harness for you. That is why we have collected the most frequently asked questions about harnesses that are asked over and over again. You can find the Q&A regarding kitesurf harnesses at the bottom of this page, but don't hesitate to contact us anytime if you need further help or advice! Our friendly and competent customer service is there for you every day of the week! We have native English, Dutch and German speaking staff on our customer service team who are experts and are happy to help!

Which size should my harness be?
Which harness is best for beginners?
Should I wear a seat harness or a waist harness?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a waist harness?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a seat harness?
Are there harnesses especially for women?
Is the spreader bar automatically included when I buy a harness?
From which brands can I buy a harness at Kitemana?
Is a rope-slider spreaderbar also suitable for twin tip riding?

Every brand that releases harnesses publishes a size chart for their harnesses. There you can easily find out with which waist circumference you should choose which size. If you are unsure about this, you can also ask us for advice. You can find the size charts of the harness on the product page in our online shop. Your harness should fit tightly so that it can move as little as possible and the spreader bar can slide as little sideways or upwards as possible when kitesurfing.

For getting started with kitesurfing, seat harnesses are more suitable than waist harnesses. At the beginning of your kite career, you hold the kite more often in the zenith position. Therefore, a waist harness often slips upwards and feels uncomfortable. In addition, with a seat harness, the force of the kite has a larger impact on your hips and buttocks. This makes it easier for you to get on the kiteboard and stand stable on the board for the first few meters. As soon as you have mastered the water start and you already start riding upwind, you should consider a waist harness, because it offers more freedom of movement.

Whether a seat harness or waist harness suits you better is a very individual question. Many kite surfers appreciate the greater freedom of movement that a waist harness offers. Others prefer that a seat harness spreads the power of the kite over your whole hip, which can be more comfortable, especially when you suffer from back problems. There are also hybrid harnesses that can be worn both as a hip and as a seat harness.

A waist harness offers more freedom of movement since there are no straps for the legs, which is an advantage for performing tricks or maneuvers. In addition, there is nothing rubbing on your legs with a waist harness. This is especially important if you often go kitesurfing in warm conditions without a wetsuit. A waist harness also makes it easier to maintain an upright posture on the kiteboard, as the force of the kite affects you above your navel. This enables you to lean comfortably into the pulling force of your kite with your whole body.
On the other hand, a waist harness is more likely to move up and down on your body. This is especially noticeable if you are just starting out with kitesurfing and you frequently hold your kite in the zenith position. In addition, with a waist harness, the power of the kite is transferred to your back more selectively, which can exacerbate existing back problems. A waist harness also can make it more difficult for smaller people with shorter arms to reach the bar, as the bar is further away from the upper body than it is with a seat harness.

A seat harness moves less due to the straps for the legs. Therefore the spreader bar cannot press on your sternum when the kite is in the zenith position. In addition, a seat harness distributes the pulling force of the kite over your entire hips and buttocks, which makes it easier to get on the kiteboard at the beginning. Kitesurfers with back problems also benefit from this feature, as the back gets relieved. Because the spreader bar sits below the navel, a seat harness makes it easier for smaller people with shorter arms to reach the bar.
However, a seat harness restricts your movements more because of the straps around your legs. Those loops can also cause rubbing on your legs, especially if you often go kiting in warm conditions without a wetsuit. For advanced kitesurfers who can already ride up wind, a seat harness makes it difficult to maintain a straight posture, as the power of the kite affects you below your navel.

Yes, there are both seat and waist harnesses especially for women. Since women have a fundamentally different body shape than men, especially regarding the hips and waist, it is recommended for women to wear a women’s waist or seat harness.

Not all harnesses include the spreaderbar when buying a harness. You will usually find a note about this in the product description in our Kitemana online shop. If you are unsure whether the spreader bar is included with the purchase of a certain harness or not, please contact us by email or give us a call!

At Kitemana you can buy harnesses from the following brands. Click on the respective link to learn more about the individual brands. Brunotti: RIDER DEVELOPED PRODUCTS
Dakine: Essentials for every rider
ION: Harnesses and Wetsuits by ION
Manera: Stay Salty
Mystic: why follow when you can lead
Prolimit: Experience Innovative Technology
Ride Engine: Innovator of the Hardshell Harness

We recommend a regular spreader bar for riding a twintip, because this way the power of your kite is transmitted more directly and you have a better feeling for your kite. In general, you can ride a twin tip with a rope-slider spreader bar. However, this set-up does not offer any advantages if you are not riding toe-side on your twin tip mainly. Especially when jumping, the load on the material is very high. In addition, if you want to jump with a rope-slider spreader bar, the power of your kite is transmitted less directly, which can have a negative effect on your jump height.