Harnesses

by Geoff Moore, 2008.

A few people are progressing to the point where you are nearly ready to get a harness. Here are my own thoughts on harnesses.

There are three basic types – waist, seat, and chest/impact (very rare these days).

Forget about the chest/impact harness. These are mainly for advanced wave sailors who want some floatation (but not Coast Guard approved PFD) and padding for big crashes.

Waist harness are probably the call for most people. They are easy to get on and off, more comfortable moving around on land and on the water.

Seat harnesses are best if your main goal is to go as fast as possible in a straight line (i.e., win races or pass your buddy...that latter point has merit to it...). Otherwise, seat harnesses are awkward to put on and take off, and feel kind-of like bike shorts (good when they’re doing what they’re built for, not good all the rest of the time).

I will confine the rest of my comments to waist harnesses.

The two big issues are comfort and fit. Comfort is important because they have to be on pretty snugly and can develop pressure points on your pelvis and lower ribs. One can get pretty sore in these areas if the wind is really strong and you have a lot of force on these areas. So a good harness has both padding and fits your anatomy. The less well it fits your anatomy, the more padding you need. The problem with padding is that it is bulky and inhibits freedom of motion. But the better the harness fits your anatomy, the less you need extra padding and you can regain some freedom of movement.

For those with a less svelte figure, the problem is not so much pressure points and fit, but that the harness tends to ride up and end up higher on the chest. This is particularly so for people who like a high boom. Thus, “grippiness” of the harness material for your rashguard/wetsuit is helpful. Some people also complain that the hook itself tends to ride up, and some harnesses have a strap to hold down the hook. I haven’t had such a problem, but I have a thin waist and cinch down the strap so that the hook can’t really go anywhere. Other hook issues involve the hook sliding back and forth on the retaining strap. Some folks like it sliding back and forth, some don’t, and you’ll have to decide for yourself.

Lastly, a word about Reactor Bars...one doesn’t really need them anymore, but some sailors like them. In the old days when the harnesses were just a rope, the roller on a Reactor Bar helped the hook find the best position on the line, and hooks tended to abrade/sever the harness line. Now that the harnesses are covered with PVC tubing, those are non-issues. So save yourself the $20 on the Reactor Bar. If you really want one, I’ll trade you one I have for a regular hook.

Where to get a harness...

Closest local shop to try one on is Canandaigua Sailboarding, in Canandaigua. Steve gave us the board and beginner sail, so support him in return if you can. In general, they all fit quite differently, and a waist harness is something you really need to try on. So that’s my plug for going to Canandaigua. Plus, go up there on a day with a south wind, and he can rent you a board for the day. The water is waist deep, sandy bottom, best place to learn in New York. Just make sure it’s a south wind before you go.

Online, there are many resources...if you know what you want Extreme Windsurfing is probably the lowest price, and Isthmus Sailboards is my choice for a great combo of phone advice, good stuff, ease of return if it’s not right. Lots of people like The House, and there are many others.

Happy Shopping!

GEM

Spreader Bar

The "hook" is welded to a metal bar, commonly referred to as a spreader bar, that threads onto a 2" nylon webbing strap. The strap cinches down on both sides so that it is tight to your abdomen. Most spreader bars are stainless steel tubing, some are aluminum (Reactor Bars), etc.

Spreader bars typically come in 3 sizes, maybe 4, where the length of the spreader bar is matched to the width of the harness/belly when you have it on.

All windsurfing spreader bars work on both seat and waist harnesses. There are some differences between kiting harnesses and windsurfing harnesses, including minor differences in the spreader bars, and I think some but perhaps not all spreader bars from kiting can work in windsurfing. Many kiting harnesses have a quick release gizmo that most windsurfing spreader bars don't have - presumably this is a safety devise to facilitate the kiter escaping from being dragged, or to free fall from a small height so that they don't free fall from a great height:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RuE5t1-H9k

Fortunately, that guy survived without catastrophic injury.

I would recommend getting a spreader bar for windsurfing. Most harnesses come with a spreader bar, but if you already have all shops will sell the harness without a spreader bar.

If you go out in wind of any strength at all, i.e., >6-8 mph, you're going to want to learn how to use a harness in order to keep your arms from getting tired. As soon as you can uphaul, go back and forth, and have decided you're going to stick with windsurfing, you're ready for a harness.

GEM