Seat harness time! Thats the only way to keep the harness from riding up on the ribs. This happened in the epic wind in Mui Ne yesterday? Sorry to hear about it. I had a friend who cracked some ribs awhile back and he took 3 days off then borrowed a seat harness and kept at it. +1 on no meds while riding unless its just ibuprofin to keep swelling away which will in turn reduce the pain. I found some at the Russian Anteka shop just downwind of Hiep Hoa guest house or I've brought a big bottle if you want some. Anyway youre not alone yesterday. I jumped off a porch at C2Sky, only 1 meter and felt my neck pop with some sharp pain that felt nearly paralysing. An hour of yoga and I went out on the water and got my lines caught in some fishing nets after the loop came out. Kitemarish If you do get a seat harness and you're not in too much pain, we're doing a downwinder to Phan Thiet at 3pm today.
I never managed to break any ribs, but I remember one time I was in waaay too much wind to be flying my 16 SB, in giant waves, going nuts to see how high I could go... Got a bad rotation on a giant wave-assisted boost, and lost track of the kite, landed flat on my back with the kite halfway through a kiteloop, while simultaneously getting mauled by a big wave immediately on landing. Got supermanned out of the wave and landed in a yard sale half concious and gasping for air. That cured me of the stupids, and I blew up my 12 and did little baby jumps for the rest of the day.
It did happen in the epic wind yesterday, fortunately it happened towards the end of my session when I had already had a great day. I didn't stop kiting either! I just tried like hell not to get body dragged on that side at all.
I'm on the bus back to Saigon and plane to work in India tonight, so the timing of this was excellent as far as it can be. I'm at work for the next 10 days or so followed by a 10 day hike of Kilimanjaro so no kiting planned till at least Christmas/NY.
Pain is quite bearable. The codeine would have worn off by now and I feel more or less fine.
If its your intercostal muscle that's ruptured, it'll take much longer. I ruptured my intercostal after a inadvertent kite loop wrenched my wait for it.......Mystic Firestarter harness right up not the bottom of my cage. Felt a sickly popping sounds n realised there was something wrong. Trying to body drag back to shore and land kite was excruciating.
Back on water cpl month later in board sort harness. ION B2s are good. Was still in pain for several months afterwards, and still have the "golf ball", lump to show for my efforts. Also hurts when using waists harness after a while and that's over 2.5 years later
I had a friend who cracked some ribs awhile back and he took 3 days off then borrowed a seat harness and kept at it. +1 on no meds while riding unless its just ibuprofin to keep swelling away which will in turn reduce the pain. I found some at the Russian Anteka shop just downwind of Hiep Hoa guest house or I've brought a big bottle if you want some. Anyway youre not alone yesterday. I jumped off a porch at C2Sky, only 1 meter and felt my neck pop with some sharp pain that felt nearly paralysing. An hour of yoga and I went out on the water and got my lines caught in some fishing nets after the loop came out. Kitemarish 
If you do get a seat harness and you're not in too much pain, we're doing a downwinder to Phan Thiet at 3pm today.
