Snowkite harness

[NHKitesurfer]

What is the consensus on the best type of harness for snowkiting? I know the guys who go big and glide use a modified climbing harness but how about the rest of us who don't have hills to glide off? Seat or Waist? Is one better than the other for skis vs. snowboard? How about a sliding spreader bar? Help? Hurt?

All comments welcome.

[KiteDR]

I've wondered this too - specifically with the question of using a climbing harness... what is the importance of a spreader bar, especially on harnesses other than a waist harness?

[corbett]

I've wondered this too - specifically with the question of using a climbing harness... what is the importance of a spreader bar, especially on harnesses other than a waist harness?

For me, a spreader bar provides a great level of safety in that I can simply unhook the cl if the cl eject won't work. Granted, sometimes the hook is obscured by my jacket but you can't deny the benefits especially if you use no dd. Of course spreader bar hooks snap off but anyway.......... btw, I was quite shocked when ozone released the harness with no spreader bar. I don't think it was appropriate.

[Starsky]

Totally depends. Snow kiting is every bit as variable as water. Mostly gear to comfort. Everything works, sliding, fixed, pivot, waist, seat, or even climbing.

The advantages are not rocket science and relate to comfort and the type of riding your looking to do.

I typically ride a snowboard with a C kite and go with a standard waist harness with fixed hook simply because I like to unhook.

[Hardwater Kiter]

Starsky is right depends on your needs/wants. For aggressive riding and speed sessions most riders I know, including myself wear some flavor of seat harness on snow. The Dakine Fusion is my harness of choice and most people in know looking for solid support use some version of it. It's one of our best sellers. Other options are the Chameleon and HQ seat harness. Both similar levels of support but at a lower cost. I especially like the Chameleon as its convertible from seat to waist by removing the leg assembly.

A few of the people in ride with wear waist harness on water but seat on snow for the low tow point but also because a seat harness doesn't crush your insulating layers like a waist harness. Also with the layers a waist harness really slides up.

Seat harness offers more tail bone protection and hip protection on hard surfaces. But is hard to bend at the waist with snowboard sitting starts.

Skiers tend to be in seat harnesses and boarder in waist.

Then you have the touring harnesses. We sell Ozone SB and Connect series. Low tow point, climbing harness based design. The SB offers enough support for most people, has a spreader bar and is one size fits all. We use them as our school harnesses and they are great. About as comfortable as it gets. The Connect BC is what I guide in and I'm really starting to like it. More support than the SB without the bulk of the Famine Fusion. Allows me to ride lit but I can skin and walk in it without feeling at all restricted. It also integrates into Ozone Frenzy and Summit 2016 packs creating a uber supportive and comfortable harness/pack system. No riding up!

For more info and images please check out our harness page...

http://www.hardwaterkiter.com/harnesses.html

[plummet]

i'm using an old Ozone SB harness for landboard. I finding it way better than a waiste harness when i'm using a high lift kite like a chrono. The standard waist just ends up giving you the rib squeeze of death.

Hey hard,

How does the new sb harness with the wider back support go? It looks good. It might be time for me to upgrade.

[Hardwater Kiter]

I think you mean the Connect? The current SB is not unlike your SB. The Connect BC and Connect Pro are both pretty sweet. The key differences are the Connect BC lacks the spreader and uses the same strap system as the Ozone SB but has the beefier back panel which is really nice.

The Connect Pro is the one I'm in for most stuff and I really like it. It has a new strap system that holds better than the SB or BC series harnesses. It uses the same metal hardware found on some other harnesses and it reduces the amount of readjustment of the harness over a session. Offers a lot more support on a kite like a Chrono or R1 than the original SB. Enough so that I've opted for the Connect Pro over my Fusion a couple times this season even if I new I was going to be putting heavy load on it. It's a really nice compromise between a stout, high load harness and a lightweight touring style.

I was in it all day yesterday with the 17m R1. (see oic) Felt great 90% of the time. Only once did I wish I had a little more support. As most of my kiting is as illustrated in the pic I usually have a lot of side load and harness twist. The twist isn't bad and only after a while do I feel the need to readjust. But the comfort factor is great.

[zob]

What is the consensus...

I'm on Ozone Access SB. I love the low tow point.
I'm probably one of the few who also use it on the water. I used to switch between waist harness for land, snow and water, and it just felt weird every time I switched. I prefered the low point and great "ass control" of the depower/power rope, in a pretty much fixed point, so I ditched the waist harness.
It actualy soaks close to no water. Leash does more.
I rarely experience straps loosening. It helps alot to put those elastic bands, that are waiting on the ends of the SB, on the slack strap loop (if you take as a starting point position on most of the pictures where the strap is pulled back under the elastic integrated in the plastic buckle). I do rotate it a bit downwind.

Back support on the Access SB is a bit soft. Some times it can hurt because you get most of the load on 2 or 3 vertebras. I'm thinking about carbon back reinforcement for a very long time, but didn't find the time yet. Not gonna buy a new one.


I had a small hole made in my snow jacket for SB, so I wear the harness under the jacket, powder skirt cliped to the pants (ower harness) and closed beneth the SB in the front. I attach the leash to the leg stap.

No more bare back snowkiting, no more ice formations on the back and the harness is more fixed.
The jacket moves freely, so it goes with the SB if it needs to.

How about a sliding spreader bar? Help? Hurt?

I am thinking about it for a while. I'll probably go just for the sliding rope. I don't see how it could hurt. Some times I would like to twist my body a bit more upwind and same on the water with my UD board, but there's too much rotational force from the fixed SB, and I can't. And it wouldn't work for me on snow with my jacket solution. It is probably more comfortable for carving too.

It looks like I will have to get 2 more small holes made in my jacket, to attach the sliding rope outside.

[Kitesteph]

Like most of you said it's often a personal choice and your type of riding.
I use a waist harness as I feel good with it, but then if I had to do a 2 hours race I would surely change my mind