Buyers guide - Kite Harnesses

May 30, 2022

Dakine Harnesses | Mystic Harnesses | Ride Engine Harnesses

Kitesurfing revolves around being comfy while you ride. If you’re not comfy, you won’t have a good session! A harness is a key part to any kite-surfers setup, so that’s why we’ve decided to break down some of the main types of harness out there:

HARD SHELL, HYBRID, OR TRADITIONAL?

No matter what gear you have, a harness is still a key part to any riding. All of the power a kite generates comes through this wrap-around waist harness, so it’s key to find the right one for you.

HARD SHELL HARNESS:

A Hard Shell Harness is aimed at people who want a lower volumed harness that sits in the Lumbar of the lower back, but with all the support you’d still get from a conventional harness. Although they sound great, they aren’t for everyone. These harnesses are a love or hate; most of us are going from a full flex (soft) harness to a hard shell harness. This is an extreme difference, and we recommend you move up to a Hybrid harness first unless you’ve been riding a number of years.

EXAMPLES OF A HARD SHELL HARNESS:

2023 Ride Engine Saber V3 Harness

HYBRID HARNESS:

A Hybrid Harness is a mixture of both a Hard Shell and a Traditional Harness, taking the best out of both worlds. This harness isn’t made of a full hard back, which is great for grabs and freestyle tricks due to it offering a lot more movement and freedom than a Hard Shell, but with the added support of the semi-rigid backplate. Liam Whaley is one of the pro riders who prefers this type of harness to anything else, simply because of the flex pattern and freedom of movement he can get from this type of harness. This is what we recommend 99% of people go for so they can get used to the very different feel and support you get from a hard shell before moving to a full rigid harness.

EXAMPLES OF A HYBRID HARNESS:

2023 Mystic Star Hybrid Harness

TRADITIONAL HARNESS:

A traditional harness is that the name suggests; a Harness with no rigid backs and a super simple design. These harnesses are what kitesurfing was built around back in the day, and are preferred by beginner kite-surfers. A lot of these harnesses are Thermo-Moulded, which means you get a custom fit, and a comfy ride every time thanks to the added Lumbar Support. Loads of flex makes it great for a beginner looking to get into the sport!

EXAMPLES OF A TRADITIONAL HARNESS:

2022 Ride Engine Contour V1 Harness

CLICK HERE: TO BUY KITESURFING HARNESS

SPREADER BARS:

In the last few years, spreader bars have changed massively. Nowadays you can buy a spreader bar for the type of riding you’re going to be doing. See below as we run you though the options on today’s harness.

HOOK SPREADER BAR:

This is a traditional type of spreader bar, and what 95% of kite surfers use right now. It’s perfect for riders that want to learn to do un-hooked style tricks and beginners alike.

SURF SPREADER BAR:

Now this is not just as the name suggest; yes its perfect for riders that like to ride waves and works very well, but it also has some other benefits. One being for the girls or guys with short arms, as this spreader bar will bring the bar closer by around 2-3 inches, giving you more range in the kite. It also works well for beginners, because they can not accidentally un-hook themselves, which is a common thing we see in the industry. We suggest you buy both styles of spreader bar, as you’ll be sure to want to ride waves at some point.