Harnesses

A Handle Pass Leash get's it's name from the trick it’s associated with, namely the Handle Pass. If the bar should get released, the leash will activate the safety/flag system depowering the kite without releasing your kite completely during the unhook.

This type of leash is longer than a standard kite leash and its this added length that allows the rider to carry out a 360 degree rotation in mid air.

Handle Pass Leashes would only be activated as a last resort..

A handle pass is often a trick performed while airborne and unhooked from your harness.

The rider passes the control bar behind their back while performing a 360 degree rotation in the air.

A harness is used to take the strain off your arms, allow you to fly in stronger winds and reduce overall fatigue or be an intergral part of a depower system.

A harness is not essential when you first start out kiting on the land but is essential for kiteboarding.

Harnesses can be used for either 4-line handles or control bar. Depowerable kites require a harness to function correctly.

Waist harnesses fit around the lower back and abdomen giving you freedom of movement for technical manoeuvres.

Seat harnesses fit around the legs and lower back giving you lots of support and hip protection. These harnesses stop any chance of the harness riding up your body when the kite is overhead.

A harness line is often fitted between the top of four line handles to enable the flyer to hook into a harness and take the strain off your arms, it allows you to fly in stronger winds and reduces overall fatigue.

Harness lines can also be used as a fixed position on a depowerable control bar allowing you to hook into the harness at a fixed power position. This allows you to perform no handed manoeuvres at a temporary power position and are often used for downwind expeditions to reduce fatigue on your arms. 

Harness lines are only recommended as a temporary power position as they do override some auto safety mechanisms. Practising hooking in and out is highly recommended.

A term referred to if the pilots chicken loop is connected to the spreader bar hook on the harness or not.

Being hooked in is often the safest way to kiteboard however many advanced tricks now require you to be hooked out or unhooked from the harness.

This term is often used when explaining tricks and manoeuvres.

A Seat Harness is worn by kiteboarders and land kiters alike.

It fits around the seat and leg area as opposed to a waist harness.

The seat harnesses position is lower and with the leg straps make it more secure stopping the harness from riding up.

A harness has to be worn in order to use a depower system - if flying a fixed bridle kite the harness is optional.

The force created by the kite when taken through a harness allows greatly extended flying sessions.

A spreader bar is found on the front of a kite harness and will usually be fitted with a downwards and backwards facing hook, pulley wheel or webbing loop.

The spreader bar creates the connection between the pilot and the kites control.

A harness or strop line is often fitted between the top of four line handles to enable the flyer to hook into a harness and take the strain off your arms and allowing you to fly in stronger winds and reduce overall fatigue.

A term referred when a kiteboard is riding with the chicken loop unattached from the harness.

Being unhooked from your harness is sometimes required for powered advanced wakestyle tricks and wave riding. 

A waist harness makes it possible to kitesurf, buggy or landboard with less effort required by the rider.

The waist style harness gives freedom of movement to achieve technical / freestyle manoeuvres.

The harness will take most of the strain of the kite's pull away from the rider's arms and spread the loads across your body waist area.

A harness is used to take the strain off your arms, allow you to fly in stronger winds and reduce overall fatigue or be an intergral part of a depower system.

A harness is not essential when you first start out kiting on the land but is essential for kiteboarding.

Harnesses can be used for either 4-line handles or control bar. Depowerable kites require a harness to function correctly.

Waist harnesses fit around the lower back and abdomen giving you freedom of movement for technical manoeuvres.

Seat harnesses fit around the legs and lower back giving you lots of support and hip protection. These harnesses stop any chance of the harness riding up your body when the kite is overhead.

Males and females are typically different in shape in order for a harness to be efficient at supporting and adhere to the curves of your body.

Male waist harnesses are designed to allow for larger and wider backs and the ‘cut outs’ are not as abrupt. Male seat harnesses tend to have larger back supports for larger frames.

Female waist harnesses tend to have larger ‘cut outs’ over the hips to allow greater movement whilst seat harnesses tend to have shallower back supports as women are generally not as tall as men.

Check out our range of Harnesses here >> 

A basic nylon covering typical found on some harnesses is hard wearing and allows the harness to rotate slightly around your body making them great for toe-side and wave riding. 

A neoprene molded interior offers a softer feel and after a few sessions moulds to your body providing maximum support. It is less prone to rotating around your body as it grips your wetsuit / clothing. 

An EVA molded interior helps to provide the best anatomical fit by ensuring the harness fits snugly to your body but due to its flexible nature you do not lose flexibility in the harness.

This lining sticks to your wetsuit like glue allowing you to be confident that when powered up the harness will be less likely to ‘ride up’.

Check out our range of Harnesses here >>

All harnesses feature varying degrees of support and comfort. The idea Is to get a harness with the best blend of support and comfort to suit your needs.

Supportive harnesses are better suited for powered riding and for long riding sessions and normaly include an EVA molded interior, memory foam lumbar support and multiple adjustment points.

Comfort in a harness normally aids in wave riding as it allows the harness to move around the body slightly.

This style of harness tends to include a nylon or neoprene interior for freedom of movement in the harness and includes soft edges or leg straps to reduce the harness from digging into your body when powered up.

Check out our range of Harnesses here >>