So I'm looking into getting my first harness. I'm currently flying a Prism Tensor 5.0 and got to try it out for the first time a few weekends ago in 7-10 mph winds. Wow! I was surprised at the pull it had. So after having fun with it for awhile, I just couldn't grip the handles any longer. My grip strength was shot! So I quickly realized that I need to get a harness so that I can possibly use a strop line to help out a bit.

I was looking at the Ozone SB harness and wanted to get your opinions on it. I like the fact that it's styled similar to a rock climbing harness... being a climbing instructor, I'm very familiar with that type of feel and lightweight design. I see some are a seat harness (Dakine), and yet others are just waist, but I'm not sure how those would limit range of motion and comfort, etc.

I'm overall looking for something that will allow me to use it for many different wind sports, rather I'm at the beach and just want to get pulled and do some jumps to buggying to experimenting with snow kiting. Open to suggestions.

Thanks everybody!

I have the ozone sb harness and I like it. It's the only harness I've tryed but its definatly comfy. The only thing I dislike is that it digs into my groin area if I keep the kite at zenith a lot but that is because I am so skinny the I can't get it tight enough. Fully tightened I can fit may arm though the waist loop. My waist is 26-27" so if your waist is 30+ it should fit properly. The other benift of the onzone harness is I can let my friends use it because it is one size fits all.

I'm in the same boat............wanting my first harness, like what I see in Dakine both in their seat and waist mount units..............looking to learn from others........


cheers...........good karma pays forward!!!

I've been buggying for about 4 years now. I started off with a libre standard harness, but found it very uncomfortable due to the lack of padding. I then upgraded to the libre delux harness and it's great, plenty of padding. I've been using it now for over 3 years.
I have tried on an ozone harness (but never buggied with it) I have a 31" waist an I still couldn't get it tight enough. This is probably because it is designed more as a snow kiting harness, so is made larger to fit over heavy ski clothing.

If you are a climbing instructor, why not just "borrow" a climbing harness that you know is comfy and try it out.

Dakine Fusion is my goto. Confortable, tough, reliable. Spreader bar pad installed makes a big difference in comfort.

Doesn't bind like a climbing harness. Not sure that it would work in a buggy, never seen a buggy guy in a seat harness.

Dakine Nitrous Board shorts would be my second choice. Super comfortable, probably work in a buggy, look good not like a diaper.

Divine harness by PL is the best for Buggy.
Ziggy

Wow.....Four skinny guys on a forum! Is that the next buggy movie title...?
Of what I just read, it seems that all the harnesses do the same thing to guys like us....too big at waist and ride up when flying higher in window
I have been flying static, skiing and of course riding in a buggy all using a Dikine Fusion...I love this harness, it's held up to years of sessions etc. durable and still looks fairly new.
Complaint(s)...
Not the easiest to buggy with due to our sizes. This harness is very stiff in the waist section, so to sit in my buggy (flexifoil) it does not bend very easily. It also has a lot of padding in the tailbone section which makes you sit higher in the seat then I prefer.
The other complaint is the plastic clips are very hard to adjust while you have it on...ex. need that extra inch to get spreader bar on... good luck adjusting straps to accommodate.
Fact....I have a 31 in waist and I am using a Large for this harness.

I sat in like 10 buggies at WBB this year and different seats will make the harness feel extremely different so....It is a matter of personal choice. You may have to buy 1 or 2 in the span of your kiting career if you want the best fit. Not a bad thing either if you do multiple sports with the kites. (skiing and buggy)

I'm currently in the process of buying a Peter Lynn Divine for the buggy only. This was suggested to me by a couple members who I trust..one of which has seen me both in person and ride so...his suggestion is better then someone who has never seem you ride.
However the Peter Lynn I guess runs big so...
I was told to buy a small..They make an extra small, but they are not really in the States yet and shipping one doesn't make the sale very feasible.

If you have access to different climbing harnesses then try a couple of those..why not? These are comfortable then most buggy harnesses, but lack that certain something I just can't put my finger on.
ex. during extremely windy conditions they tend to dig into the skin as opposed to the diaper seat of the fusion that you can leverage on side of hips.

Last but not least...If we can put a remote controlled vehicle on Mars, why can't these manufactures make a harness that doesn't squeeze the life out of your junk!

...but not so good for sitting.

Many kitesurf specific harnesses with their thick ONE PIECE foam lowerback/butt padding are poorly adptable for sitting and don't 'bend' well. Stiff and not flexible. The result is when sitting on that area it pulls back away from back of your waist leaving a gap behind on the waist and giving your waist some additional pressure just from sitting on it. The Fusion has this issue(I tried it)-as do many kite surfing specific harnesses.

Bruce makes many of these points in his post..I'm just elaborating a bit.

If they designed a harness that had 'segmented' padding in the mentioned area that allowed fabric to bend/hinge/fold unresisted, they could have a kite harness with kitesurfer's typical padding that would also work well for buggy kiters.

Generally if it is just a fabric butt with unextended(over butt) waist padding strip..it usually sits comfortably.

You need a buggy specific harness for best comfort. PL, HQ, Ozone, radsail all make some that work well.

On the Peter Lynn Devine harness...

Are they really sized the way it is written...that 37 - 42 is considered a medium?

Those that have tried...did you find this to be true?

Andy666... "If you are a climbing instructor, why not just "borrow" a climbing harness that you know is comfy and try it out."

Hey Andy... well, I was thinking of how I would rig up a climbing harness for this sort of sport, but since I'm just starting out, I'm not sure that a climbing harness can safely attach a hook to it so that I can utilize it correctly. I was going to use a carabiner to the belay loop and attach the brake lines to that. That would allow me to let go of the handles and have full brake on, but that's not helping to relieve my grip, so I need to find a way to attach a strop in a way that can be easily released in the event that I need to let the handles go and bring the kite down.

It's tough to decide since I don't have any local kite shops that deal in this sort of sport, so I'm left with online shopping and of course, asking questions on PKF. I will definitely be taking a look at some of the names that you all mentioned in your posts. Do I want a seat-style or a climbing-style harness?? I'm not sure until I try them on I suppose and see how they feel overall.

I will continue to search and do my research, but always look for recommendations for you guys here. This site is truly an awesome group of kiters. Thanks for all the help!

I kite landboard and ski. I'm skinny (145# and 5'7") and I use a dakine fusion seat harness size large with a spreader bar pad. Super comfy but you need the pad if you are going to jump with it and on days when I jump a lot the leg strap bothers my left groin only (because the kite is always high between 10 and 2). Doesn't bother my right side at all, only my left so it may just be my anatomy. No complaints otherwise.

hey Jeff

to safely attach a fixed bridle (handle) kite to a climbing harness you would need a strop, a pulley for the strop to run through and a quick release shackle.
Attach the strop to the front lines of the kite, where the lines comes through the back of the handle.
Put the pulley onto the strop and attach the pulley to the closed end of the quick release using a bolt, D shackle, etc.
Then clip the quick release end of the shackle around the belay loop. That way you can safely release the kite if you crash.
Note: you can't use "kite killers" on the rear lines when using a harness. It's dangerous and doesn't allow you to spin the handles to remove twists from the lines.
Here is a setup that I have just started using. The open pulley allows me to easily change kites without having to undo the strop from the handles. (being a climbing instructor I'm sure you cringe seeing a carabiner used like this, but it quick)


The pulley is an Axis climbing pulley.
The quick release shackle is a Wichard shackle

I have a dakine fusion size L sitting around. Very little usage. Let me know if you are interested and I can take pictures. I have a 34 inch waist and it fits but would fit even better if I was a 32. Hard to get into in winter clothes for me and ends up way too tight. No problem fitting into it with a wetsuit though.

100 shipped without spreader bar. 120 shipped with 6" pivoting spreader bar and pad.

The 6 inch would be better for someone with a smaller waist, like 30 or less. I was using a 10" spreader bar with it and still need that spreader bar.

Hey Andy666.. thanks for the photos of your setup! I was sitting around last night with my harness thinking of how I would rework the strapping to make a climbing harness work with a spreader bar. It would take some restitching, but I could make it work.

I forgot about snap shackles! As soon as I saw your images, I was like, "DUH!!" I also forgot that those little guys are $$$. As much as a new harness setup in some cases! I think I'm going to do some further research to see what kind of deals I can find on them and plan on rigging a similar system. I like the fact that the system will be able to rotate and hinge on the belay loop without issue. I have my pulleys, so that won't be an issue at all.

As to your biner placement... You wouldn't believe the crazy stuff that I've actually seen climbers do and then hang their lives on it, so I wouldn't say that it made me cringe. Since you're not dealing with the kind of loads that would compromise a biner (even that non-load bearing one that you're using), why don't you just clip a small wire or screwgate and have it pull along the spine the correct way for strength and keep it out of the way?

I used the cheap non load bearing one simply because it was lying around and only has to take the shear load so works ok.
The idea of using the carabiner the way it is, is to keep the setup as short as possible and therefore the handles nice and close. When your in a buggy the handles are out to the side, so are more difficult to reach.

Jeff, since you know a bit about climbing gear, which climbing harness would you say has the most padding and is the most comfortable?

Quote "to safely attach a fixed bridle (handle) kite to a climbing harness you would need a strop, a pulley for the strop to run through and a quick release shackle.
Attach the strop to the front lines of the kite, where the lines comes through the back of the handle.
Put the pulley onto the strop and attach the pulley to the closed end of the quick release using a bolt, D shackle, etc.
Then clip the quick release end of the shackle around the belay loop. That way you can safely release the kite if you crash.


The pulley is an Axis climbing pulley.
The quick release shackle is a Wichard shackle " Unquote.


so me being un-informed on climbing gear and pricing, what are some sources for this config, and what's "$$$" out the door?

Wichard shackle

climbing pulley

I have a 38 waist and cinch up a lot of strap on my medium Divine PL harness. Once I get it tightened up, I don't think about it again. It just becomes a part of me and the buggy. Line pressure shifts the spreader bar slightly and the end wedges against the siderail on the buggy transferring some of the power directly to the buggy. I've had it for at least 3 years now and wouldn't consider replacing it. Wexler has an XS he's been wearing for at least a couple years now. He is about a 30-31 waist.

Andy... Well, any "big wall" harness will be more heavily padded and offer more contact area to minimize hot spots and pressure points. Alpine harnesses are nice in that they offer a wide range of adjustability since they're made to be worn over bulkier clothing and many also offer thicker padding for comfort. Any sport harnesses are going to be thinner and lighter. As with any product, comfort is all a matter of preference and body type. I personally use Petzl harnesses and gear due to their quality of manufacturing, fit quality and great reputation. Many people feel that other brands fit them better. All in the climber, ya know.

I would hate to take a nice, expensive harness and drag it along the beach while scudding, so I'm thinking I'll look for a relatively cheap harness that fits decent and rig up this system with the shackle and pulley and see how it goes. Depending on the price of the harness, I'm assuming that I can get this put together for less than $100. Worth a try, eh?

I am 34 waist and No troubles with my small PL Divine

Hi All,

Im also just about to purchase the devine harness but im unsure as to which spreader bar to go with. Ive heard it suggested (possibly in this thread) that the prodigy bar makes it hard to hook in/out on the fly. Is this the case? If so, does the extra articulation make it worth it?

Yes you are right about the Prodigy being difficult to hook in and out with. I would just hook in before launch and stay hooked in till I landed the kite. I moved away from the Prodigy to be able to have a release. Even at Ivanpah, you can run out of room, and sometimes that is just when the wind kicks in. I've had to release twice under duress and both were with depower kites. I wanted the same ability to "cut loose" if I felt out of control while flying fixed bridle kites. I went with the long bar with a hook from PL and hook my wichard and holt allen block to the hook. For fixed bridle flying, a spreader bar with a Ubolt would be even better to keep things closer.

Thanks Bob.

In that case, as I quite like the option of hooking in/out, maybe I would be best going with the bullet spreader?
I could always adapt it to a wichard qr set up down the road if need be.
Also, does any one have any thoughts on the pl base harness? from the look of it I'm assuming its not going to be anywhere as comfortable as the devine, but i'm wondering its would make a worthwhile first harness (its also about half the price)

Hey guys! Well, I'm on my way to getting my harness set up as I just got my wichard shackle and a CAMP haul pulley. The two fit like a glove and I think that it's going to work very well with my climbing harness however I wanted to ask real quick about this unhooking thing... Obviously, with a pulley (rather it be a closed pulley or one of the Prodigy's), unhooking is either going to be a tough task or just plain impossible. With a simple hook, that makes unhooking easy. How important is it to be hooking and unhooking when it comes to power kiting? (I'm not refering to emergency releases).

I am planning to set up a pulley for my handles and simply use a strop line. Since I can't unhook, should I use kite killers on my wrists or should I maybe use another strop connecting the brakes (lower handles) via a carabiner to my harness, so that the system is always connected to me in the event that I need to release the Wichard shackle?

It's not practical to hook and unhook while riding using a block pulley. Unhooking can be handy when conditions are sketchy where it's difficult to keep your lines tight during lulls in the wind. This is also difficult with the Prodigy bar because it pivots in all directions. I'd go with the bullet spreader if you don't intend to use a safety, or a hook for the most versatility for all connection options, including strop with safety, strop direct to hook, and depower.

of the set up you can hook in and out of with safety release(either with hook or roller)?

(I may have seen before but need a reminder )

If you are looking for the Divine XS harness, I think I have them in stock. If not I can order one in for you no problem.

Does anyone make custom harnesses?

Hi Folks,

Got my pl devine & bullet spreader bar. Only had one opportunity to try it out so far and had mixed results. I'll list a few observartions below, you might be able to advise.

- I Hooked in on my 3M initially (wasn't 3m wind but i wasnt about to jump in with the 5M) Probably it was because I was underpowered but I was finding it tending to drop off the roller way too often.
- My hoodie kept getting caught in the roller no matter how I tucked it in.
- How far up should the leg straps go?
- I trimmed the strop so that it felt ok static, but it still seemed too long once in the bug, does the sitting position mean you need it a little shorter? which brings me to my last question:
-Im already considering going the witchard/snap block route, but when the roller is that much further out in front, presumably the strop needs to be that much shorter, so im wondering how do you leave enough strop to retain full control of the kite?

Keep the hardware and attachment point as short as possible , and yes you can run a much shorter strop if your flying that Viper, it will turn as fast as you want pulling the handle and tapping the brake.