Harness with the most back support

DelCarpenter · Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 499 Location: Cedar Falls, IA

This month I'll become about a 28 year user of seat harnesses, and a 76 year old with no history of back issues.

I can't back up the following claim with any data or specialized knowledge: but, my "thinking" about seat vs waist harnesses says the issue of proper placement is more critical in a waist harness. I "think" getting injured by using the wrong waist harness is much more likely than using the wrong seat harness. Again, I have no data for backing up that claim, just my personal thoughts.

GURGLETROUSERS · Joined: 30 Dec 2009 Posts: 2643

Your thoughts are borne out by many people's experiences, Mr. Carpenter. Those of us who are prone to lower back issues from overuse/misuse over the long term prefer to use common sense, and avoid a waist harness. The young may get away with it, day in, day out, for quite a number of years, but wear and tear in the lower back will eventually tell, and trouble will likely follow.

I used a waist harness in the 80's, and after a weekend of higher wind B&J I suffered at work on the monday from pain and stiffness which took a couple of days to ease off. I had a medical check and scan in my 40's for recurring lower back ache, which showed some damage from over/misuse which happily was not beyond remedial treatment with proper physio work. Fortunately for me, years of kayaking had built up a solid core foundation which had prevented any permanent damage.

I've always worn a seat harness since those earlier days, and have only had two painful 'spasms' over the last 25 years (both from unfortunate forced violent twisting) both of which took a week to recover from. I now feel that so0 long as I heed any warning twinges I can remain free of further real trouble, despite now being 81 years old.

I do not intend to allow avoidable body damage deprive me of windsurfing till the day I 'Pop My Clogs!'

jingebritsen · Joined: 21 Aug 2002 Posts: 3371

back issues from windsurfing only happen to me when i am wave sailing for 5 + hours. no issues if i sail bump and jump or flat water venues. why? i use a seat harness, no matter the sailing venue.

some folks may have issues with their junk and seat harnesses. maybe that issue goes away if one sails in a really cold area????? har har.

seriously, if one thinks about the physics, seat harness focus the sail's energy more effectively to the hips and legs. thus protecting the back muscles and spine from the ravages of our sport.

techno900 · Joined: 28 Mar 2001 Posts: 4161

seat harness = forces on the hips, not the back. It's the way to go for those that have back issues.

manuel · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 1158

How do women sail with a waist harness sitting under their armpits?

GURGLETROUSERS · Joined: 30 Dec 2009 Posts: 2643

Ahem!! You are being mischievous Manuel.

Would you really imagine, when you look at what she's wearing, she would be likely to pad out her hips and bum with a whopping great seat harness? Laughing

Not bloody likely! Wink

manuel · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 1158

We have the advantage of having hips and waist close in width. Women waist is narrower than their hips by a lot. So often times their harness will appear to sit so high. How they are able to hook in and out quickly and not arch their back during normal sailing is beyond me.

If mines rides any higher than just above belly button, it's hard to keep down pressure while riding over completely messed up water state.

Tightening up the bar super hard to have as firm of a connection as possible has been my trick after trying many different types of adjustment.

Then pad the middle of the harness to support lower back just like I pad my footstraps for extra comfort Smile

!

nw30 · Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:52 pm Post subject:

manuel · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 1158

The bar never impedes my breathing, the belts however... Never understood how they worked so I choose to leave them tension-less. I just cross the belts over (without pulling on them) and simply tighten the bar really really tight.

I have only tried one type of seat harness so I can't comment on back support sadly but it was great for big sails or racing.

cgoudie1 · Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2019 9:27 pm Post subject:

Just one aspect of a good waist harness. I love my waist harness, It doesn't
impede my breathing, it doesn't ride up (though I notice that guys (and
gals) with a belly do have a problem with riding up. Also, I'm the poster
boy for back surgery (from before I learned to windsurf), and I like it better
for my back, plus, the freedom of motion is better for me for swell riding,
and I don't trip and fall over while getting in (or out) of my harness (come
on, you guys who use a seat harness know that happens).

So there!

-Craig