Kitesurf harness: decision aid seat trapeze, hip harness and size

trapeze decision aid

A kitesurf harness, also called kite harness, is one of the core equipment for kitesurfing. You can't do without it and a kite trapeze largely determines whether you have fun or not. There is nothing more annoying than a kitesurfing harness that creeps up or causes painful moments on the water. You don't just buy a trapeze. An online trapeze size chart alone offers too little information. This is because your physique is unique and therefore there is no best kitesurf harness. Not for men, not for women and not for children. We explain the main differences on this page. Also what you should pay attention to to buy the right size harness. This way you are well informed in advance of the choice for the best kitesurf harness for you.

Selection aid kitesurf trapeze. Read more extensively below.

Seat harness or waist harness

Seat harness kite surfing not only for beginners

There are roughly two different types of harnesses for kite surfing. The seat harness and the waist harness. Most kite surfers know the seat harness from their early days as a kite surfer. While kitesurfing lesson the seat harness is often used. Also novice kite surfers and kite surfers who especially want to cruise often use a seat harness. Especially if the kite is often still high, it also pulls the trapeze up. This is not pleasant and is prone to injury to the ribs. Of course trapezes are made to counteract this. With a seat harness it is practically impossible for the harness to crawl up. This is due to the bands that go under the buttocks and between the legs. In this way, the seat harness always remains low.

Kitesurfing with a seat harness
Kitesurfing with a seat harness and therefore with straps around the legs.

Seat harness ideal for kitefoiling

When kitefoiling en kite-racing It is important that the center of gravity remains as low as possible. This way all power can be transferred to the kitefoil board as directly as possible via the legs. The kitefoiler or kite-racer can also hang well in the trapeze without all the power having to run through the back and abdominal muscles, which is a lot more tiring.

Seat harness for kite surfer with back problems or rib injuries

A seat harness is also often used by kite surfers who have a weak back, back problems or a rib injury. A seat harness relieves the back and abdominal muscles. As a result, there are kite surfers who would not be able to kite without a seat harness. Also kite surfers who suffer from their ribs or have an injury often use a sitting harness temporarily. Some will switch to it permanently from that moment on.

Kite surfing with a seat harness. The trapeze hook is a lot lower than with a waist harness.
Kite surfing with a seat harness. The trapeze hook is a lot lower than with a waist harness.

Seat harness for storm kite surfers

There is also a group of kite surfers who are quite overpowered want to brave storms. They don't want to allow their kite harness to crawl up and put as much pressure on the kiteboard as possible to jump as high as possible. Within this group you also see the use of sitting harnesses.

Benefits of the seat harness

  • Less chance of a rib injury. The trapeze hook of a seat harness cannot actually slide upwards and therefore there is hardly any chance of a rib injury.
  • A seat harness is ideal for kitefoiling, kite racing and cruising. The force is transferred directly to the legs via the lowest point and thus to the kiteboard.
  • Where a waist harness crawls up extra quickly when scooping water between the wetsuit and the harness, for example in a crash, the seat harness remains neatly in place.
  • A seat harness relieves the stomach and back muscles.

Disadvantages seat harness

  • A seat harness offers less freedom of movement than a hip harness. As a result, you are less flexible and certain tricks can be more difficult to do. You also notice this on the beach when preparing your kite surfing equipment or during a break.
  • With a seat harness, you can actually only absorb waves by bending your knees. This puts a lot of force on the legs and knees.
  • A seat harness looks a lot less attractive. It feels like you are wearing a diaper and this is how it looks.
  • A seat harness must fit properly. Otherwise you run the risk of the thighs being pinched by the straps around your legs. A seat harness should also not be too tight, which creates too much pressure on the hips. That will bother you.

Seat harness and kite loops?

Our experience is that a seat harness is not good for radical kite loops to participate. During a kiteloop you are pulled forward just as hard. Then support in the back is very nice. Even though we jump wonderfully and very high with the seat harness. With kiteloops we get problems with our backs. This is also what we have heard from a number of other kite surfers.

Kitesurf harness - On the left the seat harness (DaKine Fusion), in the middle a hardshell waist harness (ION Riot 14) and on the right a softshell waist harness (Mystic Warrior VI)
On the left the seat harness (DaKine Fusion), in the middle a hardshell waist harness (ION Riot 14) and on the right a softshell waist harness (Mystic Warrior VI).

Waist harness most advised and used

Most kite surfers use a waist harness. The freedom of movement that a hip harness offers compared to a sitting harness is great.

Hardshell harness or softshell harness

Softshell harness

Waist harnesses come in different designs. The traditional softshell hip harness has a flexible back panel. This is nice because the trapeze turns to the back and therefore fits well. The disadvantage of this is that a softshell hip harness must be tightened to get the shape. This actually compresses your waist so that your abdominal and back muscles provide continuous counter pressure. This can become tiring during long kitesurfing sessions.

Kite trapeze. Kitesurfing with a waist harness.

Hardshell harness

A hardshell harness is very stiff. The back panel and sometimes the side panels are made of rock-hard fiberglass, which makes the harness very stiff. Hardshell harnesses can therefore be preformed and are often available in different versions: from considerably preformed to less preformed to flat. The kite surfer can choose a model that fits perfectly with his / her build. Because the trapeze is preformed, the abdominal muscles and back muscles do not have to be continuously tense. With a hardshell waist harness you could continue kite surfing for longer without getting tired.

Kitesurfing with a hardshell harness
Kitesurfing with a hardshell harness. The hook on a waist harness is a lot higher than on a seat harness.

Benefits of the waist harness

  • A hip harness is higher and therefore you have more freedom of movement. Both on the beach and on the water when performing tricks.
  • A harness around your waist is nicer on the beach and during breaks. You can walk and move more easily with it than one with a back harness. After all, you have no bands under your buttocks and around your legs.
  • With a hardshell waist harness you could continue kite surfing for longer without getting tired. This is because a hardshell harness is preformed.

Disadvantages of the waist harness

  • The risk of a waist harness crawling up remains. This can lead to nasty injuries.  
  • With a waist harness you can hang less well in the kite, which is nice for kitefoiling, kite racing and cruising.
  • A hardshell harness is generally a lot more expensive than a softshell harness and seat harness. If your favorite kite harness is above your budget, you could still go for the kitesurf trapeze sale or for a old fashionl.

Trapeze Hook or Eye

Below you can see the use of an eye instead of a trapeze hook. This is how we use the waist harness. Where a hook tilts more easily due to the force, an eye does not. The eye is also closer to the body. Both points of attention help to keep the harness in place even better. Of course, an eye is not suitable for freestyle kite surfers who want to unhook or kite surfers regularly surrender their kite with the duo kite surfing.

Another option: no trapeze hook but an eye.

Kite trapeze general comments

  • A less high harness (shorter back panel) gives more freedom of movement than a high harness.
  • With a higher trapeze (longer back panel) you have more risk that it will gasp water in a crash. If water gets between the harness and your wetsuit, there is a risk of the harness moving.
  • Hardshell harnesses are a lot more expensive than softshell harnesses.

Kite trapeze ladies

For women, kite harnesses are not only different in color. Trapezes for women have a fit that better fits a woman's back and waist. This is to ensure that a trapeze for a lady fits well with the body. The size of women's harnesses is also often slightly different.

Size kitesurf trapeze

Many brands that produce harnesses have a kite harness size chart available on their website. By measuring the circumference of your waist you could select a size. However, with a kite harness that is suitable for your body, more than just the size of the waist matters. For example, whether you have a more convex back or a more concave back. In addition, the plate on which the hook is attached must fall over the edges of the trapeze so that it forms one whole. This prevents the hook from floating, which can lead to injuries. In addition, you must make sure that the ends of the trapeze themselves come in front of the belly, but there is enough space between the ends. This ensures the best connection and protection. look at it movie on youtube in which we explain and show this.

Do not blindly rely on a kite trapeze size chart. Your physique is unique.

Buy a kite trapeze

The advice as already given in the introduction is therefore always to fit kitesurf harnesses. In a kitesurf shop you can often also hang with the trapeze hooked on a rope so that you feel good whether a trapeze suits you.