After I spend a couple of hours in my harness, I have to nurse my lower back for a couple of days. Anybody have a recommendation for a harness that is easy on the back?

Geoff

Aquata/Murrays? Worrell full harness. It's heavy but your actually more comfy on the wire than off. It's like laying in a hammock.

What are you using now? I agree with Todd though, there is nothing more comfortable than the Worrell XT harness - but it is too heavy and cumbersome for buoy racing in my opinion.

Looks to be an "Aquata Pro Excellerator XT" circa 2002.

Stupid question, but are you doing your shoulder straps up tightly? I find I often have to re-tighten them once I'm on the wire. I often don't notice that they're slack for a while, but it's much more comfortable once they're tight and taking some of the weight.

Paul

That should be a good one - play around with the straps a bit - especially the shoulder straps. When mine is most comfortable on the wire, the shoulder straps are quite tight anywhere else.

I try to keep them tight, but I also prefer to wear my PFD over my harness, so I don't have great access to the shoulder straps. It's a good thought, though. I'll pay more attention to this.

And the tighter your spreader bar is to your torso, the less pinching moment it applies to your lower back.

Here's a problem I've been having with my full body harness. In order to walk upright on the beach, I have the shoulder straps loose. Once I get out on the wire, I reach inside my life vest and snug the shoulder straps down fairly tight, tight enough that I can lay my shoulders back to flat body, and relax my stomach muscles.

BUT, when I come in off the wire for a dowind run, and try to sit up straight on the tramp, the shoulder straps are now too tight, and if I were to get off the boat with them set at the "upwind" setting, I could never stand up straight without loosening them quite a bit first. Cranking down on the shoulder straps compresses my vertebrea as well as supporting my shoulders and upper body, due to the nature of them wraping over the top of my body and going back down to the waist area.

I can really feel it in my back the next morning if I have been sailing "compressed" the day before. Is there a harness with shoulder straps or other type of upper body support that does not compress your spine when you tighten them up?

Tim:
I have exactly the same problem with my MagicMarine harness, the other day I borrowed a Hobiecat Convertible harness and liked it a lot.
The back support is quite solid and doesn't depend/compress so much on the top shoulder straps like my MM one does.
I am seriously considering getting one.

Thanks Tony. It looks like it has no shoulderstraps at all, is that correct? I was thinking about maybe a windsurfing type harness or something that wraps around my chest, no shoulder straps, with a hook higher up, towards my sternum, much higer than the typical cat harness. Anyone seen something like that? What do the Kite guys use?

As far as the half-harness goes, I don't think anyone makes one comparable to the Hobie...I'm just waiting for the day I can afford/justify one (would be great for those lightish days where you may or may not be trapezing). The center of gravity needed for trapezing is different that wind surfing since they are standing more upright.

Hobie makes two different half models, the Convertible (that is the one on the picture) and the regular half Skippers harness. The Hobie convertible has shoulder straps that can be taken off (hence the name convertible). The back and hip support in this harness are great, the bucket is very stiff and has a lumbar support build in. The regular Hobie half (Skippers) harness does not have shoulder straps, nor does it have the support or stiffness that the Convertible has (but it is cheaper!). We have the Convertibles and love them.

Anybody have experience with the HYDRO XT shown here? http://www.aquatausa.com/harness.htm

I have the Hobie convertible harness as well. I love it with one major exception - when you're doubled over to get under the boom on an H-16 or H-17 (especially the 17), the rear "plate" sticks out enough to catch the boom as it goes over your back. It also interferes with the "skirt" on some of the PFD's I wear, contributing to the problem of the PFD riding up.

I went to a MM full harness in 2005 (not really thrilled with it), and just bought a MM half harness last weekend. The new half harness is nice, but the jury is still out. One day of sailing is not enough to judge.

I have a friend that has/had a hydro XT. I think he likes it a lot... I'm just more into the full harnesses. I've got an Equipe and LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I'm going to need a new one soon and am not sure what to replace it with. It has GREAT back support, you don't even know your hanging in it.

I have to say that I might be the only person in the world that does not like the worrell harness. I wore one for two days in the worrell and had to switch to my equipe. It seriuosly hurt me on the sides of my thighs.

Matt, yes, I experienced that on the 16 as well...I found that it is much less of an issue when the shoulder straps are attached (they keep the back part of the bucket closer to the body).

I have the slightly older model aquata hyrdo which is pretty much the same as the xt. I find it comfortable but I've never had a full harness so I don't really have anything to compare to.

I've sailed thousands of hours in a harness. I've owned a ton of harnesses. The Worrell XT was the most comfortable for long periods on the wire, however it was too bulky for most bouy work. The new Zhik harness is hands down, the best alternative I've found. Lighweight, no buckles, a huge back support pad, and broad spreader bar. It will be available in the US mid-June, Order here at the Catsailor Online Store. There was a thread on this harness a while back with pics, etc.

Are there any full harnesses with the spreader bar higher up than belt level? I would think the higher you could get it the better back support it would offer, without having to crush your spine with over shoulder straps pulling your shoulders down toward your waist.