The harness is a piece of equipment nobody talks about much — but without it, you’d last about two minutes on the water. All the kite’s pull transfers through the harness to your body, so your arms steer but don’t carry the load. It’s like the seat in a car — you don’t think about it until you’ve been sitting in it all day.
During a course, you get a harness and don’t need to worry about anything. But if you’re thinking about buying your own, here’s an overview.
Two Main Types
Waist Harness
The most common type. Wraps around the waist and lower back. Gives great freedom of movement — you can freely rotate, move your torso, and change position.
Advantages:
- Greater mobility
- More comfortable for freestyle and dynamic riding
- Preferred by the majority of kitesurfers
Disadvantages:
- Can ride up (especially for beginners who keep the kite high, pulling upward)
- Less back support
Seat Harness
Has additional straps around the thighs. Stays in place and doesn’t ride up. The pull is distributed lower, putting less strain on the back.
Advantages:
- Doesn’t ride up
- Better back support
- More comfortable for some beginners
Disadvantages:
- Less freedom of movement
- Can be warm in hot weather (extra material around the thighs)
- Less “cool” (but that shouldn’t be a deciding factor)
What I Recommend for Beginners
Most of our students ride with a waist harness during the course and manage just fine. But if your kite keeps riding up and you feel pressure on your ribs, a seat harness will solve that.
The truth is, at the beginning it doesn’t matter which type you have — what matters is that it fits. A poorly chosen size or adjustment is worse than the “wrong” type of harness.
How to Choose the Size
The harness needs to fit snugly but not constrict. A few rules:
- Measuring: Measure your waist circumference where the harness sits (slightly below the navel). Compare with the manufacturer’s size chart.
- Tightening: When standing on dry land, the harness should be snug but comfortable. On the water, it stretches slightly (wet neoprene is slippery).
- Hook: Should sit roughly at navel level. Too high = rides up. Too low = pulls you down.
- Try it under load: If possible, test the harness with pull — either on a bar on the beach or on the water. It can fit differently on dry land than under tension.
How Much Does a Harness Cost
Roughly €150–350 depending on brand and model. Premium harnesses from Mystic, Ride Engine, or ION run around €200–350. You get better materials, better load distribution, and greater comfort on long sessions.
But again — buy only after the course, once you know what suits you. And as a course graduate with us, you get a 15% discount on equipment in our shop.
What We Have at the Centre
At Kitepower El Gouna, we have harnesses in all sizes — from children’s to XXL. Both waist and seat. During the course, we give you one that fits, and if you discover during the lesson that it doesn’t sit right, we swap it.
Through our rental centre, you can borrow a harness along with the rest of your equipment. Most regular customers do own their own though — it’s one of the few things where having your own pays off, because comfort is personal.
Maintenance
If you buy your own:
- Rinse with fresh water after every session. Salt damages materials and hardware.
- Dry in the shade, not in direct sunlight.
- Check the hook and safety system — they must not be worn out.
- Don’t sit on the hook — it deforms.
Summary
- Waist = most kitesurfers, more freedom
- Seat = doesn’t ride up, more back support
- You get a harness during the course, nothing to worry about
- Buy only after the course, once you know what you need
- Correct size matters more than type
Got questions? Write to us.
Lukáš Vogeltanz Kitepower El Gouna