Harnesses
When it comes to harnessing the power of the winds, you have a choice - either hang on and just hope your shoulders stay in their sockets, or use a harness to take the load and allow you to concentrate on control.
Harnesses generally come in three varieties - seat harness, waist harness or impact vest.
The most popular amongst kiteboarders is the waist harness, although for beginners the seat harness can be more comfortable due to the fact the kite spends a lot of time flying directly above the learner.
Windsurfers prefer the comfort of a seat harness, as this allows the rider to sit back and use their body-weight to form a balance with the sail and the board to help drive it through the water.
For the more serious kiteboarder or windsurfer, the impact vest offers snug protection against the inevitable wipe-outs. They don't allow the upper-boy freedom of movement that a seat or waist harness offer, but they do compensate by offering much more protection.
Once you are planing across the water, it's a simple matter of hooking your harness lines - which are attached to the kite bar - into the hook on the front of your harness, and then the kite is directing its energy directly onto your body rather than your arms.
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