Wingfoil harness tips

On this page we go into one of those topics that create endless discussions amongst riders and a lot of questions amongst beginner wing foilers. The wingfoil harness – do you need one, when would you use one, why would you use one and what kind of wingfoil harness would be the one you should pick? It’s a lot like wingfoil footstraps: everybody has an opinion about it or looks for answers about them.

Wingfoil harness – introduction

For those who come from another wind sport like windsurfing, riding without a wingfoil harness may feel unnatural. In windsurf, you definitely need a harness in order to not kill you arms while surfing. The harness also helps you adopt the right stance (position) while you are windsurfing.

In wing foil, it’s different. Once you start foiling and the board is out of the water, you don’t experience the drag of the water on the board. This means your equipment needs less power to keep going, which allows for less power in the wing when flying. As a result, you don’t apply as much stress on your arms as you would with windsurf.

Even when you go upwind, you can generally do that perfectly without a harness.

When do you need one?

The first question is: do you need one? The simple answer is no. You can ride, cruise, go upwind, downwind, make turns and have a very happy wing foil life without a harness. That’s the simple answer.

So why do people use them then?

The advantage of a wingfoil harness is that it does take away stress on your arms, and it does allow you to give your arms and hands a bit of a break. So when do you use one, if you decide you want to?

Using the wingfoil harness comes in handy on the stretches where you put most power into the wing. This is mainly the case when you go upwind across long distances. As soon as you start going downwind, you don’t need the harness, as you will not experience as much power in your wing. On those stretches, you probably need more flexibility and liberty of movement, so unhook.

As you see here, once you have enough skill, you can use the harness even while riding toeside. This rider surely uses the most of his harness.

Note that this is for advanced riders.

What type of wingfoil harness?

In general, there are two different types of wing foil harnesses out there. You have the typical harness you may know from sports like windsurf, that gives you a lot of back support and can be used for hard work. Then there is also the wingfoil harness which looks more like a belt around your waist and it has a hook on it. The difference between a windsurf harness and a wing foil one is that the ones used for wingfoil are normally a bit lighter and the hook can be pivoted (collapsed).

Keep in mind:

• Start by using your harness only when going upwind and only once you master the art of standing on your board stable while flying.
• Your harness should be comfortable to wear.
• If you wear an impact vest (see wingfoil safety tips), make sure the harness does not sit in the way of the vest (or the other way around).
• Preferably, you don’t want to use a standard windsurf harness. The reason for this is that he the hook is rigid and it may hurt your board when climbing on it.
• The connection between the hook and the wing is by a harness line. You can connect the line to dedicated fittings on some wings, to the handles on other wings, or to the boom on other wings.

The harness connects to the hook with a normal line or a specific harness line. There are even adjustable lines out there.

This is a windsurf harness. You can use it but it’s not the smartest thing to do. The hook is very rigid and may hurt your equipment.

This is a wingfoil harness that reminds you of the type used for windsurf. It provides you with a lot of support and it can be use for heavy duty. This one is by Prolimit.

This one by Ozone is the second type which is more like a waist belt with a hook on it. It does allow for more freedom of movement and it will do a lot of the work for you as well.

Conclusion

You can ride without a wingfoil harness for years and have a great time. You can probably do all the tricks and ride all wind directions you want to, without one. But a harness may help you make longer sessions, save your arms and hands and relax a bit every now and then.

See also:

• More wingfoil equipment tips
• Wingfoil footraps guide
• Wingfoil board: inflatable or rigid?

See below video also.

Wingfoil harness tutorial

On this video, Robby Naish does a great tutorial about the wingfoil harness. I recommond watching it.