Kitesoul Magazine #10 English Edition

172
TECH
Harnesses 2.0
ness. The more harnesses you
try, the more useful feedback
you will get to understand what
you really need.
WITH OR WITHOUT
WETSUIT?
The harness should be tested
with the wetsuit measure we
use the most or the thickest one
we have in mm (usually 5 mm)
as well as WITHOUT a wetsuit.
This way you can verify the correct
size you need in both situations.
But what really happens
is that many people try it at the
shop without a wetsuit and go
for the just about right size so
that when they wear it on top
of the wetsuit it turns out to be
small.
SIZES?
Sizes are unfortunately
just an indication. For ex.
a size M is not always identical
to another size M as it differs
according to the manufacturer
and even when it comes from
the same manufacturer it may
fit differently if it is a different
model... Lastly, it goes without
saying that a size M fits completely
differently a very thin
body shape than a fatter one.
Perhaps, could it be more useful
if we were to check the size
tables provided by some manufacturers?
(see size table attachment)
Unfortunately there are substantial
discrepancies between
a theoretical "standard" size
and the reality of human morphology
which is always very
diverse ...
For example, according to the
size table at hand considering
that I weigh 87 Kg I should wear
an XL but, I am 1.88 cm tall so I
should wear a XXL. However as
my chest is 94 cm I should wear
an S and being my waist 88 cm
I should use an L.
So, which one is my correct
size? In the end it's an M!
We very frequently hear things
like "this harness does not fit
properly, the other one is perfect
etc etc" ... This is often due
to the correct fitting of the harness,
i.e. a harness which rides
up to the rib-cage is considered
to be a bad one but that’s usually
because the person who
chose it did not properly evaluate
the correct size or maybe
because he or she didn't have
the chance to try it before buying
it..
APPEARANCE
& DESIGN
The colours of a harness always
have their charm, they
can express peace or aggressiveness,
joy or pessimism, for a
lot of people that is just a detail
and focus their choice on more
practical parameters. For some
others though, the colours are
the only parameter of choice
which of course it is not the
best way to choose a harness!
Same goes for the design, it can
be very simple or minimalist, or
highly sophisticated, some people
go for smooth ones, other
people for more aggressive
thermoforms.