How to go about choosing new harnesses
by John Walton
This is the most neglected topic on PG, in my view.
I suggest you start by looking (honestly) at the sort of flying you do, and ask yourself:
1.
Do I need a harness which allows me to fly reclined, or do I prefer to sit upright? Will I want the choice of both reclined and upright positions (which I'd recommend - the ability to sit up, if you must, and to be semi-reclined for longer flights and fully for transitions). If you plan to fly XC, then you want a comfortable harness which allows for both.
Do I need a harness which allows me to fly reclined, or do I prefer to sit upright? Will I want the choice of both reclined and upright positions (which I'd recommend - the ability to sit up, if you must, and to be semi-reclined for longer flights and fully for transitions). If you plan to fly XC, then you want a comfortable harness which allows for both.2.Do you need space for a reserve? Definitely if you're going to fly inland at all. The current fashion is under the seat with the handle next to your thigh. Seems a good place for it, and the handle is visible.
Do you need space for a reserve? Definitely if you're going to fly inland at all. The current fashion is under the seat with the handle next to your thigh. Seems a good place for it, and the handle is visible.3.Then look at safety features - does the harness need to be DHV certified? Most are not. You should, however, have decent back protection. Does it have a backup for failure to connect leg straps? If you mistakenly launch without your leg straps undone, and you have no backup, then it will almost certainly be fatal.
Then look at safety features - does the harness need to be DHV certified? Most are not. You should, however, have decent back protection. Does it have a backup for failure to connect leg straps? If you mistakenly launch without your leg straps undone, and you have no backup, then it will almost certainly be fatal.4.The harness should not have cross-bracing. Most reputable manufacturers now have ABS on their harnesses (some don't - the Kortel Kanibal is not ABS, and the Karma Sutra isn't either if you let the leg straps right off). This stands for Automatic-Balancing (or bracing)-System and limits the extent to which you fall to the collapsed side in an asymmetric collapse. Cross-bracing theoretically puts the load diagonally across onto the flying side. The problem with this is that it is at the cost of weightshift when flying normally. Many gliders are now tested at the DHV with ABS harnesses, and are not certified with cross-braced harnesses.
The harness should not have cross-bracing. Most reputable manufacturers now have ABS on their harnesses (some don't - the Kortel Kanibal is not ABS, and the Karma Sutra isn't either if you let the leg straps right off). This stands for Automatic-Balancing (or bracing)-System and limits the extent to which you fall to the collapsed side in an asymmetric collapse. Cross-bracing theoretically puts the load diagonally across onto the flying side. The problem with this is that it is at the cost of weightshift when flying normally. Many gliders are now tested at the DHV with ABS harnesses, and are not certified with cross-braced harnesses.5.Then look at the bulk of the harness, its weight and complexity and try to get a feel for whether it will be a weightshifty harness or relatively dead. Typically, the relative weightshift of a harness depends on how low the karabiners are relative to your hips. Low down means that you will have greater weightshift (UP Teton and Kortel harnesses). A deeper harness with high karabiners will mean it is more stable and harder to weightshift (I had an old UP harness that was like this, and had real trouble weightshifting with it). Weightshift also depends on how you have the legstraps adjusted on some harnesses (particularly those with the legstraps integrated into the chest strap, like the Woody Valley, Advance, Gin, Swing and Kortel harnesses).
Then look at the bulk of the harness, its weight and complexity and try to get a feel for whether it will be a weightshifty harness or relatively dead. Typically, the relative weightshift of a harness depends on how low the karabiners are relative to your hips. Low down means that you will have greater weightshift (UP Teton and Kortel harnesses). A deeper harness with high karabiners will mean it is more stable and harder to weightshift (I had an old UP harness that was like this, and had real trouble weightshifting with it). Weightshift also depends on how you have the legstraps adjusted on some harnesses (particularly those with the legstraps integrated into the chest strap, like the Woody Valley, Advance, Gin, Swing and Kortel harnesses).The current rage in performance flying is drag. Lines have continually been reduced to the point where you'd have to question the safety of further reductions. Harness manufacturers have focussed on reducing drag at the pilot end of the lines. This is achieved through streamlining the entry, by having your feet pointing directly along the glide angle, and by focussing on the way the air flows past the body on exit. One manufacturer has added an inflatable fairing to clean up the airflow - it looks very silly. But then he claims an extra point of glide (mind you he does have some strange theories, in my view). Again, most good harness manufacturers try to address this issue by having aerodynamic shapes.
You then need to be honest about colour schemes, fashion, how cool it looks and whether you really need that full on cocoon harness ...
Try out the harnesses for as long as you can in the right size for you. It took me years to get a comfortable harness, and I now guard it with my life. I have had some Sup'Air harnesses and didn't realise how much my back and abs felt till I'd flown with them for a few hours at a stretch trying every combination of adjustment. Then again, I liked my Sup'Air Cocoon a lot, but found it too heavy.
On the subject of getting into a harness, a stirrup does make things easy, and is very comfortable. However, you need to be aware that having your legs stretched out does increase your turning moment. In a collapse, your legs will slow the rate of rotation of your body under the glider. It is critical that you bring your legs in quickly if you get a collapse (it is counter intuitive, I have found). Placement of the leg straps on the seat board plays a big factor in how easy it is to get into a harness on launch.
After all that, size, comfort and performance are the biggest issues, and there is a lot of variety in this. Set your karabiners at the tested width (38, 42 or 46 cm, depending on your size) and leave them there. I suggest you try as many different styles of harness you can. The Gin Genie II is a lovely harness (made by Woody Valley), as is the Gingo (made by Gin), the Swing Connect is also good (another WV harness), UP (the Teton is a very weightshifty harness, but had DHV certification and was wind tested in the Porsche wind tunnel) and test everything else against these. Sup'Air makes a wide range of harness, with the same fundamental configuration, and are very popular.
I fly a Kortel Karma Sutra, and love it. Kortel is a small volume manufacturer in Southern France, and his products can be pricy. However, as Jocky Sanderson put it - they are made with love.
I should disclose that my wife (Eva) and Reuben from Wings and Waves here in Auckland stock Gin, Sup'Air, UP, Swing and Kortel.
John Walton
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