I'm going to get my punkin a harness for her birthday coming up in March. We're going to head up to Annapolis and have her try a few on and see what she likes, but the store up there only carries one brand in their shop. I'm looking for some recommendations from you women sailors out there since you know, the plumbing is a bit different down around those parts, and I really wouldn't know whats comfortable and whats not... if you catch my drift.

I find the real problem is in the shouders and not so much the lower half. (I use a Magic Marine full harness.) even though you can adjust the shoulder straps it still leaves a lot of play and wiggling around. I wear my life jacket over the harness to help keep it in place.
Mine is an XS/S - but they might be available in kids sizes now to, is she is really tiny.

Tracie

no she's not petite... she's about 5'7" 110ish. Now that you mention it that might be a problem for her with the shoulderstraps. You think that a half-harness would be suitable? We're going to be doing some distance races together so being on the wire for a long time is a consideration.

Personally speaking, I wouldn't want a butt-bucket for distance races.
I also find it difficult to hike out really hard on long upwind legs in windy gusty conditions without some back support.
If you notice the picture to the left; that was from the NAF18 nationals last year. We were just about too light for those conditions, so in order for us to keep the boat level and thus faster (or atleast we hope so), I had to really lay back and stretch my arm out and down to get as much of my weight out there during the gusts.
I don't think my back would have been very happy the next day if I hadn't been wearing a full harness with that little lumbar pad in the back.

But that was a Nationals. If you are just planning on doing some weekend stuff a butt-bucket might work. I think you can get windsurfer harness made for girls, but you need to make sure the hook is suitable for hooking into a trap wire. I think some wind surfing harnesses have a higher bar, so when you are trapping out on a cat you might feel like you are being pulled forward...if that makes sense.

Hope this helps.
Tracie

I agree with Tracie. It makes a big difference whether you are just pleasure sailing or racing. For racing, you really need a full harness, because you have to get OUT there, full stretch, and you can't do it without the back support of a full harness.

If you are just out there for fun and using the sails to balance the boat and want to do the famous "Hobie sit" (as Randy Smyth refers to it), a butt-bucket is fine.

I forgot to mention about trapping out downwind. Being trapped out and working the chute can really be a pain in the back. Especially because I find that when you trap out down wind, you never really get a full extension of your back like you do upwind...you're sorta out there sitting upright. But because you are releasing and tightening the spinnaker the whole time you rely on your back and legs muscles a lot.

Tracie

so between the two informed ladies here, the concensus is that she'll appreciate a full harness more than a half harness (due to the fact that this will be used on my new boat racing) but to be wary of the straps and make sure she's comfortable with them.

Well, I can tell you that I absolutely can't stand the harnesses that have straps around my legs. I think those were invented for guys. But they make me feel totally claustrophobic. We don't have as much physical paraphernalia to deal with as men do. Keep it simple and comfortable, with as few straps as possible.

I got my fiance' a Magic Marine Equipe harness. She seems to like it quite a bit and doesn't have the best back. It seems to fit her proportions reasonably well.

Word of warning though, most women prefer to get things alittle more feminine for birthdays, christmas, etc... than sporting goods. I recommend flowers and dinner with the harness....

cheers...

Thanks for the heads up, but my girl is a bit of a unique one. So far her favorite presents that I've given her are a throw up between the gold necklace and sailboat charm, and a headlamp from REI.

She loves outdoors stuff just as much as I do. Hell 30 seconds after I first met her, I capsized the boat we were on and she came back up smiling from ear to ear.

I got a dry suit for XMAS the first year Dennis and I dated. I should ran right then an there!

Bur seriously, it was the best present I have gotten as I wear it all the time. (sailing, not around the house,gardening or in the bedroom mind you)
I guess it helped that I actually wound up being really into racing/sailing too.

Tracie

Please send girls like this to Atlanta!

Jeff.

I had a full GUL harness for when I crew, but skippering my Square I prefer a half, in fact I just got a nice half harness from MAGIC MARINE for Christmas.

sea ya
tami

It won't help you in time for her birthday, but I know that Neil Pryde are currently developing a specific ladies sailing harness. Last time I spoke with them, they said that they were trying to launch it later this year, certainly the prototype is complete and has been tested, so I suppose it's just a matter of time. Not sure if you can get Neil Pryde gear in the states, perhaps other manufacturers see the demand and follow, who knows.

At the risk of sounding crass.... oh, nevermind. (read my mind)

That's pretty funny. It used to be that ALL the harnesses seemed to be designed for women and the men complained until the companies started designing harnesses specifically for men.

Good News - NO NEED to wait for Pryde.

Most of the top women dinghy crews use harenesses from the Spinnaker Shop in California. They make a version especially for women.

When my wife and I started sailing twin trap cat together she made me get her one because all her dinghy crews had insisted on wearing them. I can't tell you what the excitement is all about, but CHICKS DIG THIS HARNESS.

Spinnaker Shop Womens Trap Harness

Just a small follow up here, since it kind of relates to Mary's zipper thread, I guess.

I had Kate try on some aquata harnesses at APS while we were in Annapolis. Of course she liked the most expensive, $179 one, but thats ok. She seemed to have more of a problem with the hip area that the boob area. We couldn't get it right around her hips in order to get her the proper back support (In my somewhat informed opinion).

Oh well.

On a side note, I've been informed by some of my female colleagues that this might not be the best idea for a birthday present. They suggested hardware that was more in the golden and diamond variety. However, Kate enjoys the outdoors, and we met sailing and continue to sail together so I think an investment in spending time together is a better idea than some ring or necklace.

But just in case....

I'm planning on cooking Shark Steaks with a Lobster Haricot relish topped with Jalepeno sauce for dinner.

Maybe that will make amends

Maugan,

I *really* love sailing.
Diamonds and gold are not my thing.
Now, I don't know how long you guys have been dating and sailing together, but unless it has been for over two years, don't get her the harness as her sole birthday gift.

Dude, just don't do it.

The dinner is nice and all, but get her something to go along with it that is not, well, practical. This does not mean you have to spend a lot of money on it. Get her something for herself. Not all jewelry comes with a high price tag, you know.

One of the best gifts I ever got is a necklace made of a black rounded faux-leather rope (of small diameter- suitable for a necklace) that has some small silver beads on it and the "center piece" is a small shackle. He made it. And it is absolutely perfect. Cost hardly anything and it is very cool.


Get her something to go along with the harness -

Tracie

Maugan,
You are very young. Listen to Tracie, and you will have a long and happy life.
Mary