I wrote last year asking for welding advice. Not even a year and brand new 3 in the row bar is broken again.
Same place and I do not even recall any serious catapult this year. Hardly any at all.
Really I should post this picture to Neilpryde asking to improve a bit on design.
Overall very comfortable and popular harness but I am afraid many of you have similar experience.
3 years and 3 broken bars

I am only 80 kg and I do not even sail on waves

Mark _australia said...
All NP speader bars break there as they are simply sh!t. You can't weld it as the plastic bit can't be removed totally.

Convert to a normal spreader bar as I have with my NP harness, and when it is worn out buy a different brand and be forever happy

Perfect , could I use alternative bar for the same harness ?
What about quick release ?
How to convert to different bar ?
Is not even that cost $80 to replace each time but a bit scary that it could happen any time !

vando said...
Dakine aren't any Better I use to go through a couple every season. There very thin too . Ended up resorting to an old 10 year old one i modified to suit and it has never Broken and out lasted the harness. Recently I purchased a FO Transit best Harness Ive owned for many years, The hook actually has some weight to it

How do you find the higher hook position?

Gwendy said...
I'm probably going to regret this.....

(Deep breath)

Have a look at a Mystic Kite harness. I use one for sailboarding as well as kiting. Very nice piece of gear. I've seen 120 kg guys busting huge air with massive kites and never heard of one break. seat and waist types.

Could be something to think about... right... kiters do usually and everyday much more then windsurfers demanding to lift whole body all the time.
Do kiters really use also waist harness ? If hook position is the same as windsurfer harness ?

I thought the hook profile was a bit different on the kite harnesses. The few I looked at seemed as though they would be harder to unhook from if you were using it for windsurfing (windsurfers are always unhooking where as kiters appear to stay hooked in at all times).

Kite spreaders bars have to be strong due to the nature of their use, but just check the shape of the hook, some tend to be a tighter hook shape which make them trickier to get out of in a hurry. This brings me to my second point, I have read over threads like this and all the broken boom threads and I think a bunch of you guys will always break stuff whilst you are getting catapulted all over the place. I broke more stuff learning to sail in the eighties as a kid than I have wavesailing in the past 20 years (other than masts and fin boxes obviously). As you improve you should stop breaking booms and spreaders and denting the nose of your board. I appreciate that when riding a slalom board super fast you are more likely to get catapulted but if it is happening regularly maybe it is time to down grade to an easier and more appropriate board for your level, otherwise suck it up, make the long swim home and go and buy a replacement. Better your bar breaks than your back. However,..... some products are just crap.

Sailhack said...

Mark _australia said...
All NP speader bars break there as they are simply sh!t. You can't weld it as the plastic bit can't be removed totally.

A bit harsh, although knowing your opinion on that particular brand - not surprised by the comment. My first NP harness did crack at the end weld after about 3 years and several catapults (in the early days), I had a mate weld it & had no issues (until I lost it last year in a shore-break swimming my gear in after a mast break).

I bought a mate's identical one as he had shed some weight & needed to go smaller. I still swing a hefty 110kgs off it each time I'm out and must admit that I do like the quick release setup - they are also comfortable.

Every NP spreader bar I have seen has broken right there. My first one broke in a nasty hooked-in fk-up in 35kn and I am 100kg so that is understandable, but the second one lasted a season and then broke in the same place for no reason. In retrospect it is a very poor design, NP or not

But I do want to know how you welded it as I can't figure out how to get all the plastic off?

Macro I use a conventional spreader bar with webbing threaded thru one end, and a Mystic hook on the webbing at the other end. It is not quite as "quick release" as most other systems as the hook and bar are maybe slightly mis-matched but it works.... and even better now I can use 90% of the bars on the market, not restricted to a NP funny system that is nothing like all the others. I'll post a pic tonight if you are interested

Mark _australia said...

Sailhack said...

Mark _australia said...
All NP speader bars break there as they are simply sh!t. You can't weld it as the plastic bit can't be removed totally.

A bit harsh, although knowing your opinion on that particular brand - not surprised by the comment. My first NP harness did crack at the end weld after about 3 years and several catapults (in the early days), I had a mate weld it & had no issues (until I lost it last year in a shore-break swimming my gear in after a mast break).

I bought a mate's identical one as he had shed some weight & needed to go smaller. I still swing a hefty 110kgs off it each time I'm out and must admit that I do like the quick release setup - they are also comfortable.

Every NP spreader bar I have seen has broken right there. My first one broke in a nasty hooked-in fk-up in 35kn and I am 100kg so that is understandable, but the second one lasted a season and then broke in the same place for no reason. In retrospect it is a very poor design, NP or not

But I do want to know how you welded it as I can't figure out how to get all the plastic off?

Macro I use a conventional spreader bar with webbing threaded thru one end, and a Mystic hook on the webbing at the other end. It is not quite as "quick release" as most other systems as the hook and bar are maybe slightly mis-matched but it works.... and even better now I can use 90% of the bars on the market, not restricted to a NP funny system that is nothing like all the others. I'll post a pic tonight if you are interested

Yes, please if you could post a picture how to re arrange with new bar and what sort of hook you are using.
I may have some from my older harnesses - some older one also worn out completely but the bar still strong .

I broke my NP, then my Da kine... moved to Prolimit, had it for three years now.

Kite bars are stronger, bit harder to get out of but stronger

Magnus8 said...

vando said...
Dakine aren't any Better I use to go through a couple every season. There very thin too . Ended up resorting to an old 10 year old one i modified to suit and it has never Broken and out lasted the harness. Recently I purchased a FO Transit best Harness Ive owned for many years, The hook actually has some weight to it

How do you find the higher hook position?

Pretty good Magnus its not really that much higher than my old one and it gives you good control in the chop

Mark _australia said...



But be careful with harness hooks that don't have a taper. That one you have now looks skinnier where the line sits (in the mid section) than at the end of the hook. Windsurf hooks are straight or have a slight taper because if you crash and rotate at the same time, the lines can become twisted around the hook and there is no way to release the hook from the line. If you catapault and turn around a couple of windsurfer kind of bad.
It was a problem like in the 1980's and early 1990's with rope lines, now we have tubing over the line it is way less of a problem - but still possible.
By all means do it, use whatever hook you want but if it is NOT tapered, practice your quick release. Really practice it.

Thats a very solid point mark. I shall check mine out. My quick release needs two thumbs to activate and difficult to do. Never be able to release it in an emergency situation. Its more for easy removal at the end of a sesh I reckon. I don't use it. Buckle is easy to get at though.

Been under a sail with lines around the hook a couple of times over the years and its not nice.

i use a dakine and weigh 100 kg ive broken this bar about 4 times and just weld it up with a crappy stick welder and each time it has broken it is in a completely different spot it looks a bit sh#t now but i love the character it has ive got a new bar but cant bring myself 2 change it its like my favorite jumper