Dakine Wahine 2017
Reviews / Ladies Harnesses
186,941
At A Glance
Building on the strength of the 2016 version, the Wahine has come back as an even stronger model, cementing itself as one of the top women's harnesses of today. This year, aside from looking the absolute bees knees in Inkwell (other colours are also available, but this is our fave!) it includes a vast amount of tech keeping you comfortable and secure at all times.
Starting with the core of the harness, Dakine uses their pre-curved P.E.B inner support structure which ensures the harness stays true to its shape even when it has not been used for a while. At specific pressure points around the harness there is memory foam which prevents any uncomfortable rubbing, and also ensures that the harness stays solid whilst being worn, by moulding exactly to your shape in those specific areas.
On The Water
The top and bottom edge of the harness are encased in a wonderfully soft and flexible band. This is great for protecting yourself from the edges of your harness which can sometimes rub when doing extreme movements, and definitely makes the difference between kitesurfing or not if you happen to be fortunate enough to be riding in a bikini!
The Wahine features both a primary and secondary power belt Velcro, ensuring a snug fit which just won't come undone. This also has great protection against the spreader bar digging in, though with this year's spreader bar pad that shouldn't be a problem anyway. The pad this year rolls around the spreader bar making any upwards tilt almost unnoticeable, therefore it won't jab you in the ribs or cause any rubbing. As before, there is a handy line knife neatly tucked in here in case of emergency too.
New for 2017 is the spreader attachment clip which is very easy to both engage and undo, with a push button release, whilst being nigh on impossible to inadvertently detach. The bar is attached to the harness with dual straps to spread the load and the additional spreader bar hold-down strap is designed to stop any tilt which may occur.
The new Wahine is a relatively narrow harness which sits perfectly whether you like your harness higher up, or like myself, tucked in between your hips and ribs. This is great for those of us who are slightly curvier where a taller edged harness can often have the unwanted habit of riding up.
Leashes can be attached using the left or right side metal rings, or straight onto the back grab handle, where you can also relocate one of the rings, or there's the option to remove the handle altogether if you so wish.
Of note is just how incredibly light the harness is, it makes wearing it simply a dream. This, coupled with the narrower size for manoeuvrability, excellent comfort and great support has put the Wahine as my go-to harness for freestyle!
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By Robin and Sukie
With years of kite sport experience combined, you can be sure you’ll be receiving the highest quality of knowledge on the best equipment the industry has to offer.
