JAY XX Harness and Dynabar XW V8 Review

Rider: 75kg
Style: Surf (hooked+unhooked)
Weather: 12-30 knots
Build Quality: 9/10
Satisfaction: 9/10
Disclosure: Gear supplied by Jaystore

In the last few weeks I received the latest Jaystore harness and DYNABAR setup. I’ll share my thoughts of the different products below and also add a few pictures.

JAY XX ABS Harness and FlexTech Carbon Fibre (FTC) Powerband:
This harness is designed for waveriding. The lining is a soft neoprene, so pretty easy on the hips. Fit and finish is of the quality you would expect from a major harness brand, top notch. It has the double elastic belts that Velcro down across the main waist strap, which I have always liked. The harness has a back handle that can be released via a safety (I ride without the handle).

I think the big draw card of the harness is the FTC Powerband. This is a carbon fibre strip, probably about 100mm wide, which is inserted into the back of the harness. This turns the semi rigid into a rigid frame harness. The PB can be installed in any compatible waist harness. The profile of the carbon fibre is ergonomic and super comfy on my back. It has a bit of flex that allows the harness to adapt without restricting your freedom of movement. It doesn’t dig in at all or put pressure on my spine. I haven’t experienced any harness ride-up or chest/waist compression, no matter how gusty it’s been.





DYNABAR XW V8 and FTC Winged Pad:
I have been a massive fan of the DYNABAR for the past few years and this latest edition has a few improvements. The DYNABAR came with a rope slider (+1 spare rope), sliding hook, a couple of steels rings and harness buckles. The XW is a lighter design and can also be used with the FTC Winged Pad as well. The wings mount into the side of the harness and prevent the spreader pad from rotating upwards. It looks like most harnesses that have the double elastic belts will take the Winged Pad. The sliding hook is a better shape from the V7 and I haven’t had any accidental chicken loop slip outs yet. The sliding distance is much larger than

The big benefit over home-made sliding setups is that you can still unhook with the DYNABAR. The hook just stays upright and centered thanks to the elastic, waiting for you to hook back in. The design of the DYNABAR is unique in the way that it doesn’t lock you into one harness setup… If you want you can easily swap to a fixed hook, steel sliders or the dyneema rope option.




So try pop into your local shop and see if you can try the harness on. And you’ve definitely heard it before but I reckon people riding in the surf (and even freeriding) without a sliding rope setup are crazy! Free up your hips and allow them to rotate.

Cheers Marco, good wave spot that one.

The Powerband is inserted through the side of the harness and pulled through to the centre of the back. Once you have got it in place, no need to think of it again. To use the Powerband with an existing harness, if your harness has the dual elastic Velcro belts it is likely to work. But contact Jaystore to ensure compatibility.

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surfingboye said..


I think the big draw card of the harness is the FTC Powerband. This is a carbon fibre strip, probably about 100mm wide, which is inserted into the back of the harness. This turns the semi rigid into a rigid frame harness. The PB can be installed in any compatible waist harness. The profile of the carbon fibre is ergonomic and super comfy on my back. It has a bit of flex that allows the harness to adapt without restricting your freedom of movement. It doesn’t dig in at all or put pressure on my spine. I haven’t experienced any harness ride-up or chest/waist compression, no matter how gusty it’s been.

I tried this harness and Powerband months ago a few times...and thought it was extremely uncomfortable. It had a carbon moulding edge that I could feel through the harness padding, that dug into my back when powered up.

The carbon-fibre Powerband wasn't shaped to the shape of my back - it was like an extrusion - not ergonomically shaped! Unless it's been improved, I'd recommend trying it before buying !

The shape of the Ride Engine fitted me much better - but it had other issues that I didn't like.

I'm interested in trying the carbon DaKine C1 - haven't read any reviews for it yet.

It seems like the stiff back concept works - harness makers are getting onto it - though they need perfecting......

Yeh - would be interested to see if there are any differences between the one I tried and what you use?

I guess everyone has a slightly different back shape anyway. If you kite 7 hours a day - you're probably not going to feel the flat edge of the carbon powerband anyway! You'd be built like a rock wouldn't you? I'm more like a jellyfish....

Yeh I remember JAY, it's all on page 6 of "Don't show us your hook" on the Generarl forum.
Now your telling me that the set-up I tried wasn't a prototype.
I'm just saying that it didn't feel at all comfortable to me and I recommend others demo it before buying.

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Jared888 said...
Just bought a Dynabar V8 XT , Hope it fits my mystic harness........wonder how long kite power will take to send it. dyna rope set up looks the most versatile and free moving...really hope it stops my harness from trying to swivel round my body when ride toe side, it gives me a rash

Nice Jared. Hopefully you have it for the weekend!
Give us your thoughts after a few sessions.

Yeah it goes good brudda.
The Dynabar goes on twinnies, even in the surf (no boosting through the line-up please...).

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Plummet said..
How much does this set up cost?

Ok it works sweet for wave riding. What about for those weirdo's like myself that also likes to booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooost.

How does this harness go when boosting big? any disadvantages of the slider for boosting?

Works fine. You come to appreciate the movement. Stretches/beds in the knot quicker though.

took vid but as with Go pros if the bat runs out before you stop it you loose it tray again next weekend.

Pros
Smooth transition when carving and snapping.
No effect noticed on jumping, slightly less dynamic pop.
Switching feet soooo easy with this set up.
With chicken loop through rings that are attached to the rope it means when the kite goes slack there's no way of chicken loop coming off.. That was pretty cool, have fun outrunning your kite within reason

Cons
Didn't get comfy with the riding upwind parked kite situation. Felt like was being pulled from side more than back as per normal bar. Had pains in my sides that I hadn't felt before. Noticeable less pain from lower back though so maybe muscles need to adjust.
Didn't come with rings.. Got some 550kg WLL rings from hardware using 2 of them giving me about 1tonne of WLL think I need to target about 1.5 but worked well heaps of room for chicken loop.

Overall pretty happy with first couple of sessions.

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Livit said..
I tried this set up with the powerband + winged pad and found it horrible. Way to stiff and not ergonomic at all. I think it is overkill and a not so refined product.

Agreed with what you say about the Power band!

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Jared888 said..
trying to show how the harness hold down strap interferes with the bars quick release, still worked fine.

The quick release is dangerous !

Mine released suddenly during a session in gusty winds - the kite was fully loaded up and next moment I saw a flash of stainless steel (my roller hook) landing into the water about 20 metres away and suddenly I was unhooked. It was like the rope had snapped - but the rope was OK - somehow the quick release released!

I instantly dropped the kite - then relaunched holding the chicken loop - luckily the wind was onshore.

I didn't want to keep the quick release on the bar, so Kitepower had a good idea for a fix - put the eye of the rope through the hole on the bar and put a small stainless steel 'D' shackle on the end of the rope - with the pin through the eye of the rope. The rope pulls the pin as far as the hole - can't release again!

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Hausey said..

Livit said..
I tried this set up with the powerband + winged pad and found it horrible. Way to stiff and not ergonomic at all. I think it is overkill and a not so refined product.

Agreed with what you say about the Power band!

I find the power band really good actually, it is just the combination with the Wingedpad that does not work for me.

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Hausey said..


The quick release is dangerous !

Can't see a problem with it unless it wasn't connected properly.

You can just tie a knot anyway and problem solved.....

This is my take after trying the set up in the video:

Dynabar +1
PowerBand:+1
Wingepad: 0
Jay Harness XX: 0 (compared to Manera, Mystic, Dakine and the likes)

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jaystore said..

Hi Livit can we know your waist size? It helps us to understand why it hurts you.

79. I tried the S-M size for both the PB and WP with a S size harness.

I really dont see the point of the full carbon pad unless it was design like the ride engine one (i.e the rope slider directly running from the carbon bit).

Anyway, super happy with my set up Manera/Dynabar/PB.