Ride Engine V1 Vinaka Pro Wing Foiling Harness

Ride Engine V1 Vinaka Pro Wing Foiling Harness - At a Glance

I spent the last season on the Vinaka V1 windfoil harness. I liked that the hook was plastic and didn’t look like it would do much damage to my board (it didn’t) and that it could be slid out of the way when lying on the board and paddling to the wind line. When I strapped it on, my sessions tripled in length and my forearms bought me a beer. It’s a great harness, but it had a couple annoying flaws. First, when the main webbing strap was undone, the Nug (RE’s name for their adorable hook) would slide off and fall on the ground. It was annoying. I was worried that I would leave the Nug behind in a dark, cold lot. Also, the Nug was a little too loose and the webbing strap was also a little soft and it bunched up in the Nug. The Nug isn’t snug. After over 100 sessions, the Velcro was coming unstitched, and I had to pull out the needle and thread. Nevertheless, I liked the Vinaka. It was comfortable and I absolutely love the d-rings stitched on each hip. As I was learning to wing, I found that the two leashes (board and wing) were annoying and could get tangled. Sometimes I was convinced winging was the dumbest sport ever. However, with the v1 I finally discovered my favorite leash solution. The wing leash is attached to my left hip d-ring (since I have a normal stance with left foot forward) and the board leash is attached to the right hip d-ring. The solution works fine when I switch my stance, but it’s always nice to have the leashes on a familiar side when remounting the board. Now, leashes don’t get tangled. I can swim. My arm isn’t yanked off when it’s gusting over 40. My leg isn’t jerked when my board is pulled away by a breaking wave. So why go Vinaka PRO? It’s even more comfortable and the new molded foam stays wherever you strap it. It’s got a bit more support when you're sinking in the harness in those meaty gusts on the third lap to the hatch. The slider strap looks just like the strap on the v1 but feels stiffer and isn’t bunching under the Nug. They also added a Nug keeper! If you slide the Nug onto the left hip, it stays put and won’t fall on the ground when you unstrap at the end of your session. It’s still got the two d-rings I’ve come to love. It’s still the Vinaka, but better than ever and I’m guessing this one will make it well past the next 100 sessions unscathed. I’ve already gotten a dozen sessions in on the PRO and it’s showing no signs of wear.