Sit back and come along for a ride with us as we spend a day in the life of Luke McGillewie.
Luke spends his days kitesurfing with the crew at his local, doing some R&D, and working on his new business venture in the windy city, Cape Town, South Africa…
The Synth Harness
The Synth waist harness is designed to offer intermediate to experienced riders the support characteristics of a hard-back harness while maintaining the freedom and torsional flex of a traditional waist harness. Known for its lightweight and durability, the intermediate flex Curv shell distributes the load from the stiffened center lumbar support section into the flexible outside edges. For premium all-around performance and comfort, with or without a wetsuit, the Synth harness features a full neoprene interior liner.
SPREADER BAR SELECTION GUIDE
WHAT KIND OF RIDER WOULD USE THE SYNTH AND WHY?
For the rider looking to take their kiting to the next level, the Synth harness is the perfect fit. The Synth offers the stiffness and support known in a semi-hardback harness using a material called Curv, but with the added freedom of movement.
The Synth provides the perfect balance between comfort and performance for the rider who doesn’t require the highest level of shell rigidity.
Two of our riders using the Synth are Djebbe Hiscock on kite and Flo Jung windsurfing.
IKSURF REVIEW
“Unbelievable support, but it moves with the body; it’s almost as if you’re not wearing a harness at all!”
Read More: Synth Waist Harness Review
Craig, why is this harness called the Synth?
It’s short for Synthesis and doesn’t involve any musical instruments.
Synthesis is the combination of elements to form a connected whole. This ties into our ideology of developing products that are essentially an extension of your body, using a design that mimics our natural form.
So what makes this harness different?
Weighing in at under 900g, the Synth waist harness is designed to offer intermediate to experienced riders the support characteristics of a hard-back harness, while maintaining the freedom and torsional flex of a traditional waist harness. It achieves this through the intermediate flex Curv shell.
What is new to this model?
With the introduction of the semi-hardshell material, Curv, we were able to reduce the bulk from the harness while maintaining the same level of comfort that the Synth harness is known for. The result of introducing the intermediate flex shell is weight reduction and increased stiffness giving the rider a higher level of back support.
CURV – Tell us more about this material?
The Curv material is a unique thermoplastic composite made up of a matrix of ultrathin polypropylene tapes. This matrix pattern is what makes this material ideal for use in a harness shell as it is self-reinforced.
It achieves high stiffness and tensile strength while being extremely durable and impact resistant. Not only does this material provide ideal stiffness and durability, but it can also be up to 50% lighter than traditional fiber composite materials.
This innovative material provides just the right amount of stiffness needed for a semi-hardshell harness.
Learn More
The Synth Waist Harness
THE DESIGNER: CRAIG TOMPKINS
Craig is an Industrial Designer based in Cape Town, South Africa. Having grown up in and around a workshop, his interest in building and creating things began at a young age. After he completed his professional training in Industrial Design, he took an interest in developing well refined, functional products.
His approach to design is mindful and hands-on. He believes that it is critical that everything goes through phases of concept development, prototyping, and testing. Within the watersports industry, he focuses on developing products within the board and accessory range exploring elements of materiality, functionality, and ease of use.
