2024 Dakine Renegade Ultralight and Pyro Harnesses with Connect Spreader Bars

Aaron has caught up with Daniel Ware from Cabrinha at the King of the Great Lakes Test Fest to chat about some new harness offerings from Dakine.

Aaron: Daniel, what have you got for us, buddy? What are we talking about?

Daniel: I've got a new product from Dakine that we're really excited about. This is the all-new Connect bar. This is a brand new spreader bar system from Dakine for 2023. It's a fully modular system. The kite bar has a fully molded hook with no welds, so it's super strong and premium quality. There's also a rope slider option. The hook system and slider use just a simple Torx bit tool to swap them out.

Daniel: The Connect is a feature-rich spreader bar. The lever open system is super simple with one-handed operation to get it open and closed. What's really cool about this spreader bar's opening is that you can actually swap it over from the right to the left, so you can use it left or right-handed. This makes it customizable to different riders.

Aaron: That's a really nice pad on that with a nice shape, super cushioned.

Daniel: Yeah, it's something that we've been looking forward to for a long time with some cool "oil slick" colorways.

Aaron: Dakine harnesses always have such a good fit and finish, and most important is that feel as you're on the water and riding. For those of you who are into winter sports, you know what I'm talking about- when you get a good fit on a pair of snowboard boots or a pair of ski boots, you don't want to be switching those out all the time, and it's the same with my harness. Because we're all cut and built differently, once I find a good harness that fits my shape better and is comfortable on the water, that's the integration that's going to keep me out on the water for longer. If you're having a pinch somewhere or something's not comfortable, that's going to shorten your session. Dakine has always made such comfortable harnesses, even across a wide range of people. Whether you're short and skinny, or you've got a couple more beers in your gut, these harnesses always fit and feel really comfortable.

Daniel: Totally. What sets Dakine harnesses apart from a lot of the more popular harnesses in the industry right now is that these harnesses are a little softer, though they do have some hard shell components in there with the flex curve. You get the support of a hard shell and the benefits of that, but also the dynamic fit of a soft shell harness. If you're really struggling with a hard shell, or maybe you're not so excited on the price point of a hard shell harness, you can get into a Dakine harness that has a lot of similar features but a more comfortable feel right out of the gate, and is going to stay comfortable over time. They're lightweight, super cushy, and really comfortable.

Aaron: Packability can be a real challenge with a hard shell, too. It looks like these have some ability to flex and pack flat.

Daniel: The Renegade Travelight does, for sure. This is the lightest harness on the market. It's super thin, so if you're into kite foiling or kite surfing and looking for a really lightweight option, this thing is just spectacular. It's ultra light, super packable, and very hydrophobic so it doesn't absorb water whatsoever, but it still gives you a nice, cushy feel with the memory foam in there.

Aaron: I like it. I might be walking away with this one.

Daniel: Yeah, it looks like it's got your name on it. And the new Pyro is back for its 20th year. This one is sweet. It's got maximum support with a lot of grip inside, so the harness is locked to your body. It's got a little bit of a hard shell feature in there for the support, but it's also got the dynamic soft shell around the outside so there are no pinch points, keeping it ultra cushy. So we've got some great options from Dakine for this year.

Aaron: Daniel, thanks for running us through those, buddy. Cheers!

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