Test Setup

Each harness was donned both with and without foul weather gear. The time to don was recorded, as was the ease of donning. The normal wearing comfort and apparent weight of the harness, and whether a Type III PFD interfered with the harness was evaluated. We donned each harness and hoisted ourselves on a dinghy lift, and evaluated the harness for comfort, pinch points, breathing.

 
Test Results

General Comments on the inflatable harnesses:
All the harnesses appeared well built, and were fairly easy to don because the straps don't easily tangle. They all rated in the middle for perceived weight, because they have the added burden of the inflation mechanism and bladder. They all passed the magnetic test (none were able to affect the compass, even when placed right next to it). The workmanship was excellent for models examined. They were all uncomfortable under load, some being slightly better or worse than others were. The average time to don an inflatable was approximately 5-8 seconds.

General Comments on the standard harnesses:
The standard harnesses varied more in their makeup than the inflatables. The harnesses that included some sort of a vest in the harness were easiest to put on (Raudaschl and Survival Technologies Deck Pro), and the harness that didn't have a rib strap (Lirakis) was easier to put on than those that did. Time to don the harnesses ranged from about 5 seconds to 45 seconds (when wearing foul weather gear and also putting it on backwards). Standard harnesses were perceived as lighter weight than the inflatable harnesses, because they didn't have the added weight of the inflation bladder. We found that most of the harnesses were uncomfortable under load, the exception being the Raudaschl harness and the industrial and rock climbing harnesses. A crotch strap helps take the load off your ribs and increases the comfort level. Because of the location of the attachment rings at approximately mid-sternum, wearing a PFD over the harness will mean that the tether will have to snake out over the PFD, and it will not allow easy access to the attachment shackle. The main shortcoming of almost all products were instructions for use and care, the exceptions being the inflatable harnesses which must meet UL and Coast Guard requirements, and the Crewsaver and Holland Yacht Equipment harnesses. We did find that the Jim Buoy harness was slightly magnetic, which could cause compass problems.

Comments specific to the comfort of the harnesses for women:
It is very difficult to make general comments on the comfort for women. Some harnesses marketed specifically toward women were found uncomfortable under load, notably the Survival Technologies Deck Pro. Also, some women preferred having the rib strap lower on the back, while others liked it at armpit level. Some liked the shoulder straps close to the neck (like the West Marine Securite), while others liked them farther out (like a standard unisex harness). Our recommendation would be to try the harness on at a chandlery and put a substantial load on the harness, parallel to the spine, to see if there might be any discomfort. The two most comfortable harnesses were the Raudaschl, and a rock climbing harness worn in combination with a chest harness.

See Appendix III for a table summary of harness details.