Is kiting or windsurfing dangerous for the back?
They can be dangerous, but they don't have to be. Kitesurfing and windsurfing are particularly predestined to back problems. In general, a seat harness is more back-friendly than a waist harness. During strong crashes, especially after jumps, forces up to 500kg were determined on the back. This could be measured telemetrically during the hook development. When the back muscles exhaust during the session, the force is directly transmitted to the bone. Our approach here is what is good for the back and what protects it. From the medical point of view, these aspects have not been fully addressed until now. The health of the water athletes comes first, and therefore we developed the 3D Fit Technology together.

3D? What are the three dimensions for?
The first dimension addresses the waist circumference, as usual. Everyone knows that a perfectly fitting harness starts with the proper waist circumference.
Secondly, we must address the rider's back length. Therefore, the harness sizing now also considers the individual back length. Riders with a proportionally longer back can now choose a tall-sized version of the harness.
The third dimension stands for the grade of lordosis. If you have a look at the spine from the side, you can see the curvature of the lumbar spine. This is called lordosis in medical terms. The special Ergo_Pad is designed to fit every rider's individual lordosis.

What is the ergo pads’ purpose?
The Ergo_Pad has functions. First, to prevent back pain. The aim here is to reduce the risk of discomfort of the passive joints, to avoid damage to the intervertebral body and the intervertebral disks, and to reduce the risk of muscle tension or muscle hardening.
The second major function is a therapeutic function regarding already existing back pain. By constantly massaging the muscles, pain can be reduced during sports. Through optimal and individual adjustment, pressure loads on a damaged spine are reduced. It doesn't heal the injured back, but it doesn't make it worse. Causing harm to yourself by using the wrong pad is almost impossible, because the user feels, comparable to shoes, if it doesn't fit or if it's uncomfortable.

What is the channel inside the pad?
The channel inside prevents pressure on sensitive bone structures in the middle of the spine. This bone part of the vertebral body is called the processus spinosis (lat.). The worst you could do for your health is to receive the whole impact on the center of the back, causing severe lumbar spine injuries such as fractures, nerve damages, or herniation of discs. The channel is designed to avoid these.

Why are there elevated points on the ergo pad?
Every muscle is surrounded by fascia. It’s the skin of the muscle. The large superficial muscle on the back between the Ilia crest and the ribs is called the quadratus lumborum. The weak points of the muscle are the trigger points. They are the link between muscle and nerve. It's where the feedback is transported. Whether the muscle should tense or relax. The Ergo_Pad massages the fascia of the muscle at these four trigger points. When trigger points are lightly stimulated, the muscle relaxes. Accordingly, one is more relaxed on the water, less tense and the muscle less hardened. As a result, you can do your sport longer before getting exhausted.