175cm, 20's all the way for wave, slalom, speed and freestyle. Each to their own though. 30mm gap between straps.
Start with adjustables around 26 and work from there until you find what suits for the stage your at.
I think the difference between people who like long and short harness lines is boom height to some extent. I bet the people running longer lines also run higher booms. I prefer mine on the shorter side and run a lowish boom. I find the lower boom does not pull my weight back on to the fin as much on smaller boards when I rake the mast back.... perhaps I rake the mast back too much??!!
30" lines a fist apart. Im 177cm, use a just above middle of the cutout boom height.
Before I went to Sandy Pt they were even closer to accomodate the gusty winds I sail in. Then when you get a couple of days of the great steady wind down there I shotrtened them up considerably. Makes you "sit" in the harness to really load your weight onto the boom and rig and off the board.
Now so much more comfortable and have not moved them back.
Got some 26" lines and tried them out yesterday (not that we had much wind about) and they are heaps better.
Thanks heaps for the replys.
Hook your elbow into the loop of the harness lines and with your forearm straight the boom will fit between thumb and first finger......real old school specs but works for a starting point
for me......30 inch with seat or waist harness
I reckon if you like to pull the rig over on you, you'll run 'em short, but if you like the rig to pull you along they'll end up long
When i tried 30'' lines very,very hard to get upwind, but angle i could sail downwind was insane.
Now you know why slowboat can't sail upwind.
Just measured my lines which I understood were 26 inch (That's what was printed on the packet). Measured from end to end excluding the loops that actually go around the boom the were 29 and one half inches. Am I measuring correctly?
in the latest Windsport Magazine - late Fall 2011 on page 38 Matt Pritchard has a piece on "The long and short of harness lines"
Matt uses 30 inch lines and a waist harness.
He keeps the boom high - between shoulder and chin.
benefits of longer lines
improved efficiency
save energy
LESS accidental hookins
greater power control
better mast foot pressure ie down
drawbacks of shorter lines
tend to de-power sail
more pain n injury
set boom too low
use harness less often
more catapaults !!
one reason Matt uses longer lines and i concur - one can sail in the lines almost all the time ie lazy sailor
some who use shorter lines - cannot hook in until planing
i hook in way before that - can schlog hooked in
it is a personal choice !!
use adjustables and purchase fixed length once decided on your ideal length !!
I have a seat harness and use c 26-28 inch lines I think? I like to be able to stay hooked in all the time even subplaning.The long lines make it easier to get in and out if its gusty or just stay in but take more load on your arms staying in over the board in a lull until a gust hits. I'm 5' 6" and run my boom at about chin height.
I think I ran shorter lines in the 90's but I was on a waveboard so sailing more upright com pared to the freerides which I lay out from more.
www.guycribb.com/userfiles/documents/Tuning-%20long%20lines.pdf
The long and short of it.... A free PDF all about harness line length... And this old one one about position-
www.guycribb.com/userfiles/documents/The%20Truth%20About%20Harness%20Lines.pdf
Hi Guy
I have taken your advice and I am using 26" for speed and slalom but still use 24" for freestyle,waves and bump and jump. With the 26's I can now hold big sails
in greater wind strengths(4.2m in 25 knots)
I am now 135cm and weigh 31kg and always use a waist harness but will try and use my old seat harness next time I go to Sandy Point.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
I have slowly progressed to 30" lines and between a finger to 4 finger span
Wider when overpowered - and front line back as far as possible and move with each sail size so you can feel the pull of the sail on the front hand - scary at first but great for down wind blasts and early planing in the harness - power seems to move back a bit once your powered up and blasting. Each to there own I say - if it works run with it
!
Those of you who run short lines, how far apart do you grab the boom?
My theory is that using short lines enables you to grab the boom further apart. Thus having more power to muscle the sail around. This of course feels very comfortable because you have more power to control the sail.
Long lines require you to grab the boom with your hands closer together. This allows the sail to work itself into the correct position compared to the wind. Thus being more efficient.
