"Where are you riding your harness ropes, they're way too far forward!" - Many surfers have heard this "clever" saying. But a closer look reveals that the fork height, length and position of the harness ropes differ for different types of riders. Why is that?
Trapeze surfing - boom height and rope length
If you switch from a narrow to a wider board, you are naturally further away from the centre than before. The fork is suddenly too low on the water as soon as you move outwards into the straps, even though you have adjusted it as usual on land.surf tip:On wide boards, the fork should be set well above shoulder height on land! Especially on boards with a lowered mast track, you have to accept that the fork is at eye level when bobbing. But it fits as soon as you are planing. For light winds, on the other hand, you should adjust the boom to shoulder height, as you will be standing close to the centre of the board when surfing, regardless of the board you are using.
It is obvious that a two-metre man can/should ride longer harness ropes than a woman of 1.60 metres. The type of harness used also has an influence on the rope length - with seat harnesses the hook sits lower than with hip harnesses, which requires longer ropes. Unfortunately, it is also a fact that many windsurfers still often use ropes that are too short, regardless of their height and the harness they use. If the ropes are too short, this often leads to a chain of errors - the boom is inevitably mounted too low to be able to hook in at all and planing deteriorates. Therefore, our tip: set the fork high enough so that it is still at shoulder height when in the riding position on the water and use correspondingly longer ropes!
Here is our recommendation depending on your height (the length is always given in inches)
1.60 metres: 22-24 inch
1.60-1.75 metres: 22-26 inch
1.75-1.90 metres: 26-30 inch
>1.90 metres: 28-32 inch
surf tip: Use vario ropes for harness surfing, so you can adjust the length and gradually switch to longer ropes.
The correct position of the ropes
The position of the ropes depends on the weight and size of the surfer.
Case 1: While a woman might sail a 6.5 metre sail at 11-15 knots, a man weighing 85 kg will use the same sail at 15-20 knots. As a result, the forces acting on the sail are much greater, the centre of pressure and therefore the position of the ropes are shifted backwards.
Case 2: Surfers of different weights alternate with the same sail. So that "he" starts planing or "she" doesn't fly away, the sail must be trimmed more bulbous for him and flatter for her, which also has an effect on the pressure point position. In this case too, the lighter rider automatically pushes the ropes forwards, the heavier rider backwards.
Regardless of weight and sail type, everyone finds the right position by placing the sail on land into the wind and hoisting it fully. The sail's centre of pressure is then exactly between the hands, which is also where the centre of the trapeze ropes should be.
Trapeze surfing - mounting the ropes and basic settings
You can also find out how to install and position your ropes correctly and what you should bear in mind when hooking and unhooking them in our video tutorial:
How do you use your harness to start gliding as early as possible? Find out in this clip for advanced riders:
Many more clips about manoeuvres and equipment can be found regularly on our YouTube channel . Subscribe and never miss a clip again!
