How fundamental the misunderstandings are when it comes to harness line adjustment can be observed at every surf spot in the world. He" comes off the water as a 90-kilo surfer and hands over his sail to his girlfriend, who is two heads smaller and correspondingly lighter due to the decreasing wind, in the firm belief that everything is perfectly adjusted for his sweetheart.
Also popular: the counting tactic in which the harness line is always mounted, let's say, four hand-widths away from the boom head piece, regardless of which sail is being used or how strong the wind is blowing.
Where must the harness lines be attached?
In general, the harness lines should be located where the centre of effort of the sail is. However, the position of the centre of effort depends on several factors: For example, relaxing the sail brings the centre of effort further back. If you change from a small sail to a larger one, you will normally pull the boom apart and have to change the position of the harness lines as a result.
What is also often forgotten when friends or couples share a sail range is that people simply use a certain sail size in less wind and put less mass against the sail. If a 65-kilo surfer surfs at 15 to 20 knots with a 5.3 sail, she will sail the ropes further forward than her 85-kilo partner, who uses the same sail in the 20 to 25 knot range. This means that every surfer has to adjust the position of the harness lines on each sail for themselves - just for themselves.
How to find the perfect position for the harness lines
Set your sail fully trimmed into the wind. Hoist the sail fully tight so that you can really feel the pull in the sail. You will automatically grip the sail in such a way that you have equal tension distribution on both arms. The centre of effort is now exactly between your hands - this should also be the centre of the harness lines!
There is no such thing as the 'right' rope position - everyone chooses a different position depending on their size and weight."
Windsurf Basics:
Harness lines close together or far apart?
How far apart you should push the Velcro fasteners of the harness lines is a matter of taste. If you push them completely together, the sail becomes very agile. As a rule, only very experienced surfers with a lot of sail feel like this, in disciplines where this is exactly what matters, such as freestyle. However, it also requires a lot more sensitivity to find the right angle of attack to the wind and to stabilise it while planing.
The good average for the large target group of freeriders, racers and wavers should be a distance of around one to two hand widths. If you mount the Velcro fasteners even further apart (two to three hand widths), the opposite effect occurs: The sail is then very stable in the hands when planing, but can hardly be readjusted - anyone just starting out with trapeze surfing or planing will benefit from this.
What length for the harness lines?
Many windsurfers still use harness lines that are too short. Long ropes offer several advantages: Control in gusty conditions is better and when planing, power is transferred to the base plate more from above and less laterally, which reduces lateral forces and keeps the board flatter when planing. Depending on your height and personal preferences, harness lines should be between 24 and 32 inches long. For the setup to work with long ropes, the boom must be positioned slightly higher than with short ropes.
- Height < 1.65 metres: 24-26 inch
- Height 1.65 to 1.80 metres: 26-28 inch
- Height > 1.80 metres: 28-32 inch
Surf tip: vario harness lines!
If you are still using short ropes, make the change in small steps and buy vario harness lines of the appropriate length. Now you can lengthen the ropes by one centimetre for each session and mount the boom slightly higher by the same amount - the changeover will then be smoother and you will quickly get used to the new length. Vario harness lines are also useful if you share your equipment with friends or your partner. Fixed lights are particularly recommended once you have found the right length for you - these usually swing less and are therefore particularly advantageous for wave and freestyle riding.
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Manuel Vogel
Editor surf
Manuel Vogel, born in 1981, lives in Kiel and learned to windsurf at the age of six at his father's surf school. In 1997, he completed his training as a windsurfing instructor and worked for over 15 years as a windsurfing instructor in various centers, at Kiel University sports and in the coaching team of the “Young Guns” freestyle camps. He has been part of the surf test team since 2003. After completing his teaching degree in 2013, he followed his heart and started as editor of surf magazine for the test and riding technique sections. Since 2021, he has also been active in wingfoiling - mainly at his home spots on the Baltic Sea or in the waves of Denmark.
