QLD
2315 posts
Just because you like short lines dosent mean you lower your boom, i found quite the opposite. I used 18" lines for many years and my boom was always placed at the top of the cutout, it does tilt the rig over slightly which i used to help the board fly off the fin a bit better. This was for slalom only, my bump and jump gear had longer lines.
Currently for slalom i'm using 20-26" adjustables and freestyle/wave i'm using 24" lines. Very short lines have their merits in going fast, you're not sheeting out and it helps keep the rig more steady. Off the wind though and you are often oversheeting (to stop being pulled over the centreline) and killing your speed.
WA
1160 posts
i origionally used long harness lines. but then i changed to short like 16-18 inches. because i got stuck in my harness lines while trying to do forwards and it freaked me out. but now i have gone back to long harness lines 28inches. i was using 26 but i needed the extra length .. cause i now sit more than lean and it was to diffucult to unhook unless i was wearing my harness high. which feels like poo. if you keep getting hooked back in on lines during moves. just rotate the top of the lines abit so that it faces the sail that way when you flip the sail or spin or what ever the lines will not be able to come out far enough. if you know what i mean
QLD
7436 posts
The thing I find endearing about long lines is that the board seems to move more freely. IE it bobs and hunts like mad without throwing me around as much.
QLD
258 posts
Raycoot,
Na, I'm with Mk7 - I often have my boom set high inthe cutout.
Agree with him that it is a fine balance -especially when running off the wind. Care needs to be taken that you are not raking the sail too far over back to lose power - you need a fairly upright stance - not the classic 7.
see some vids of Finian, Chris Lockwood or Tony W - they are all really upright when hammering.
- J
NSW
1173 posts
I bought some 28 inch lines on the weekend and used them on a 5.3m. I didn't think I'd like them but it turned out I was wrong. They're excellent and i seemed to plane earlier as the sail was more upright. I got catapulted a few times (hasn't happend for a while) but was out with a new sail and i think they were a little too far back.
Felt good for jumping.
