hi guys, this is my first post.
I havent sailed since 97 and have got the bug again, I have a dakine seat harness (ladies) and dont know what length harness lines to get back in the day they were long and the length was ajustable.
i have a starboard s class 115 & currently working on puting a rig togeather for lake sailing on the central coast nsw.

my height is 175 cm

Ditto on the 30"

I'm 176 cm and use a Dakine XT seat harnes. I use between 28 and 32 for freeride and wave kit. Boom height is also important you need to be able to put all you weight into your rig in light and strong winds. Also make sure you put your lines in the correct place. Adjustable lines are a great idea. Check out Cribby fact sheets all is explained!

thanks guys orded some 30s cant wait to get out

I'm 183cm, I love my 30". I bought them by mistake once around 2008, and I hated them. My forearms almost died and I couldn't sail. The next session was better. Since then I can never go back. I used 24" when I was sailing flat water only. Then I sailed in the ocean I found big swell a problem to control. I sail 99% of the time in the waves, high boom, 30"lines. I take my freestyle board out with the same boom and lines with an old Concrete Wave fin that I cut down with a jigsaw to 16cm and I'm still plenty fast and able to go upwind. I never sail bigger than a 5.6.

But as someone said, it is indeed a personal preference. However for ocean/waves, I would say 28 or 30 or 32. Each to their own If I sailed flat water with a big sail I'd potentially go a bit shorter, especially for long upwind runs. I've seen too many people have excessive catapults with short lines, but hell, who am I to complain. I love the show they provide

Does anyone make variable lines that are marked at say 26,28, and 30. I have found variable either get really jammed or start to slip and without it being measured you don't really not what size you have been using.

ains said..
thanks guys orded some 30s cant wait to get out

At your level, the bigger the better, but when you get proficient, ask your local sailors what they are using. Not only is it preference, but it's conditions related as well.

KA360 said..

I did see a very short guy once run long lines (in the order of 30"'s I think he said) and he had a very distinct sailing pose similar to the picture of the girl above. That was a few years ago now, I've never seen anybody sailing like that since then. I was talking to a local who goes to Geraldton WA over xmas every year. He uses longer lines over there, but returns to shorter lines here.

got a second boom on the weekend it has 24s on it i will leave them on that boom and run the 30s on the other boom and see how it goes.
Dose anyone sail at rathmines on lake macquarie?.

So let me get this straight. Some people use longer harness lines in waves and chop for more control and shorter lines on flat water. Others use shorter lines in waves and chop... for more control.

There seem to be some real variance, sometimes.

There was a guy at the canal last year (?) running 22" lines. I can't find the article but remember them making a real point about it. And he did very, very well.

Then in issue of some other mag I have they list the quivers of a few top waver riders and not one of them is under 30".

Go figure.

I find short lines in big chop/ocean conditions leads to more likelihood to catapult - less control. To me, it's like a shock absorber with more travel, apart from the legs which work far more out in the ocean. It does depend on personal preference and stance, boom height, mast track position. The best is to experiment. But try for a few days. If you switch, you may dislike it right away. It will take a session or two or three to really make up your mind. Worth it in the long run.