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Harness line length windfoiling

Created by MobZ MobZ  8 months ago, 14 Jun 2025
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MobZ
MobZ

NSW

490 posts

14 Jun 2025 5:15pm
What size lines are people using?
I understand racers use mega long ones. I'm keen on freerace kind of style mostly lighter wind. Usually I use 32in with fin, wondering if i should be trying longer ones foiling with 85w board, 4.5 - 8 sails.

Sounds like good info in this article, it suggests not much longer than usual for average Joe I guess.
www.severnesails.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-your-harness-lines-hang-in-there-part-4-windsurf-foiling/
powersloshin
powersloshin

NSW

1844 posts

14 Jun 2025 6:16pm
get adjustable ones, for me freeriding max 32" is enough
Subsonic
Subsonic

WA

3384 posts

14 Jun 2025 5:00pm
Depends on the stance you like free foiling really. If you tend to like getting low and push the envelope on windstrength/speed then longer is good. if you tend to stand upright and just do foiling in the light stuff then no real need for anything longer than what you already use.
aeroegnr
aeroegnr

1747 posts

14 Jun 2025 6:20pm
For freeride I use adjustable ones. The longest ones I can find, think they are 28-34. The type that can be put on/removed easily without sliding over the boom ends, that do not have a long dangly pull handle but one that is attached with webbing and a small pull loop.

I don't adjust them that much after I find the length I like. I end up shifting them on the boom way more to keep them as balanced as I can get them, often while flying on foil, as it is so touchy. If it's very light I will shorten them a bit, and lengthen them a bit when it picks up.

The race lines are way easier to make longer/shorter but be careful if you get adjustable ones about how the adjustment part hangs. I think there are more options now when I bought that don't have that dangly hook on the adjustment. I've accidentally hooked the adjustment line more times than I care to remember and it's obnoxious on foil. My chinook lines were notorious for this so I replaced them with these severne ones, and I don't accidentally hook the pull loop ever. You can see the big handle that I accidentally hook in the video below.





A good example of how silly it is to hook the lines, this time on fin:

Cornholio
Cornholio

59 posts

14 Jun 2025 8:00pm
For me it seems, the bigger the sail the longer the lines.
with small sails i do more carving and freeriding.
with bigger sails 6m2 and up, i like to di long reaches
and chill hanging in the harness.
Cornholio
Cornholio

59 posts

14 Jun 2025 8:00pm
For me it seems, the bigger the sail the longer the lines.
with small sails i do more carving and freeriding.
with bigger sails 6m2 and up, i like to di long reaches
and chill hanging in the harness.
Cornholio
Cornholio

59 posts

14 Jun 2025 8:00pm
For me it seems, the bigger the sail the longer the lines.
with small sails i do more carving and freeriding.
with bigger sails 6m2 and up, i like to di long reaches
and chill hanging in the harness.
Taavi
Taavi

417 posts

15 Jun 2025 12:16am
Same that I use for wave sailing. 34''


Grantmac
Grantmac

2339 posts

15 Jun 2025 1:57am
32" just like wave sailing
wrzaskun
wrzaskun

10 posts

15 Jun 2025 9:23am
I made my own lines - they're about 42 inches now, but I can make them any length I want depending on the rope I use. If the boom's high and I want to hang deep, I go up to 42... but could really use even 46 :) In gusty or tricky conditions, I lower the boom and switch to 35-inch lines for better control. Honestly, the best idea is to make or buy adjustable lines in the 25-50 inch range - and sleep well at night! ?? Just look at what Amado Vrieswijk is using these days - his lines are definitely over 40 inches, and he's super stable. Amado Vrieswijk
jdfoils
jdfoils

435 posts

15 Jun 2025 10:52am
24", just like wave sailing
John340
John340

QLD

3373 posts

15 Jun 2025 2:01pm
28 inches, using a waist harness.
MobZ
MobZ

NSW

490 posts

15 Jun 2025 4:10pm
As someone allready told me, personal preference
Thanks for responses.
Sounds like the answer is 24-50inch

Whatever it takes to be able to do hand drags.
I've learnt to foil now pretty much I think.
First advanced goal for me would be hand drags. I can't find any vids specifically on foil hand drags.
Kasper79
Kasper79

125 posts

16 Jun 2025 1:24pm
Long to super Long is the Way to go. The control you get with the long lines. Mine are 30-50 and and most foiling is done around 44 and 50 with the liberty harness which is a bit lower then a normal waist harness
norwegianblue
norwegianblue

19 posts

17 Jun 2025 3:38am
As a novice windfoiler I have found these to be the bests so far:
lisawindsurfing.com/
Harness line 2.0 that are adjustable and easy to hook in and out because they are quite rigid and easy to adjust on the boom.

Best of luck
berowne
berowne

NSW

1555 posts

22 Jun 2025 6:05pm
Hey mobz very good question.
I haven't measured mine but I think I ride with about 32 to 48. I use the 32 mainly for up winds when it's light to moderate and then 40 something for most of the downwind runs and when I'm ridiculously overpowered and out of control maybe out to 50.
the longer lines are good because I can get the sail far away from my body sheeted out but still have enough length in the line so I can position my body in the right place and weight the harness line so I've got some downward pressure on the mast base no matter what I do with the sail.
berowne
berowne

NSW

1555 posts

22 Jun 2025 6:08pm
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Search

Look for "harness" as a topic search back 5 years!
berowne
berowne

NSW

1555 posts

22 Jun 2025 6:28pm
Long lines at speed! a little hard to see but good to explore the options.

F4 GP Wahoo 540 foil at 29kts GS020458
Mr Keen
Mr Keen

QLD

690 posts

23 Jun 2025 12:59am
All this is very subjective. I get using udjustable lines if you are on race oriented gear....
For me, generally foiling 12-30 knots. On Sails 4.8-3.3 i use 32 inch lines only on upwind legs. Un hooked always when off the wind. Chasing swell rides and manouvres the harness gets in the way, generally there is not pressure in the sail anyway....
jstone1
jstone1

39 posts

23 Jun 2025 3:32pm
Different parts of the planet @MrKeen but exactly same for me. Must be something universal about laws of physics
MobZ
MobZ

NSW

490 posts

26 Jul 2025 8:00am
I got hold of some lines 38-44. Tried them once in light wind and when it was strong wind with small sail i didnt bother to change them over on the boom, so a pretty backward test. But so far long ones are a pain to change over on the boom after fin sailing.
The patrik or lisa ones have a massive range, maybe they could do it all.

Anyway, i found a hand drag vid, i'll keep practicing

I was going downwind looking for gusts last sail and hit 22kts. My fastest so far, it was very exciting in that the kit had only just started accelerating and spat me off the back as it lifted and breached. Kinda glad i wasn't hooked in then.

?si=sXmDjWi3d2EHzaGM
Subsonic
Subsonic

WA

3384 posts

26 Jul 2025 9:39am
Just to throw some more tomato sauce on the porridge, I find that using boards with less width requires shorter lines.
the Patrik full race ones with the double adjust are great adjustment wise, just wish they would make the boom attachment a bit beefier.
BSN101
BSN101

WA

2378 posts

27 Jul 2025 4:42pm
Buy 28-42 and you have all bases covered. If you find that 32 is the length then that's where they stay set. Long when foiling and a little shorter on fin to reduce bum drags. if you don't get the long ones then you'll never be able to experiment or that one time when 36.45 was what you absolutely needed you have to suffer thru with 32, LOL so go long and it's there if you need them and no harm if you don't. the quick attachment ones are great too.
TomDW
TomDW

63 posts

27 Jul 2025 6:04pm
Select to expand quote
Taavi said..
Same that I use for wave sailing. 34''




Great video's Taavie! Inspirational as usual. Looks like Estonia is windfoiling heaven :-)
what amazes me is that you are on a 3.0 fringe and there does not seem to be a whitecap in sight.
yet you don't need to do a lot of pumping to get on the foil. I reckon the wind is very constant, any idea what the windspeed is?
Taavi
Taavi

417 posts

28 Jul 2025 5:04am
Select to expand quote
TomDW said..

Taavi said..
Same that I use for wave sailing. 34''



Great video's Taavie! Inspirational as usual. Looks like Estonia is windfoiling heaven :-)
what amazes me is that you are on a 3.0 fringe and there does not seem to be a whitecap in sight.
yet you don't need to do a lot of pumping to get on the foil. I reckon the wind is very constant, any idea what the windspeed is?


Hi Tom, thanks for the kind words! Lately it's more wing foiling heaven, but we still have a few who are keen to continue the wind foiling path. Some days there are 3 or 4 wind foilers at the same time on our small lake. The Fringes (well, all sails, I assume) can be rigged powerful - quite a bit less downhaul than for normal windsurfing, and they become very effective for that kind of slow speed free riding.

I guess the reason why we do not have much whitecaps on some days has something to do how gusty our wind is. I am looking at the weather logs of that day (our lake is where the red arrow points), the average wind speeds (m/s) were rather low everywhere. But the max gusts (in parentheses) were stronger. If the wind is not consistent the whitecaps don't develop that easy.

cheers
Taavi



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