Harness Lines: Mono vs. Regular

ClydeZ · Joined: 06 Oct 2015 Posts: 20

Hi Ya'll
I'm just starting to use the harness/lines and I noticed yesterday out on the water, that my adjustable lines were so short that I would need a step ladder to hook into them or I would have to jump up off the board in order to hook in. Either that or I could just wear my harness around my head like a bandana to get the lines to work Embarassed

?!?. My lines were adjusted all the way out as long as they will go and my boom is all the way down on the mast sleeve cutout as low as it can go. Confused

CoachG do you have any used, longer (24-32) adjustable lines you could sell ? I could come pick them up at the center or you can pick a convenient location and I will meet you somewhere etc.

Also just how does one determine what length is best when starting out and do you need many different lengths for different size rigs or does one size usually work for all ?
Thanks In Advance Confused

gregorvass · Joined: 21 Nov 1996 Posts: 1113 Location: Behind You

Love One Liners:

Here is some good ones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWH5XubGKLA

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

I first experimented with monolines a few days ago (i.e., I slid the ends of my regular lines together). The increased "looseness" -- maybe a good thing -- of the rig was instantly obvious, which surprised me given that I use a roller bar and my line ends were only about a shaka apart before that. However, that increased looseness includes not just sheeting angle looseness but also fore'n'aft looseness, and there may be tradeoffs due to the different behaviors and geometries of single- vs dual-centered lines.

I'll have to put more time into the comparison to choose one mode over the other, and will remain concerned about point loading even on the best booms on the market.

I don't care about installation ease; I haven't worn out a harness line in 15-20 years (thanks to roller bars). I do appreciate being able to fine tune harness line effective length by widening or narrowing their mounting point spacing; monos don't allow that.

Mike \m/

LeeD · Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 1175

Yeah, use your mono lines and include the long shorts over your wetsuit, and take up kiting.
You need to buy more harness lines, so you can look cool.
Let's see. WyattMiller, TysonPoor, RobWarwick, WhitPoor, they are OK windsurfers, non use mono lines, all do freestyle OK, and some of them waves also.

carl · Joined: 25 Feb 1997 Posts: 2674 Location: SF bay area

SwellRipper · Joined: 21 Apr 2009 Posts: 193 Location: Channel Marker 11

I got the new Chinook PRO 1 Alloy Boom in the 135-197. List price is like $225, street price like $199, pretty good deal for a new piece of windsurf equipment. Works for me- pretty stiff and seems fairly bomber. Might get two seasons out of it! Some guys date their booms with a sharpie as reminder of how much borrowed time they may be living on.

LeeD have you ever used mono lines? Some local guys including freestyle guys like them. But like anything else, especially windsurf equipment, there are tradeoffs involved.

justingordon · Joined: 04 May 2002 Posts: 148

Yesterday, I just tried the HPL one piece aluminum booms, probably from several years back, and I'm totally amazed how cool those one piece aluminum heads are. I absolutely love the feel of the wide front angle for jibing and tacking, and the boom felt plenty stiff with a 5.0 wave sail.

However, I hear that HPL might not be around any more...

Aloha,

Justin

swchandler · Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588

The boom thing for me has always been the weakest link, especially if "any" aluminum is involved in the construction. For some reason, I have a knack to be able to destroy anything aluminum. In my experience, you're always on borrowed time.

Carbon has always been my friend, not that it doesn't fail, but its dependable stoutness over time has been worth the extra money to me. Actual experience is the true bottom line.

However, if you've succeeded with aluminum in the past, your way is clear at an arguably trick price.

keycocker · Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 3598

Our customers broke so many carbon booms and the warranties are often so poor that we stopped selling them.
Those HPL were as stiff and light as any carbon seen in our shop. We sold over a hundred for less than USD$150 and never had a warranty. HPL is indeed out of biz and took Powerex with them.
Good news-they didn't make those booms. They were made by Aeron who makes an identical boom for Naish and maybe Pryde, and is coming in the US market with that boom under thier own label.
The one piece Chinook might be just as good.
As justin said ,it is the shape that is the best part of it. When I use another boom I am grabbing in mid air during jibes.
They were the top selling boom in Maui because Aeron tested them there about five years ago before branding them for HPL and others, so I have had one all this time.We sail about ten months a year about half the days so my one piece alum has slightly over a zillion miles on it. mostly on 3.7 or 4.2

coachg · Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3550

Keycocker,
I wonder how many of those broken carbon booms were by customer abuse? The one area that aluminum out performs carbon hands down is in ground impact resistance. I don’t know how many times I have watched in horror as some windsurfer grabs his carbon boom out of the back of his car and tosses it on the ground as he rushes to rig. Aluminum will surely outlast carbon in that situation.

Coachg