The correct windsurf boom position is often a source of long debates.
In the beginner phase it is a general consensus that the boom should be somewhere around shoulder height. Basically, when you stand upright next to it you should be able to put your arm on the inside so that it fits neatly under your arm pit.
When we progress however, things start to get a little more complicated. Some say put it high, others insist that you should bring it down. So what is it?
Well, I hate to say it: it depends…
It depends on a three things.
The best windsurf boom height
Body height
The first parameter for positioning the boom is our body height. Regardless of the other two factors, the boom should be at a position that still feels natural to us. As a starting point, shoulder height is good although the range will be anywhere between your mouth and your chest.. Usually the boom will have to go somewhat higher as our level improves.
Wind conditions
Depending on how strong the wind is and how active or conservative we are going to sail we can decide to move the boom either higher or lower.
In strong winds we will be able to handle the sail easier if the boom is low. For one thing it helps push the nose of the board down, much like when we move the mast foot forward in the mast track and secondly it increases the outhaul tension thereby making the sail profile more flat.
In lighter winds we are better off sliding the boom up as this will generate more lift as well as loosen the outhaul which results in earlier and easier planing.
So to recap: high wind – low boom, low wind – high boom
Board width
The wider the board, the further away our shoulders are going to be from the mast foot as we lean back. This means that to have the boom at the same position relative to our body on a more narrow board, we have to move the boom up.
Bonus factor: Sail trim (outhaul)
As mentioned briefly before, moving the boom up and down changes the trim of the sail. This is useful to know if you are in a rough sea and need to change the trim of the sail quickly.
Undoing the outhaul, changing the boom length and tensing the outhaul again is tricky business, especially with big sails. Changing the height of the boom on the other hand is no problem at all and can be done in a few seconds.
Wrong question: What harness and harness lines are you using?
Whether you use a seat harness or waist harness should be irrelevant to where the boom is positioned. You should always go for what is more comfortable to you. The length of the harness lines should be what is adapted to bridge the gap between your harness hook and the height of boom that most suits you.
This isn’t to say that the length of the harness lines should not be adjusted to the wind or the control you feel. What I mean is that the lines should be adapted to the correct height of the boom, not the other way around.
Bonus tip
When you have found the height that suits you, measure the distance from the mast foot to the boom in hand spans so that you can save time the next time you rig your sail.
Hi ,what´s your opinion on the trend of harness lines longest than 30 cm? , many professional sailers uses this harness lines and in certain spots like Pozo Izquierdo everybody uses them
Hey Lucas. I think 30cm+ lines are not very practical. The guys in pozo probably use yhe long libes because they sail with pretty small sails and have to lean very far back to get planing. Other than that I din’t see the logic behind such long lines. For me 26 is already very long for a wave sail 🙂
I hope you mean length in inches, for me 34″ is perfect, I am 188cm tall.
You are right. I meant inches 🙂
Honestly, let’s agree to disagree as regards to harness lines longer than 26″… It’s very personal, but with a height of 180cm, the 26″ lines to me are a standard and I vary according to wind and water conditions. In this respect, I prefer vario lines anyway. With sails of 8m+, 26″ lines are sometimes even too short, as your boom needs to be put much higher on the mast. Also, I strongly disagree with your remark that the length of harness lines is “irrelevant”. On the contrary, longer harness lines do serve well in overpowered conditions and I have the tendency to shorten them “somewhat” when I realize my board stance is incorrect, i.e. when I don’t feel connected to my sail, especially in very light but gusty wind conditions on a lake.
Hey Stefan. Thanks for the comment. I agree that the harness line length is a personal preference thing and that for big sails you need longer lines. I dont usually use sails bigger than 6.4 so 26″ are long enough for me.
Also, with “irrelevant” I meant that the lines should be adapted to the boom height and that the boom should not be adjusted to accomodate the lines. “Irrelevant” was probably the wrong word choice 🙂
Longer harness lines are handy in slalom, where you can lean far backwards to keep a lot of power in sail(see for example Antoine Albeau for reference). I use 32 to 36 inches at height 189cm.
Longer lines keep your sail more upright resulting in more power. It’s a personal thing though. I didn’t like them at first but after testing different lengths (adjustable harness lines) I’m now a believer and am on 30″ now on my waveboard.
Magic word: “It depends” 😉
Hehehe, I always hate it when I have to say that 😛