I know the "modern" stance as advised by most coach is to use a waist harness and a slightly higher boom--neck height when standing close to mast with the sail upright? But I prefer to put boom at shoulder height or just under, with a seat harness (a very low hook height) and short lines (mostly 22 inches). Short lines allow me to sail in an upright stance with the sail fully sheet in, in straps and my butt not touching water in chop. Much less spin out and better upwind.

I've tried raising the boom to see the effect but soon return to original height. With a high boom when planing in straps, I find all the weight is in the back foot and I have a feeling of pulling out of footstrap of my front foot (especially with modern slalom boards), which is very unsecured and TIRING! The board also slows down more going over chop. In terms of maneuverbility, in fact a lower boom is much better. With a lower boom, my arms are parallel to water surface so easier to push or pull the sail. Easier gybes (plane out of some for my level), duck gybes, waterstarts. In fact I fall more in gybes with a high boom. More difficult waterstart (need to stretch more to get sail upright, thus requires slightly more wind) and even uphaul (easy to fall backwards). I question whether using a waist harness is productive at all, especially one needs to raise boom height. Anyway most moves are done hook out, so does not depend what harness is put on.

I know PWA slalom guys use a high boom, but that's their setting with wider board. I personally don't sail wide boards as I don't need to or I choose to. What do you guys think? How about the wave discipline? Feel free to share.

I'm 175 cm tall and I sail with a seat harness in moderate winds on a Bic WindSup, with either an 8.0 HSM Superfreak or an oldish 6.2 N.P. Garda, which still does the job . .

I'm fairly new to using the harness and I usually I keep the boom upper chest-height or chin-height and the harness lines about 30-32 inches long ( 15-16" doubled up). I wonder: with these settings, I don't have the feeling I'm hanging down and out as I would have expected . The harness helps a bit when the winds pick up , but it doesn't make much of a difference

I tried to shorten the lines, but I find it uncomfortable to tiptoe too much in order to hook in. Besides, I believe that on a seat harness the lines must be 4 " longer than on a waist harness because the hook is way down.

I looked at a video posted by Seebreez on a previous thread on the same subject, now closed. Here the instructor has the boom almost at the top of the head. It seems excessive, but I'll try. I don't know when, though, because the season is practically over here .

In the meantime, any tips about how to get that " hang-down-and-out feeling with a seat harness?

Thanks

Francone