Is it a good idea to do ski binding settings yourself?
My bindings are already adjusted to my shoes, what is not adjusted yet is the release setting.
From what I can tell, the optimal release setting is fairly simple and depends on height, weight, age and skill.
It also seems, that this setting is adjusted by twisting a single screw on the binding.
Is there a valid reason (besides insurance) to not do this myself? Is there actually more to it, than following tables online?
My binding looks like this:
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2 answers
Your settings are mostly personal preference.
Adjusting your DIN settings is not a complicated procedure. It's not uncommon for ski resorts to provide public benches with screwdrivers chained to them so people can adjust their bindings on the hill. I've been adjusting my own settings since I was a child.
There's no shortage of charts, youtube videos, etc. online showing you how to set your bindings:
The settings are there to help you prevent injury. If you're a novice skier you want your skis to pop off easy so you don't break a leg, so you need lower settings. When you get more advanced, you don't want your skis popping off while you're skiing hard or fast, so you need higher settings.
If you don't know how to set your bindings, start with a low number, or find a range that matches your abilities from a chart like the one above. Each time your skis pop off while skiing within your abilities go up a number or two at a time until they stop popping off so easy. If you want to geek out and figure out what your perfect number should be, there are many resources to help you figure that out.
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I was doing ski patrol at a local low level hill. As skiing the hill is not very challenging. One fellow patroller suggested decreasing the tension in my bindings.
By doing this, and popping a binding now and then by accident, you become much more aware of your balance and where your weight is. This turned a low country boring hill into a medium challenge. I was eventually skiing with DIN 2.
This can also be a benefit if you are skiing with someone who is new, so that you are challenged by slopes that they are challenged by.
My rules now are:
Have your bindings at the lightest setting you can consistently get away with. Too tight, and you risk injury. Pre-mature release is just a garage sale most of the time.
I carry a stubby screwdriver of the size to adjust my bindings on the fly.
This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/21610. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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