DIN Calculator - How to Adjust Ski Bindings?
Are you going skiing this year? Then this DIN calculator can help you find the correct adjustment of your skis and avoid knee injury! The tool will calculate your DIN setting for ski bindings. Whether your holidays were white ❄️ or not, we all hope for some more snow to come soon. And that's when you'll find the article below of use - stay with us to get some tips on how to adjust ski bindings and why ski binding is so important.
So, regardless of whether being more active was one of your New Year's resolutions or if you go skiing every year, keep reading to make your trip as safe as possible.
What is the DIN setting?
DIN stands for Deutsches Institut für Normung (German Institute for Standardization), which is a scale of the release force settings for ski bindings. The standards are currently regulated by law and published by the International Standards Organisation (ISO 11088, the last correction from 2018).
How to adjust ski bindings? First, a specialist technician should apply the DIN setting chart. You ought not to try to fix them yourself, as incorrect adjustment might lead to severe knee injuries while skiing. This tool is for informative purposes only.
Why ski bindings are so important?
Moving is good; it helps us lose some pounds (take a look at the calories burned calculator), reduces our risk of cardiovascular disease, and increases your mood. However, the proper adjustment of ski bindings and ski size (check the ski size calculator) is the key to safe skiing ⛷️. With this calculator, you can set your safe release force. And once you fall on the slope, the skies detach themselves from your skiing boots. You may ask: why is that? Well, it is so your leg doesn't stay trapped in an unnatural position, pulled to the side by the ski. This may lead to a skiing injury, most commonly a knee ligament rupture, or even some bone fracturing inside that joint.
Ski bindings and release force
Release force works in two ways:
- If there is a big twisting force, the boot releases sideways.
- If there is a significant forward force on the boot - the ski boot will be released upwards.
You will need to correctly assess your current weight so that your skis react properly to sharp movements. If you're a good skier with a lot of experience, have made the proper preparations, checked how extreme you can be with our max heart rate calculator, and you can and want to go fast, you will need to set a higher DIN value. This is so your boots will not be released on big turns.
Children younger than nine years old and people older than 50 have more fragile bones and are, therefore, more prone to fractures. Because of this, their DIN settings need to be lower (so that the boot releases after only minor twisting).
How to adjust ski bindings?
For a proper DIN setting chart, use you'll need to know:
- your weight (at the moment, it's important!)
- your height
- your skiing ability - skier type; see more details in the table below
- boot sole length - measured from the toe to the heel of your boot. You can switch freely between the units or use the length converter.
Other than some final ski refurbishment, you're ready to ride. Hit the slopes, and relax in the evening with a glass of warm wine or a cup of hot chocolate.
Type I Skiers | Type II Skiers | Type III Skiers |
---|---|---|
ski cautiously | ski moderately | ski aggressively |
prefer slower speeds | prefer a variety of speeds | prefer faster speeds |
smooth slopes | varied terrain | steep and challenging terrain |
choose if uncertain of your classification | choose if you do not meet the Type I or Type III criteria | choose if you do not want inadvertent binding release |
DIN calculator in practice
Let's put theory into practice. Janice, a 16-year-old girl, and her family have been skiing every year for the past four years. Before the first ride, they give their skis to a technician, who sharpens the edges, waxes the soles of skis, and works out the proper DIN settings. The technician used this DIN calculator for a quick assessment of ant adjustments. For Janice, he filled in:
- Age:
16 years
- Height:
5.4 ft
- Weight:
132 lbs
- Boot sole length:
255 mm
- Skier type (beginner, moderate or advanced):
Type II
The result: DIN 5.5
.
This tool is based on ISO 11088 norm. It is for informative purposes only and should not substitute a professional ski adjustment.