Help with water melon / sugar melon please

For the first time ever Ive grown two water melons they are a lovely dark green , with other melons ive grown its not hard to judge when they are ready. But what are the signs for watermelons which are the size of a rock melon and very hard .

 

I dont know, I grew a couple last year and just left them as long as possible, when I cut them open they were red inside, so guess ripe, but there was no indication on the outside or smell.

 

Did they have much of a taste Pete.?

 

Not great tbh, I decided not to grow them again which kind of suggests I wasn't impressed.

 

I have read that when the curly bit next to the vine is dry and turned brown it is ready, and your suppose to see they are ripe once they have lost their shine also your suppose to smell the skin . if you smell fruit something of a melon its ready !!!!!!

not sure what ive got here apart from unripe melons cos mine aint got these signs at all . but it does say end of september for harvesting. so i shall see.

if i dont get anywhere , shall stick to growing flying saucer squash from chilterns at 6lb in weight
( Disco Squash )

 

Too exotic for me but this guy has a clue or three;;;