Your first tandem paragliding flight should not feel like a technical test. The pilot prepares and controls the wing; your role is to arrive properly dressed, provide accurate information, follow a few clear instructions and communicate how you feel.
These recommendations are based on Gustavo’s more than 30 years of paragliding experience and on the questions first-time passengers ask most often in Costa Adeje. They complement our complete step-by-step guide to trying paragliding for the first time, without repeating the entire flight process.
Dress for the take-off, not the beach. Run until your pilot tells you to stop. Keep personal phones and cameras out of the flight. Everything else will be explained and managed by your tandem pilot.
Prepare properly before the flight
Read your confirmation, provide an accurate passenger weight and arrive ready to listen to a short safety briefing. Our guide to what happens after you book a tandem paragliding flight in Tenerife explains the confirmation, WhatsApp contact, meeting-point details and possible weather-related changes. No technical knowledge is required.
If you are travelling with a partner, family or group of friends, remember that each passenger is still prepared individually. Our guide to booking tandem paragliding for couples, families and groups in Tenerife explains how passenger details, different flight choices, children, pilots and timings can be coordinated within one shared plan.
Your pilot explains what will happen during take-off, the flight and landing. Listen even if the instructions sound simple: the exact technique can change with the take-off, wind and passenger. Ask questions before connecting to the wing rather than trying to remember advice from a video or another flight.
Eat normally but avoid a very heavy meal immediately before the activity. Drink water, limit anything that makes you feel more anxious and never arrive under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs. If you have a relevant health condition, recent injury, reduced mobility or take medication that may affect participation, tell the team before booking.
If you are still comparing operators, use Inés’s guide to the questions worth asking before booking a tandem flight. For technical requirements, check the dedicated guides to passenger weight limits and age requirements for tandem paragliding. To understand the additional emergency system carried with professional tandem equipment, read how the reserve parachute works.
Dress for light mountain conditions
What to wear and bring
- Closed shoes with good grip are essential. Wear secure trainers or light hiking shoes. Flip-flops, sandals and other open footwear are not suitable.
- Long trousers are always recommended. Shorts may be possible, but flexible sports or hiking trousers provide more comfort and protection.
- Always bring a windproof jacket. If it is not needed, leave it in the Overfly vehicle and recover it after landing.
- Sunglasses are optional. They must fit securely. Avoid loose scarves, jewellery and accessories that could interfere with the harness.
Take-offs in South Tenerife are higher and can feel considerably cooler than the beach, even on a warm day. Our seasonal guide explains exactly what to wear for tandem paragliding in Tenerife.
If you are travelling during the winter holidays, our guide to visiting Tenerife in December explains the typical temperatures, regional differences and what to pack for the coast, the mountains and outdoor activities.
At take-off, keep moving until instructed
Look forward, walk and then run decisively in the direction indicated by your pilot. Do not stop and do not sit back in the harness too early.
There is no universal number of steps. A passenger may become airborne quickly in one set of conditions and need a longer run in another. You do not need exceptional speed, but you do need to continue moving until the pilot says you can settle into the harness.
Looking towards the horizon normally helps you maintain a natural posture. Do not turn to inspect the wing or look continuously at your feet. The pilot controls the wing and may adjust the timing if the airflow changes.
Good to know: Taucho and Ifonche are common take-offs, but neither is automatically smooth or guaranteed. The pilot chooses the site and exact launch moment according to the conditions observed that day.
Communicate and let yourself relax in the air
Many passengers expect a sensation similar to a roller coaster, but a normal tandem flight is generally a smooth glide. Once comfortably seated, you can speak to the pilot, look towards the horizon and enjoy views of volcanic ridges, ravines, Costa Adeje, the Atlantic and sometimes La Gomera.
If you feel tense, say so. Slow breathing and a fixed visual reference can help, but there is no need to pretend you are completely relaxed. Nervousness often decreases after take-off, although every passenger experiences it differently. Inés explains the emotional side in what a first tandem flight really feels like.
Tell the pilot whether you want a calm scenic experience. More dynamic manoeuvres depend on the selected flight, suitable conditions and your consent. If adrenaline is your priority, compare the dedicated Acrobatic Flight; for a relaxed introduction, the original Standard Flight in Costa Adeje remains the natural starting point. If you are comparing the available options, our guide to how paragliding prices work in Tenerife explains the flight types, inclusions and discounts.
Do not use your own phone or camera in flight
Bring your phone if you need it before or after the activity, but it must not be used or carried loose during the flight. A handheld device can be dropped, interfere with equipment or distract you during the two moments when your attention matters most: take-off and landing.
The pilot can record an optional Media Pack using a GoPro on a secured extension pole. You can decide online or after landing whether you want the photos and videos. This lets you experience the flight without worrying about filming it yourself.
Listen again just before landing
There is not one landing instruction for every flight. Depending on the wind, surface and technique, the pilot may ask you to stand and take a few steps, or to keep your legs raised. Listen for the final instruction and follow it rather than deciding in advance what you will do.
Landings are normally controlled and often feel easier than passengers expect, but the exact landing zone cannot be promised. Playa de la Enramada may be used in suitable conditions; on other days, the pilot selects another authorised area.
Stay flexible about the time and flying site
Taucho and Ifonche are two important take-offs in South Tenerife, but the meeting point does not guarantee the launch site or landing area. Local wind, cloud, thermal activity and landing conditions can make the pilot wait, change site, shorten the flight, postpone it or cancel it.
Sunshine at your hotel is not enough to determine whether conditions are suitable at altitude. Read why a tandem flight can be cancelled on a sunny day, and use our guide to paragliding sites in Tenerife to understand how the main areas differ.
A final checklist before leaving your hotel
- Closed trainers or hiking shoes with good grip.
- Long, comfortable trousers that allow you to move.
- A windproof jacket, even if the coast feels warm.
- Accurate passenger weight and any relevant health information.
- Enough flexibility for weather-related timing or site changes.
- No loose objects intended for use during the flight.
If you still want to understand why the wing can remain airborne, our simple guide to the science of paragliding explains the basic principles. For a broader look at professional risk management, read Gustavo’s guide to tandem paragliding safety in Tenerife.
Ready to put these tips into practice?
Compare the current tandem options, check live availability and choose the experience that best suits your first flight.