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Is there any weight limit for paragliding?
Weight Limits in Paragliding: What You Need to Know?
One of the many questions you might be asking yourself before starting paragliding might be whether there is a weight limit for paragliding. Before jumping right into it and committing some big mistakes, making sure that everything is under control will come up very useful in the future.
In Overfly we are going to explain to you why it is so important to know the weight limit for your paraglider and how to calculate it. Safety goes always first, and to have a fully experience you should always keep this in mind.
Do not worry anymore; here we will solve all your doubts!.
Are there weight restrictions?
Yes, there are weight restrictions and these are very important. You could have several problems or accidents if you do not pay attention to how much you have loaded your paraglider.
Just like choosing the right wing or wearing suitable clothes, checking the weight of your paraglider before flying should be also part of your preparation routine. If you did not know this yet, do not worry, it is never too late!.
What is the weight limit for paragliding?
Normally the weight limit will depend on the type of paraglider and flight. Also, the size and design of your wing will determine how much it can carry and how it will affect the flight.
If you are flying alone, the biggest paragliders can take up until 120kp of weight. When it comes to tandem paragliders, like the ones we use in our flights, these can support about 240kg of weight.
This amount of weight includes the equipment, your personal bodyweight, the clothes you wear, the harness and the pilot next to the possible passenger. As you can see, even in might look like a lot of weight, you can easily overload your paraglider if you are not carful.
Reasons why weight limit for paragliding are that important
It is true that having the right weight limit for paragliding is important, by why? Basically it will totally change the way you control the paraglider or how it reacts to weather conditions. If you control correctly the weight of your equipment, you will be able to make the best out of your flights.
Some people might think that an overloaded paraglider will get them to increase their flying speed and also stability, but it can still be dangerous at times. Also, being underweight can seem like the best solution for others, but it is not so recommendable.
Problems when the weight limit is not the right one
So, if you do not load your paraglider keeping in mind the weight limit for paragliding, you might have to face some of these problems. To have the control of the wing and not letting the weather condition your flights, then make always sure that your paraglider is always well-loaded.
Risks of having an overloaded paraglider
Overloading your paraglider can carry some problems or inconveniences, and that is why you should try to choose your equipment and your wing wisely. The following situations can occur to you if you do not do so.
The heavier you are, the less air time you get
Wind force and gravity are key when flying, if you did not know that before, that is what can make you suddenly drop out of the sky or lift your flight. Also, if you exceed the weight limit, you will get less air time and therefor you will be able to cover less distance.
Taking off will be harder
Just remember that wind force is what will lift you up of the sky and what will help you to start flying. If the wind force is not strong enough and your paraglider is too heavy, then it won’t be possible for you to start the flight.
Landing can be dangerous
Just like taking off, imagine landing with too much weight. The paraglider will be difficult to handle in this type of situations and then landing can result too much difficult to you. Instead of a soft and easy landing, you will drop down fast and might collapse easily against you’re landing zone.
Risks of having a paraglider that is too light
That’s right! Having a weight limit for paragliding involves both not too much, but also not too little weight. Knowing the right weight that your wing can handle is important. It is true that some people prefer lighter paragliders because they feel they can have longer flights and cover more distance.
However, this can be dangerous. For example, you will have less control of the paraglider during strong winds and you are more vulnerable to wing collapses. It is true that if there is no wind of it is soft, having a light paraglider will help you at the taking off, but we do not recommend it.
How can you calculate the weight limit for paragliding?
Okay, now that you know that you should take care of the weight limit for paragliding, the next thing is knowing how you can calculate how much weight you are carrying and how much your wing can support.
When you are buying a wing, they will always tell you the weight limit, so you do not have to worry about that. What is relevant for you is to know how much weight you carry normally, and for that you will need to have these aspects in mind.
- Bodyweight of the pilot. How much do you weight? And your passenger?
- The type of wing you have, how big it is and how much weight it can handle.
- The weight of the harness and the equipment you carry with you.
- The weather. How strong is the wind? This is one of the most important aspects you should consider.
Be safe and enjoy your flight as much as possible
In Overfly we care about your safety. We also want you to have the best of the experiences next to us. If you have more doubts about our tandem flights of you would like to know more about paragliding, get in contact with us and we will solve all your doubts.
