What to wear for paragliding: a complete guide

Choosing the right clothes makes a real difference to comfort and safety on a paragliding flight. The good news: you need nothing special. All the technical equipment — harness, helmet and wing — is provided. Your job is to wear comfortable clothes that let you take a few steps at launch and sit into the harness freely.

The golden rule: comfort and safety

On a tandem flight you sit in a padded harness, almost reclined, with the certified instructor just behind you. Remember that the flight lasts 10 to 20 minutes, but you spend longer at the ramp waiting for the best wind window. So think about comfort on the ground, under the sun at Parque da Cidade, and not only about the minutes in the air.

Clothing

• Top: a comfortable T-shirt or long-sleeved top, plus a light jacket or windbreaker — it gets cooler at altitude. Breathable, quick-drying fabrics work best, and layers beat one thick piece.
• Bottom: light long trousers (leggings, joggers or sports trousers) are the best option. Shorts are fine on hot days, but trousers protect your legs against the harness straps.
• Avoid skirts, dresses and very loose or flowing clothes: they open in the wind and get in the way of the launch run.

What to wear by season

Summer and hot days: a light breathable T-shirt with thin sports trousers or leggings, plus a thin windbreaker in your bag — even in the heat, the wind at altitude feels cool. Apply sunscreen and drink water before heading up to the ramp.

Winter and late-afternoon flights: a long-sleeved top with a jacket or hoodie, thicker trousers and, if you feel the cold, a thin base layer. A thin beanie fits under the helmet and helps on cold mornings.

A practical rule: dress for a day a few degrees cooler than it feels on the ground. It is easier to remove a layer than to be cold in the air. See also the best time of year to fly.

Footwear: closed shoes, and why

Wear closed shoes, well fastened to the foot. This is by far the most important item on the list. At launch you take a few firm steps beside the instructor until the wing lifts you off the ground; at landing, your feet touch down first. Trainers with good grip keep you steady in both moments.

• Avoid flip-flops and sandals — they can come off in the air and leave the foot unprotected.
• Avoid heels, ballet flats and slippery soles.
• Avoid brand-new shoes that still rub. Flight day is not the day to break them in.

Socks help too. Ordinary running or walking shoes do the job perfectly: no boots or technical hiking footwear required.

Sunglasses, sunscreen and caps

• Sunglasses protect against wind and glare — ideally with a strap so they do not fly off.
• Sunscreen applied before going up to the ramp, with a top-up on sunny days.
• A cap helps while waiting on the ground, but put it in your pocket before launch: it does not fit under the helmet.

What to bring in your bag

Keep it to the essentials: photo ID, sunscreen, a bottle of water, a light jacket, sunglasses with a strap and, optionally, your phone. During the flight your bag stays with our team on the ground, so you go up with nothing in your hands or pockets that could fall.

Phones and cameras

Our recommendation is simple: do not hold your phone during the flight. A loose device can slip and fall from hundreds of metres. If you still want to bring it, it must be securely attached — in a zipped pocket or on a firm neck strap — and never taken out in the air. The same goes for action cameras.

In practice you will not need it: the photos and video are already included, and the instructor records everything so you can enjoy the view without distraction. See how it looks in photos and video of your flight.

What to leave at home

• Flip-flops, sandals and heels.
• Skirts, dresses and very loose, flowing clothes.
• Scarves and accessories that flap in the wind.
• Necklaces, large earrings and jewellery that can catch on the straps.
• Loose items in your pockets: keys, coins, glasses without a strap.

None of this stops you flying — if you arrive with any of it, our team will store what is needed on the ground. But getting it right before you leave home makes everything quicker and calmer at the ramp.

Quick checklist

1. Light long trousers or leggings.
2. Comfortable top plus a jacket or windbreaker.
3. Closed shoes, well fastened.
4. Sunglasses with a strap and sunscreen.
5. Photo ID and a bottle of water.

That is all you need. The rest — harness, helmet, wing and an instructor with more than 19 years of flying and a 5.0 rating from 73 reviews — is on us.

📚 References (Wikipedia): paragliding