The belly strap of a harness must be adjusted to the value used for the approval of your paraglider! It is between 40 and 48 cm depending on the model and the size of the paraglider. Incorrect setting can cause behaviours that would not have been accepted at all during the certification tests. It’s a bit silly…
Where do you find the ventral adjustment value?
It is the spacing between the middle of the carabiner base.
Curiously, it is not found in the technical data of paragliders… Sometimes, it is found in the user manual…
The carabiner spacing (ventral adjustment) is found in the certification flight test reports.
Example: OZONE SWIFT 6 MS
What can be expected from setting too tightly?
Not much, but still a spiral stability with some paragliders or a risk of twist… But it makes us realize that on a modern harness, with the space taken by the anti-forgetting system, the adjustment mechanism and the automatic loops, a too tight adjustment is today improbable…
…except with the WOODY VALLEY CREST harness whose mini setting is announced at 36 cm (I even measured 34 cm!).
Setting too wide is very common!
It is convenient to easily close the buckles when you put on the harness, but you must tighten the ventral before taking off!
A too wide setting is often obtained by estimating that the right value is an average setting, at half the possible range. This is very rarely the case! The correct setting is most often obtained today with the belly strap pulled almost completely!
Today, nothing good.
A long time ago, when the handling of paragliders was very bad, we would swing from one side of the harness to the other in an attempt to complete the turns. We were trying to improve the handling.
The disadvantages of being too open:
- the movements of the air mass are amplified. We are tossed left and right, which can make us think that the air mass is very turbulent and make us lose confidence.
- behaviour in the event of collpases is aggravated,
- it is more difficult to load on one side or the other for a “harness” pilotage. The road ahead is longer.
- by accelerating, with or without Speedbag (or cocoon), the aerodynamics is deteriorated by parasitic movements caused by the instability of the harness.
ADVICE
Mark the belly strap or carefully mark the correct position of the adjustment.
And especially avoid having both a ventral too open and a seatplate too wide !
With a well-tuned harness, you’re safer and more confident.
Good flights!
Eric Laforge
I’ve developed a lot of paragliding models and helped develop the certification standards.
To really know what we’re selling, I fly with everything I can find…
