How to Hike and Fly. 10+ Top tips for paragliding // DAVE SEARLE

In this video I run through my top tips to have a more comfortable, fun and safer hike and fly paragliding experience.
Again, I'm not a paragliding instructor so you should learn how to fly through a proper school!
Follow me on Instagram for regular updates: / davejsearle
My Website: www.davesearleguiding.com/

[@mikesearle7077]

Great video, really well put together and very informative- thanks! PS hope the recovery from the op is going well.

[@DaveSearle]

Thanks Dad!

[@jab0321]

Great videos and I always appreciate your tips and tricks! Never stop learning!

[@DaveSearle]

Thanks!

Just finished my 2 week of paragliding with this as my goal. Thanks for the helpful tips!

[@DaveSearle]

Awesome! I hope you have a safe and enjoyable journey. Dave

[@kurl2831]

Thanks Dave!

[@DaveSearle]

👍

[@DataHyena]

Riser bag wind sock is GOLD!! 🎉

[@DangiaWild]

Great video, helpful tips!

[@DaveSearle]

Thanks!

[@TheSturle]

Great vid! Like said above, informative but never boring :)

[@DaveSearle]

Thanks! Great to get some good feedback.

[@siparnell9071]

A safety tip... If you wear a cap under your helmet, make sure the brim is minimal. In turbulent air, if the wing surges forwards, with a wide-brimmed cap, the wing will already be 30° or even >45° away from being above your head, before it comes into your field of view. The thickness of a helmet + sunglasses should give enough shade from direct sunlight. Cheers, Si

[@DaveSearle]

Thanks for that!

[@siskygod44]

@@DaveSearle I've only recently changed to a skull-cap with an attached neck-shade after flying for 26 years! 🤣🤣🤣 The first time up, I had a vicious left-then-right asymmetric, but caught both within a heartbeat, thanks to being able to see the odd movement above me in my peripheral vision before I felt anything through the risers. 😄👍👍 Wish I'd gone this route years ago.

[@darkslider802]

amazing video production!

[@DaveSearle]

Thanks!

[@paulwhiteman59]

Hi from England nice paragliding that’s some serious extreme footage nice job I Subscribed to support your channel👍

[@DaveSearle]

Thanks for the sub!

[@paulwhiteman59]

Your very welcome some nice impressive footage 👍

[@michaeldennis1021]

Would of liked you explained about your reserve chute, great video look fun

[@jeffspicoli2643]

Just passed my P2 exam this morning! Nice videos dude!

[@DaveSearle]

Great stuff!

[@sandrainthesky1011]

Congrats! Happy flying!

[@Gonzo424]

Nice video and footage. Could you list the specific equipment used? Thanks.

[@sandrainthesky1011]

Nice video! I so feel sorry for everyone I see hiking up, then having to walk back down. We have the best of both worlds! I use a Nova Itus reversible so a bit heavier but has the airbag just in case ;) Thanks for posting these tips!

[@DaveSearle]

Thanks for sharing!

[@kocot.]

I'd say for glasses best are photochromes, if you end up with sunset flight cat 4 can be deadly at landings. For backpacks I guess you mostly have experience with this particular setup, but most people will take bulkier gear where you'd have a proper hip belt and mixing it with another one is rarely a good idea..On the other hand there are many packs with accessible pockets and soft flask holders. Camelback is great otherwise and also better for longer flights. H&F often is a way for proper XC those days ;⁠) As for sweating into the backpack, its a major problem mostly because of the wing, as the fabric coating that doesn't like salt. And if you wrap wing around the harness it's going to be exposed. Still IMO probably the most important tips would be around planning, navigation, local weather systems, valley winds etc. or just finding someone experienced. Many people are just not ready to fly alone in completely remote spots, and that's the biggest trap of h&f that often appeals to beginners. Another common problem is poor ground handling and take off skills.

[@DaveSearle]

Thanks for the comment. Some great thoughts in there. Yeah I was very reluctant to get into the safety aspects of hike and fly in a KZbin video as you might imagine!

[@jumpleadsx2]

interesting comments. I'm a relative noob (about 35hrs of normal PG) and keen to do Hike & Speedfly. I take it you dont think I should rush out to buy a speedwing then drive around the alps looking for hills to climb , where I can land in the car park? Doesnt a faster descent rate reduce the perfect wind condirions requirement?

[@kocot.]

@@jumpleadsx2 uhh, descent rate doesnt reduce anything but altitude, what I guess you had in mind is the wing load, it partially reduces chances of a collapse, but only till some degree, while introducing other issues. Long story short, know your skills, check the terrain and dont make a mistake of considering h&f a safe or simplified version of PG, as it isn't, even though often it is just nice and simple.

[@jumpleadsx2]

@@kocot. Roger that

[@kocot.]

@@jumpleadsx2 one more thing, on a speed wing you can take off and fly against stronger wings, but high winds also mean stronger turbulences, also this speed comes at high descent rate, so your glide ratio may become minimal. And just a bit smaller wing won't necessarily be much faster, especially since those are usually very simplistic constructions, with thick profiles, etc.

[@darcyrobertson2793]

Nice video mate, Hey weird question what brand is your cap you're wearing?

[@DaveSearle]

It’s a brand of a bike workshop business I created a few years ago that is no longer a thing unfortunately. You won’t find them anywhere

[@Idontknowmam]

Hey I was wondering what happens if the paraglider malfunctions for some reason and you straight up fall down, my assumption is there is a parachute for emergency!? But I don’t see anything such mentioned. Is it optional ? Like you’re confident so you don’t pack one? Or it’s never an option?

[@DaveSearle]

I have a reserve parachute that I take quite often. When weight is a real concern I might not take it. It’s very uncommon for a wing to straight up stop working mid flight. Turbulence, or pilot input can cause collapse or stalls but I try to fly in calm stable conditions as much as possible.

[@chmduquesne]

What rucksack do you use?

[@sebasgo1995]

Nice video!, how much does your gear weights?

[@DaveSearle]

The wing weighs 1.4kg and the harness 300g. Much lighter stuff these days also!

[@PaulVanWho]

Zip-off pants, homie :)

[@AvrgAvGeek01]

I am looking to get into paragliding how much is the average paraglider and do you need a license in Germany

[@DaveSearle]

I would say average new paraglided these days is around 2500euro. Harness 400-1000, reserve 1000, plus some extra bits of kit. Can save on second hand market. Not sure the rules in Germany but in France it’s vol libre which means you don’t need a licence to fly… nice place to learn

[@Kreuzass]

You need a license in Germany. Germany is very restrictive at Hike and Flys, too...

[@HerChip]

Can you talk some more about your 360camera