Wings

The wing is probably the most important piece of your paragliding equipment and you want to choose it very carefully. Its size depends on your weight (and your skill). Standard gliders are rated in four categories A, B, C, and D, where A is best for beginners, and D is the expert category. 

While a new wing will last longer, there is nothing wrong with buying second hand equipment from a trusted source.

Harness

The harness is your seat in the air allowing you to fly securely and comfortably for hours. Like wings, harnesses have to undergo a thorough airworthiness certification process. There are two types of back protection: airbag and foam or a combination of both. While beginners normally fly in a sitting position, most advanced and XC pilots opt for a supine 'pod' harness which reduces the aerodynamic drag and therefore improves the gliding performance in XC (cross country) flying.

The choice of an appropriate harness depends on your preference and flying style.

Other Equipment

Besides the wing and harness you may need other important accessories. We recommend always flying with a certified helmet to protect your head from ground contact.

Secondly, once you leave the training hill, a reserve parachute becomes necessary and represents your second or last chance should your glider ever get out of control. 

If you want to have better control of your vertical movements, a vario(meter) will be of great assistance. And if you decide to leave your regular landing zone behind and consider flying 'cross country', a variometer with GPS becomes necessary.