FAQs

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GENERAL PARAGLIDING QUESTIONS

  • Paragliding is a form of free flight, using only the wind and thermals (updrafts) to gain altitude and glide through the sky on a soft sail aircraft.

Tandem Paragliding Questions

  • A tandem flight for one passenger costs $140 (USD)

  • Each flight is between 15-20 minutes. Our pilots always aim to fly with you for 20 minutes but it can vary slightly in length based on the weather conditions.

  • The total tour time is approximately 3 hours (based on 4 passengers flying) from the pick-up in Dominical at the meeting point, to return to the same place. Whilst we try to keep within this time frame, sometimes it can take a little longer if we have to wait for the wind cycles.

  • We meet all our clients outside Mama Toucans supermarket in Dominical. From there, we ride up in our vehicle to the take-off.

  • The take-off is located at Cerro Escaleres behind Dominicalito beach.

  • Yes, all our pilots are certified tandem pilots from their national certifying body and have many years of experience.

  • We recommend wearing footwear you can easily run a few steps in (and that won't fall off once airborne), a small bottle of water and sun protection. All other paragliding equipment is provided by us.

  • It's best to leave any big bags at your accommodation or in a safe place. There is a compartment for small bags and day packs in the harness but we prefer you to come with as little luggage as possible.

  • Yes. Our pilots will take about 20 photos and 2-3 videos throughout your flight. These will be available for you to purchase once you have landed. Your pilot will show you your photos on a tablet prior to purchase.

  • Our photo service costs $30 (USD) per passenger and you will receive all your pictures in a high-quality transfer directly to your phone on the day.

  • You can bring your phone and camera with you but you fly with it at your own risk. Our harnesses are equipped with a zipper compartment to safely store your cameras, phones and other valuable items.

  • Yes, you can wear your sunglasses. The flight is mellow and relaxed with a few turns, they won't fall off.

  • No, but we do require all passengers to meet a minimum weight and be able to run a few steps to take-off.

  • Yes, for safety reasons we can't take passengers under 20kg or over 120kg (45-240lbs)

  • You will land either on Dominicalito Beach, Dominical Beach or Dominicalito Soccer Field. The landing zone depends on the wind and tides of the day. The pilot always has the final judgement on the safest landing based on the flying conditions.

  • Anyone is welcome to come to the take-off but we cannot guarantee space in our shuttle for those who are not flying with us.

  • We offer group pricing for groups of 5 or more. Please contact us for group pricing.

Beginner Course Questions

  • You can see the breakdown of our beginner course in Costa Rica or Iquique to get an idea of how we teach you. Before you take-off, you will practise ground handling skills until you can comfortably keep the wing above your head. This is harder to do than actually fly and once you have got the hang of it you will be ready for your first few small flights. We offer radio guidance throughout our beginner course so you're never going it alone.

  • The beginner course is a 9-day intensive training for pilots with zero experience. In 9-days they will be able to fly on their own and meet the basic requirements for a novice pilot.

  • We offer our beginners course in two locations, Costa Rica and Chile.

    In Costa Rica, our course begins in the town of Jaco for days 1-3 where it has consistent winds for kiting and a small hill to safely fly your first few flights. From days 4-9 the remainder of the course is taught in Dominical on a bigger ridge. You can find more details about the course itinerary here.

    In Iquique, the course is taught in the same format however, for the duration of the course we will stay in the same location in Iquique, as it offers both a small training hill and a bigger ridge for training. You can see the course details and itinerary here.

  • Absolutely! Whilst the course is designed for complete beginners, it is still a great course for pilots who've alreadt had a handful of lessons. The course will give you plenty to learn and there's no such thing as too much kiting.

  • At this time we are offering the beginners course as a 9-day intensive course package (with or without equipment) and do not offer a reduced-day option. We advise all students enrolled on the course to attend all days even if you will be repeating some things.

  • At this time we do not have the capacity to provide equipment to students. To learn to fly with us you will need your own equipment or to buy a beginner bundle from us. We offer a package deal price when you choose to take our course and buy a beginner kit together.

  • We offer all beginner kits with brand-new Gin Gliders equipment. This includes a Gin Calypso paraglider, Gingo 4 Harness, Reserve Parachute and G-Wrap.

  • If everything is in stock, the delivery time of equipment is about 2 weeks from the payment of the invoice to being received in our office for you to pick up when you are ready.

  • Our beginner course only option is $2200 USD and our beginner course and kit bundle is $5900 USD including postage to our office in Costa Rica.

  • Our private tuition is charged at a day rate of $250 (USD) per day. If you are interested in a private beginners course please contact us for pricing.

  • We don't include accommodation at this time. However, you can see our accommodation recommendations on the blog here.

  • We do not offer a shuttle srvice for our courses. It will be the responsibility of the participant of the course to arrive at the meeting place for Day 1 of the course.

Tour And Clinic Questions

  • Yes, we require all pilots joining us on any course or tour to have insurance the covers medical emergency, including paragliding.

  • You can get a quote for paragliding insurance through the website here. Please make sure you put in your details correctly and once in the World Nomads website select the policy upgrade that includes paragliding. It’s also important to double-check all the policy wording and fine print as the coverage can vary from state to state.

  • You can find the most up to date Entry Requirements on the official tourism site for Costa Rica here.

  • San Jose, Juan Santamaria Airport is the closest airport to the tour meeting place.

  • We recommend to arrive the day before the tour or clinic starts and stay the night in San José to be rested and ready to start on day 1 of the tour or clinic.

  • The last day of our tours and clinics finish around midday. We recommend if you are going to fly out on the same day as the last day of the tour or clinic, to take a flight in the evening. Otherwise, it is better to take a flight a day later and stay 1 night in San Jose to relax and enjoy the last day of flying with the group.

  • The meeting point for the tour or clinic is in the detailed itinerary. This is usually in Caldera for the highlights tour and Rivas for XC Clinic. An exact location will be provided closer to the start date.

  • For those that are interested, we will be arranging shared transport in a mini bus taxi for the group from San José to the meeting place of the tour. The shuttle picks up at two locations in San José, the airport and in a central location at our recommended hotel.

    (The shared shuttle to the meeting point is not included in the tour price, we are happy to arrange the shuttle and the amount per person is payable directly to the driver on the day in cash).

  • We arrange a similar shared taxi back to San José after midday on the last day of the tour. Depending on the group and flight times we can arrange the transport to be earlier or later.

    (The shared shuttle back to San Jose is not included in the tour price, we are happy to arrange the shuttle and the amount per person is payable directly to the driver on the day in cash).

  • Click any of the Book Now buttons on the tour or clinic page or scroll down to the bottom of the page and select your tour date and room type and click Book Now to pay the deposit amount of $600.00 to reserve your space.

    Fill in the important information in the form before proceeding to the checkout page.

    Fill out all required fields on the checkout page. Payments are accepted via PayPal.

    After checking out, you will receive a confirmation email of your deposit payment. Someone from our team will be in touch to assist you with anything else and send you a remaining balance invoice, payable on Day 1 of the tour.

    The deposit is a non-refundable amount to reserve your space on the paragliding tour or clinic. You can read our full terms and conditions here.

  • Any remaining balance is payable on arrival to the tour in cash or by card. For card payments an additional 13% will be charged.

Still Got A Question?

Contact us for further assistance with your questions and queries