STANDARD vs POD Paragliding Harness

STANDARD vs POD Paragliding Harness. How to choose The Right Paragliding Harness?
There is a bewildering choice of paragliding harnesses available. How do you compare the market when there are so many different styles, so many features, and so many brands? We set out the fundamental principles of choosing the right harness so you can develop a clear sense of what suits your flying skills and aspirations.

Paragliding harnesses can be divided into two main categories:
- Standard harnesses
- Pod harnesses

STANDARD HARNESSES
Standard paragliding harnesses are open, your legs are free, and the sitting position tends to be more upright.

These are ideal as a first buy and suit many recreational pilots. There is a fallacy that buying a pod at the beginning of your flying career saves you money because you don’t have to buy again. This is like buying a Sports Class wing ‘to grow into’: it fails to acknowledge the increased risk you create by doing this during the learning phase. Wise gear choices should reduce your risk, not increase it.

Get the equipment that matches where you currently are in your progression, so you can build your skills on a solid foundation. Confidence is the cornerstone of all flying development. You can always sell your ‘starter’ harness again to someone else who shares your understanding of progressing step by step.

POD HARNESSES
Pod harnesses have a leg fairing - known as the speedbag, cocoon or pod - which encloses your legs, and the sitting position tends to be more reclined.

Pods are best suited for ambitious cross country pilots or regular fliers with at least a year of flying experience. Although more difficult on the ground and more unstable in extreme situations, pod harnesses are comfortable and offer more performance during long flights. They keep you warmer and reduce drag while flying, but you carry a little extra weight and bulk on the way back (depending on models, comparing like for like).

The reclined flying position takes some time to get used to. The lower karabiner position usually means more responsive handling (it feels more tippy), although this can be counteracted when a seatboardless design is used (which usually calms things down and makes a harness more wallowy). Turning requires a coordinated pressure on the footplate and seat area, and can often feel a bit awkward, one of the reasons why acro pilots favour the traditional upright harness with a seatboard. Pilots new to pods may find themselves being more unstable in rough air with more motion (yaw, pitch and roll) to contend with.

The performance advantage is dependant on setting the harness up correctly, so it’s important to spend time adjusting the angle. When correctly balanced, a well-trimmed pod harness can provide the added secure feeling of being completely supported.

In the past, pod harnesses were heavy and bulky, but modern designs have optimised the weight while retaining durability. You should expect a reputable harness to outlast your wing. However, when choosing the right harness you should pay attention to the fabric of the pod itself, as it is a high wear area where your boots drag on the speed bar and repeated leg extensions stretch the fairing.

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[ralphvanthoff]

Agree with most comments except for nr 3. Speed bar in pod is extremely easy to catch when you're in it, just scrape the bottom of the cocoon and you got it, as opposed to an upright harness where it is dangling in the airflow somewhere below you, and having to choose between a foot stirrup and speed bar. Right on the longevity, I flew my harness on 5 wings before replacing it, so worth investing some research, time and money in finding the right harness.

[MartijnvanGene]

I fly a pod mainly to stay warm. Also, the reclined position is very comfortable on my back on long soaring sessions (2hr+). The speedbar is easier to grab, since it's already pre-stretched and exactly where I expect it to be. On my open harness I need to get my hand down the accelerator lines so I can hook it with my foot...

[TheManFromDelMont]

I agree an open harness is good for the first year(s) of flying but for me personally, the pod transformed my enjoyment of the sport. The added comfort and being in a supine position feels far more natural to me. Additionally, in winter it makes a huge difference to my overall warmth and thus how long I want to spend flying. I have a Delight 3 and the speed bag rarely gets in the way when ground handling plus it seems to be one of the easiest pods to get into after launch once you finesse the technique a little. Only negatives I have experienced are dealing with the additional yaw, the additional cost and they're a bit more fiddly to get setup correctly to start with.

[huepix]

Progressed to a pod about a year ago.
It does take some getting used to but now I never use my open harness.
I do struggle to get my legs in at times (i do have long legs) and am currently experimenting with a bungy attacched from pod to foot.
Another issue is getting tangled with the speed bar.
I can sort it in flight, but it can be a hassle. Making sure it's hanging correctly before launch is now part of my pre launch check list.
Its faster, warmer and a bit lighter than the open harness.
In rough air, i can sit more upright to stabilize it.

[gilvanalves]

Very good and instructive. Just don't agree with point 3. I use both and find it easier to get the speedbar on the pod.

[styx]

Is this narrated by a computer? 👀 Miss yer lovely voices.

[flybubbleparagliding]

NEXT VIDEO WILL BE THE ORIGINAL VOICEOVER 😍😍😍

[petergreis]

Don‘t think I could fly a normal harness at -17C here in the Swiss Alps for an hour. Pods save delicate anatomy…..😂

[bodobotond]

Flying an advance success 4 with stirrup. Thinking about changing to pod. I can not find much relevant info about stirrup vs pod.

[flybubbleparagliding]

What is your choice and why? Standard, pod or both? 😏

[horaciorivara]

POD Harness has much better performance in transitions, reduce drag on at least 7%

[osmera_pg]

Why pod? Because of the wamth and because of very easy handling with speed. How can you say upright harness is better for quick speed handling??? Complete opposite is true!!

[HTI]

All certifications are done in seat upright harnesses because pod harnesses will decrease the safety rating.

[canstuntman]

really???? AI voice My very favorite paragliding channel just got lazy and I dont mean to be a sad sack but Flybubble is my go to channel for the personalities aswell as the content.

[finnmillard]

Not a huge fan of the android voice-over

[AndreyGreenYtube]

Pods are warm. And allow to relax you foot. No other advantages :)

[JanPBtest]

For me pod harnesses are a no-go because they restrict the view down. (Leaving aside another problem: most pods are tapered in front and blunt in the back which is exactly the opposite of what aerodynamic flow wants, it's like a digital SLR: an oxymoron.) Last but not least, they look simply awful.

[willpalmer]

Love the videos generally, but I can't stand the narration.