Nearbirds have released a new cocoon harness for cross-country and competition paragliding. It has a rear fairing and a removable cockpit, and can take multiple reserves.
Nearbirds say it was designed to tick several boxes, with pilot safety and confidence at the top of the list. It’s stable, comfortable and light, but not at the expense of robustness. The seat plate, footplate, rigid leg support and ballast supports in the cockpit are made from carbon. The middle, M size weighs 4.5kg with a single front rescue container, and the harness can be folded down to fit into a standard paragliding rucksack.
The rear fairing aids aerodynamics, and the sleek, stretchy front pod closes with a magnet. All the pockets are on the inside, so the outline is sleek. The pilot can adjust the stability in flight to suit the conditions, and the anti-G pocket blows for left or right-hand throw.
It’s a semi-hammock, semi-seatboard design, and the company say it’s very comfortable, with good leg and back support from a lumbar pillow at the base of the spine, right up to the neck. You can adjust the distance between the rungs in the three-step ‘race’ speedbar.
Pilots asked for, and got, plenty of storage space in the rear compartment and the cockpit has a removable flight deck and a power bank pocket with a cable exit hole. Three ballast compartments together hold up to 15 litres, and valves allow ballast to be dumped on the go.
The Vibe is EN and LTF certified, with protection in the form of a choice of mousse bags, plus the rear fairing which doubles as an airbag protector. It’s available in four sizes in black with a choice of white, red, orange, blue or green tail.
