What Size Parakite Should I Fly?

Choosing a parakite size is one of the most important equipment decisions you will make, and one of the easiest to oversimplify.

A pilot sees a 16, 19 or 24 and immediately wants a formula: “I weigh 82 kg, therefore I need size X.” That is not how we approach it at Cloudbase. All-up weight is important, but it is only one input. Site type, wind, intended style of flying, current skills and the model’s design matter just as much.

The safest starting principle is simple: choose the size that gives you a useful working range and enough margin to learn the wing properly. Do not choose the smallest size you think you can get away with.

Use all-up flying weight, not body weight

Your wing carries everything: pilot, harness, reserve, helmet, clothing, instruments, water and any other equipment. That total is your all-up flying weight.

Manufacturer charts may use body weight, all-up weight or a reference pilot weight depending on the product. Read the headings carefully. A chart based on an 80 kg rider is not the same thing as an 80 kg all-up recommendation.

What changes when you go smaller?

At the same all-up weight, reducing wing area increases wing loading. In broad terms that tends to create:

• higher airspeed;
• faster response;
• more dynamic roll and pitch;
• greater energy through turns and dives;
• less low-speed float;
• a higher level of precision required from the pilot.

Those characteristics can be desirable for an experienced pilot in the right environment. They can also compress decision time and reduce margin for a pilot who is still learning the parakite control system.

What changes when you go larger?

A larger size at the same pilot weight generally gives more area to produce lift and a lower wing loading. That can mean better low-end soaring performance, a calmer feel and more time to process what the wing is doing.

Larger does not mean “slow and boring”. A modern parakite can still have a substantial speed range because the control system changes angle of attack. The larger wing simply starts from a different loading point.

Wind range is not a permission slip

Manufacturers often publish reference or “sweet spot” wind ranges. These are useful, but they are not universal operating limits. A smooth 18-knot dune can be easier than a gusty 14-knot headland with rotor. Wind angle, terrain shape, compression and turbulence change the problem.

Dune Rider publishes reference ranges for the Hopper based on an 80 kg rider, with larger sizes intended to work in lighter wind and smaller sizes extending into stronger conditions for appropriately experienced pilots. Treat those numbers as model guidance, not as a substitute for site assessment.

Start with the model, then choose the size

A common mistake is to decide “I want a 16” before deciding which wing behaviour actually suits the pilot. Size does not erase the character of the model.

A Hopper 16 remains a Hopper: progression-oriented, predictable and designed around accessible performance. A Scraper of similar area remains a more demanding high-performance wing with stronger energy and different control feedback.

Choose the model for its behaviour. Choose the size to place that behaviour in the right operating envelope for you.

Hopper sizing: 16, 19 and 24

The Hopper range gives three distinct tools rather than three cosmetic options.

Hopper 24

The 24 provides the most area and is naturally relevant to lighter-wind coastal flying or pilots who want a lower-loading entry into the Hopper range. For many pilots it can make sense where the objective is learning the system, staying efficient in marginal lift and building confidence rather than chasing maximum speed.

Hopper 19

The 19 sits in the middle and is the broad all-round choice for many average-weight pilots. It balances useful low-end performance with a dynamic top end. That does not mean it is automatically correct for an average-weight person; actual all-up weight, sites and experience still decide.

Hopper 16

The 16 increases loading for the same pilot and is more relevant when stronger wind, greater speed or a more dynamic feel is deliberately wanted. It should not be selected simply because “small wings look more fun”.

Scraper sizing is a different conversation

The Scraper is not a smaller-number version of the Hopper. It is a different design brief. The wing is aimed at experienced pilots who want high performance, strong dive and energy retention.

That means the pilot should first be comfortable with the Scraper’s character. Only then does size selection make sense. Loading a performance wing more heavily compounds the demands rather than magically making it “better”.

How does pilot experience change size choice?

An experienced pilot can often use a larger portion of a wing’s performance range because they are better at reading conditions, managing pitch, controlling energy and recognising when the day is not suitable.

A less experienced parakite pilot benefits from margin. That can mean a more accessible model, a less aggressive loading and a site with room to learn. We would rather see a pilot become technically excellent on a sensible size than spend every flight surviving a smaller wing they cannot exploit.

How does site type change size choice?

Low dunes and marginal lift

More area and efficient low-speed behaviour can be valuable. The pilot needs enough lift to stay in the working band without constantly flying at the edge of stall.

Large smooth coastal ridges

A broader range of sizes may work because the lift band is more generous. Choice can then focus more on wind strength and the style of flying intended.

Strong-wind dunes

A smaller size may become relevant, but only with the ground-handling skill and judgement to manage strong wind. More depower does not cancel gusts or poor launch geometry.

Mountain terrain

Weight, pack size, launch altitude and the consequences of speed near terrain become important. A mountain-oriented product such as the AirDesign eXTA needs to be considered in its own design context rather than using a dune-only sizing mindset.

Do not size by what your mate flies

Two pilots can weigh the same and still need different wings. One may have hundreds of hours of coastal time, the other may have most of their experience thermalling inland. One may want relaxed soaring; the other may deliberately want high-energy terrain flying.

“My mate is on a 16” is data about your mate, not a recommendation for you.

Do not use price or stock as a sizing tool

If the right size is not in stock, wait or order it. A discount on the wrong size is still the wrong equipment decision.

The same applies when one size is easier to resell or looks more popular on social media. Equipment should be selected around your flying, not around the most visible pilots online.

What information should you give us?

When a pilot asks Cloudbase for sizing advice, the useful information is:

• body weight and estimated all-up flying weight;
• current paraglider or parakite and size;
• total hours and hours in the last 12 months;
• typical sites and wind strengths;
• coastal and strong-wind experience;
• whether the priority is progression, low-wind soaring, speed, dynamic flying or mountain use;
• any opportunity to demo before buying.

Can a size chart replace a demo?

No. A chart narrows the options. A demo tells you how the wing actually feels with your inputs, harness and expectations.

Where practical, we encourage pilots to try the relevant size in appropriate conditions and talk through what they felt. A good demo is not about performing; it is about gathering information.

A conservative sizing rule

If two sizes could work, choose based on the conditions you will genuinely fly most often and the performance you can use now—not the performance you hope to grow into later.

Next steps

Read the Complete Australian Parakite Guide, understand how pitch control works, then compare the Dune Rider Hopper, Dune Rider Scraper and AirDesign eXTA.

If you want a model-and-size recommendation based on your actual flying, contact Cloudbase. We will ask about your current equipment, hours, sites and goals before recommending a number.

Revisit sizing as your flying changes

The size that suits you now may not be the size you would choose after two seasons of parakiting. That is normal. As skill improves, some pilots deliberately move toward a different loading or add a second size for another wind range.

Do not force one wing to cover every condition. A sensible larger size for lighter days and a smaller size for stronger conditions can eventually make more sense than heavily loading one wing and trying to stretch it across the entire season.

Harness weight can move you more than expected

Changing from a substantial protected harness to a lightweight system can alter all-up weight by several kilograms. Reserve, clothing and carried equipment can do the same. Recalculate rather than assuming your previous sizing discussion still applies.

When in doubt, weigh the complete system. Real numbers are more useful than estimates.

Use the size you can fly well across the whole session

A smaller wing may feel exciting for the first few runs, but the real test is whether you can still launch, control, land and make good decisions after an hour or two. Higher loading increases the pace of the flight and can increase physical and mental workload.

If a slightly larger size lets you fly more often, use weaker conditions and remain precise for longer, it may produce more useful progression than the smaller option. Size should support the type of session you want to have, not simply maximise one performance characteristic.