Paragliding Arcachon Bay: everything you need to know

Is there a charge for online booking?

– Online booking is free and payment will be made on site on the day of the appointment.
– We are counting on you to honor your appointment.

Are we committed to the chosen style of flight (discovery or sensation)?

– You are only committed to the duration of the flight, 10 or 20 minutes, the type of flight can be changed upon your arrival according to your inspiration of the day.

What is the procedure to follow ?

Go to the “reservation” page:

– Select the flight time (10 or 20 minutes) and the desired flight style (sensation or discovery).
– Select a date (crossed out dates are no longer available).
– Choose a time based on availability.
– Complete all the requested fields (last name, first name, email, etc.).
– Reservations are not nominative, if you have made a reservation in a name different from that of the person who is going to fly, you will simply need to tell us the name of the reservation.
– Once validated, you will receive a confirmation email with all the details (date, time, etc.) then a reminder email 24 hours in advance with all the details: itinerary, outfit, payment method, etc.

In the event of cancellation following poor wind forecasts, the day before between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., you will receive either a cancellation email or an SMS informing you that the flights are uncertain or canceled.

What are the payment options available ?

– Bank check (accompanied by two pieces of ID card + driving license, with identical name + address).
– Species.
– Holiday vouchers and credit card are not accepted.
– Payments are made on site on the day of the flight(s).

Do you offer the paid video option?

– The video is free, we suggest you take all your images using your own smartphone or camera.
– Please plan what you need before your arrival (pole, etc.).

How to get there?

– By car: see itinerary sent by email when booking online.
You can find us by typing “waggas school” on Google Maps.
– By boat: Robinson beach also called “Les sabloneys”.

Are there any indication signs?

– As the Dune du Pilat is a classified site, we are not able to put up signs to indicate our position. All details will be provided to you when you book online.

Can we buy or prepay for a gift voucher?

– As our activity is totally dependent on the weather, we cannot commit to honoring flights already paid for.

We do not want to sell you a service that we cannot guarantee.

Is there a validity period?

– The voucher can be downloaded free of charge and has no commercial value.

There is no validity since payment is made on site.

How to pay for the flight?

– You can accompany the person on site and pay for the flight on site or put the payment (see “payment method”) in an envelope so that the person who received the gift gives it to us on the day of the flight.

What is the procedure to follow to offer a flight?

Find all the information in our “Gift voucher” tab.

In the event of cancellation following poor wind forecasts, you will receive either a cancellation email or an SMS informing you that the flights are uncertain or canceled.

Flights with and without appointment…

– We do everything we can to honor appointments.
People who have made an appointment have priority.
– If conditions permit and we have honored all our appointments or in the event of vacant places, we can offer you flights without an appointment, you will have to go to the site.

Can we fly in the morning/or at sunset?

– Flights are mainly organized in the afternoon when wind conditions are most favorable. In the morning and evening, conditions are too unpredictable to plan flights during these time slots.
– Sometimes flights are offered in the morning or evening when conditions permit, but generally we communicate this information 24/48 hours in advance by telephone.

Are flight postponements done automatically?

– In the event of cancellation, you can postpone your flight by making an appointment online.

Are there any medical contraindications?

– The activity is accessible to a wide audience, however certain situations and pathologies are incompatible with our activity: pregnant women, bone fragilities, hernias with fragilities and serious consequences in the event of even a slight shock.

Is parental authorization required?

– Minor passengers must be accompanied by an adult who will be the legal guarantor and responsible.

Are the takeoff and landing phases done in the same place?

– We take off and land in the same areas, however sometimes we have to land on the beach if the wind conditions weaken or increase during the flight.

Is this the same flight circuit for discovery and sensation and 10/20min?

– The circuit remains the same, only the conditions of the day allow us to define the most favorable flight zone.

Can we meet you in the morning in the field, do you have offices?

– The Dune du Pilat site being classified, we have a temporary office, installed and dismantled every day in accordance with the law.
– We set up on the pitch from 1:00 p.m. except on canceled days (heatwave, rain, storm, no wind, etc.).

Why are there paragliders flying on the Dune when the tandem activity is canceled?

– It happens that the wind conditions do not guarantee quality professional services (height and duration) but allow solo practice which does not meet the same needs.

Do you offer introductory courses?

– Paragliding is mainly practiced in the mountains, we invite you firstly to learn in the mountains to acquire a “general culture” inherent to mountain flying then secondly to head towards more “specific” schools and sites such as the flight by the sea which requires a suitable approach.

Do you get dizzy while paragliding?

– Good news, we don’t suffer from vertigo while paragliding.
Vertigo is related to the ground, once in the air this feeling disappears.

What is the procedure in the event of bad wind forecasts?

– In case of doubt or cancellation, you will be informed by email and/or text message the day before between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Are flights guaranteed if the day is maintained?

– Forecasts are statistics that emit probabilities.
Like all forecasts, they are not 100% reliable.

Wind conditions may be announced as excellent but not be there and thus lead to the cancellation of flights on site.

The opposite scenario also exists: rain or strong winds forecast and a beautiful day ahead. We do everything possible to cross-reference all forecasts in order to give ourselves the maximum chance of being able to fly and avoid any unnecessary travel.

But the weather remains uncertain and activity cannot be guaranteed on the day of your appointment.

Why are the forecasts calling for rain and flights still being maintained?

– see paragraph above.

Why allow 2 hours in the field?

– Appointments may be postponed depending on the conditions of the day.

Are there any weight limitations?

– We offer flights for weights between 25 kg and 120 kg.
– Only the wind conditions of the day will allow us to set or not lower or higher weight limits in order to offer you quality flights.

Minimum or maximum age?

– from 5 years to 99 years.

Special physical conditions?

– Accessible to all audiences as long as you can get there.

Cases not recommended/refused

– Pregnant women (even at the beginning of pregnancy)
– Hernias and other serious and serious pathologies
– Bone fragility.