p3h 0 #1 March 2, 2012 Hi, I'm considering buying a Storm for wingsuiting and ideally I would like to load it between 1.5 - 1.7, which would correspond to Storm 120 or 107 as I'm 180lbs exit. I want to get some more swooping power and still have good on heading, forgiving openings. I jumped a Storm 150 with 1.2 WL during my first WS flight course and openings were straight on heading even though my body position sucked - when I switched to a Saffire2 139 afterwards, I got linetwists every time. Anyone wingsuiting a Storm with WL like that who could share their experiences? What WL / size I should be aiming for to get the best of it in both openings and swooping? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 135 #2 March 2, 2012 I guess your profile is not updated with 100 jumps, but still I believe that you should make a choice... Learn to swoop or learn to wingsuit. I would advise first learn to wingsuit. LOTS. Then when you will want to ridiculously downsize, you might be heads-up enough to find that your previous intentions were not the best.scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phoenixlpr 0 #3 March 2, 2012 QuoteHi, I'm considering buying a Storm for wingsuiting and ideally I would like to load it between 1.5 - 1.7, which would correspond to Storm 120 or 107 as I'm 180lbs exit. I want to get some more swooping power and still have good on heading, forgiving openings. I jumped a Storm 150 with 1.2 WL during my first WS flight course and openings were straight on heading even though my body position sucked - when I switched to a Saffire2 139 afterwards, I got linetwists every time. Anyone wingsuiting a Storm with WL like that who could share their experiences? What WL / size I should be aiming for to get the best of it in both openings and swooping? Ask around CReW dogs. I think they are jumping Storm over and beyond WL 2.0. Good luck with that! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #4 March 2, 2012 QuoteI would like to load it between 1.5 - 1.7, which would correspond to Storm 120 or 107 as I'm 180lbs exit. Just for reference, our local S&TA just bought a Storm 120 for a dedicated wingsuit rig. He's about 15 - 20 lbs lighter than you, is an AFFI and TI, and has 3000+ jumps with 1000's of jumps on a pair of FX 99s. See? That guy, with those qulifications and that body weight bought a 120. You're heavier and far less qualified (disregarding your profile info, if you had the expereince of the other guy, you wouldn't need to ask about what canopy to buy), and you're on the fence between the 120 and 107. Very little good ever comes out of loading a canopy to the 'max'. Add in a wingsuit, and even less good will come. I think Chuck Blue jumps a 97 or a 107 Sabre2 as a wingsuit canopy, but Chuck is a far cry from 180 lbs, and is an expert canopy pilot (and all around jumper) on top of that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lurch 0 #5 March 2, 2012 What he said. Wingsuiting is complex enough there's just no need to stack the odds against yourself trying to combine it with swooping. The same thing that makes a canopy swoopy makes it a REAL fun ride when it twists up on you and you've got your arms and legs tied. I'm a total wuss when it comes to canopy risk and after thousands of wingsuit jumps I still stick with Sabre 135's of various vintages. Docile enough that its landable and tame even with a step-through...And I can swoop em just fine. No they're not exactly a hot swoop ride but a decent pilot can swoop anything and just so long as you limit your expectations, a Sabre at 1.3 swoops fine. Not far, but fine... (and you might wanna consider this carefully) ... which is perfect for when you land out in a tight spot where dodging trees and goalposts created a partial swoop anyway and what you really want is a canopy you can STOP when you want it to. One thing about Sabres, any vintage... you stand on the brakes, they stop. They've got buckets of Stop. Oodles and oodles of it, and I love it. I dunno about Storms, never flew one, but I wouldn't be picking my loading based on how well it goes, I pick mine rather by how well it stops. First and foremost a parachute is a braking device, people tend to forget that. -B Live and learn... or die, and teach by example. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BMichaeli 1 #6 March 2, 2012 As someone who is somewhat in the same boat as you i'll tell you my experience. i'm about 200lbs exit weight. I fly a safire 2 149 at a 1.34 WL. This thing does everything for me. recently i have been having better openings with my WS then on my belly with it (i figured you the problem and have since fixed it my openings are much better now). but I have had some nasty line twists but am extremely glad i have the larger canopy. It also gives me the opportunity to learn to swoop with and without my WS since that is where i am. I have taken the slipstream corse and speak to the guys all the time. One thing that they have told me over and over again is you can swoop anything it just depends on how good your fundamentals are (im sure their is more to it but i'm learning). So in my opinion if you like the storm i would play it safe and get the 120 you will still be able to get a powerful swoop out of it and you will be more safe with a more forgiving canopy. In the end you are going to have to sacrifice on heading forgiving openings or swoop power and i personally would give up swoop power for a more on heading forgiving opening any day. thats the 2 cents of a learning jumper so take it as you wish Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DoZ3r 0 #7 March 2, 2012 QuoteQuoteHi, I'm considering buying a Storm for wingsuiting and ideally I would like to load it between 1.5 - 1.7, which would correspond to Storm 120 or 107 as I'm 180lbs exit. I want to get some more swooping power and still have good on heading, forgiving openings. I jumped a Storm 150 with 1.2 WL during my first WS flight course and openings were straight on heading even though my body position sucked - when I switched to a Saffire2 139 afterwards, I got linetwists every time. Anyone wingsuiting a Storm with WL like that who could share their experiences? What WL / size I should be aiming for to get the best of it in both openings and swooping? Ask around CReW dogs. I think they are jumping Storm over and beyond WL 2.0. Good luck with that! Sounds like the team I'm video'ing (amongst many other..) They jump 107 @ around 2.1, and i chase with a 97 @1.9-2.0 But for wingsuiting... I would not go that high... There is not that much range at that wingload... But it sure flies down!If everything seems under control.. You're just not going fast enough..! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,651 #8 March 2, 2012 QuoteHi, I'm considering buying a Storm for wingsuiting and ideally I would like to load it between 1.5 - 1.7, which would correspond to Storm 120 or 107 as I'm 180lbs exit. I want to get some more swooping power and still have good on heading, forgiving openings. I jumped a Storm 150 with 1.2 WL during my first WS flight course and openings were straight on heading even though my body position sucked - when I switched to a Saffire2 139 afterwards, I got linetwists every time. Anyone wingsuiting a Storm with WL like that who could share their experiences? What WL / size I should be aiming for to get the best of it in both openings and swooping? I jump a Storm135 with exit weight 175, and coming up on 2,700 jumps. Good WS canopy but I wouldn't want to go smaller. If you want to swoop I suggest to do it on your own dedicated pass with other swoopers.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
morris 0 #9 March 3, 2012 I jump a Storm loaded 1.6 for dedicated recreational CRW in the first place. And its very fine with me/for me to use it on wingsuit jumps as well. Having said that, you should know that I broke Jays CP FAI-SpeedWorldRecord in 2008, loosing it later on to Greg Windmiller. I´ve also set the european record for CP speed and hold the national german records in speed and distance. I´ve set at least one CP record in speed or distance for the last five years in a row, every year. I got thousands of jumps on sub 100sgft x-braced canopies and - as I´m a heavy guy - I´m jumping loadings of 2.7 on a very regular basis. I´ve also XRW-experience, flying loadings of 3.2. If you got similar canopy skills - go for it! But keep in mind that I´m heavier than you are. Therefore I´m loading a larger sized Storm at 1.6, compared to the size you´ll have to be jumping to load it 1.6. As a smaller wing will handle the same loading not as well, expect the flight caracteristics to be a bit more demanding, compared to what I have to handle. So if your canopy skills are better than mine - go for it! But I guess that´s unlikely as I didn´t meet you at the PD BigBoyPants worldrecordbreaking invitational event... Sorry man, I for sure didn´t wanna sound rude or unfriendly. I just had to write those lines now as I´m just so tired of guys asking for more swooping power by higher loadings. And this isn´t even just for safety reasons. Can you fly/swoop a Storm at 1.4 to the maximum of the canopies abilities? Or at least 60 or 70% of that/those? With a bigger wing you will not just learn safer, but faster as well! Improving is all about your technique, not about higher loadings (at least not before you are a long way down the road). The latest swoopwing I´ve added to my arsenal was a bigger one... my recommendation if you decided to downsize: check out a Storm 135, you´ll love it! Hope that helps... take care... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #10 March 3, 2012 I would second what Morris just told you above. While I don't have any CP records under my belt, I have been jumping different sizes of the Storm before it was generally available to the public. I currently jump the 97 Storm in the WL you are asking about for wingsuiting and general skydiving, prior to that I was jumping a Katana, since right before they came out. Like others have already said here, I would recommend that you stay with a larger sized canopy at a lower WL for awhile longer, especially if you're going to continue wingsuiting, as you will find yourself potentially landing out or in less than ideal post opening situations as you continue to fly your suit. If swooping is what you really want to do, then focus on that first until you figure it out and then add it as something you also do when you are landing after wingsuiting. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen someone try to learn and do both at the same time before they were dialed in or had enough experience to do both safely together. It inevitably ends in some scary canopy stories and or an unexpected impact with the earth, and in most cases, they had received plenty of warning from others with far more time and experience, so all I can say is I hope you take to heart what everyone here has offered you and make a wise decision to stay at a lower WL and continue flying with the flock. "It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Electronaut 0 #11 March 3, 2012 QuoteAnd I can swoop em just fine. No they're not exactly a hot swoop ride but a decent pilot can swoop anything and just so long as you limit your expectations, a Sabre at 1.3 swoops fine. Not far, but fine... IIRC (as it was before my time) Scott Miller took a PD Navigator to a swoop contest and didn't place last. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
