What whould you get for your first rig

[tsonka 0]

I have kinda been looking around for what to expect when I get my first rig and have another question.

First off money plays a factor here... I refuse to go into debt so I have limited cash funds and have looked at things 2 ways.

1. complete used gear, something newer ( less then 5 years old)

2. New container / harness and cypress. 2 used canpoys.

My thought with the new container / harness is that new has got to be safer due to less use and being made to fit me. That and 99.9% of the used reserves I have seen have zero jumps.


And at what point ... number of jumps / age .... are alot for a used canopy / rig

[AggieDave 6]

1) Talk to your instructors about exactly what gear you should be buying for your experience level.

2) You can get used container's harnesses resized at the factory for not too much money.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[ScottMcC 0]

I went with new custom container, new reserve, new cypres, used main. it got me through my first 2.5 years in the sport, and I got decent money when I sold it. used rigs are much harder to sell when you're the second owner, ya know?

[tsonka 0]

Yea Aggiedave I know.. not beign sarcastic either, I honestly understand the importance of talking to instructor.

I just have 50million questions running through my head and enjoy asking questions / finding out information (that is questions I honestly have and not just pulling things out of my ass) :)

[TALONSKY 0]

Something to keep in mind is most people will down size a couple times in the first few years. Most rigs can only truely handle three canopy sizes the one it was made for and one bigger ( a real pain to pack though) and one size smaller. Most jumpers will not know if they are going to be down sizing or not (it kind of depends on alot of things). Anyway, the point being if you buy used then you can resale it and not lose alot of money. I personally would suggest buying used and in a year or two getting a new rig(by then you should have an idea of what you want)
Kirk

[op5e 0]

A summary of my experience buying my first rig.

Take everything below with a grain of salt because I don’t know anything and I wouldn’t trust what I say. Ask your instructor. I would suggest you read the article about buying your first rig before you read mine as I have written this more as a FAQ (or more showing my ignorance when I was buying) than a guide as such. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/safety/detail_page.cgi?ID=46

Buying your first rig is like buying your first motorbikes the learner rigs go quickly and the good deals are harder to find because more people looking for similar things. Depending on the market in your area there may not be a great selection, in this case be patient, drop your standards or get new gear.

Quote

Example: Mirage G3 M6. DOM 12-2000, bought new 07-2002. Main PD Spectre 190 approx 65 jumps, bought new 08-2003. Reserve PD193, 2 saves. AAD Cypress Expert never fired, 2 yr service 07-2004. Container has approx 130 jumps and main had about 65. Everything looks and performs like new. Good for someone between 180-220 lbs, 5'9"-6'3". Muscular, lard or combination. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=18616&d=1

Container. When looking for a container you need to find one that fits your current body shape and the canopy you want. Ask to try on your friends rigs, and go to a shop and try on their rigs to see which is the most comfortable. Ask the seller what size the person jumping the rig is and see if this matches your dimensions. Of course Aggiedave’s suggestion of having the manufacturer to resize is a great one, could anyone tell me what extremes they can work with.

Some people will fall in love with a specific brand but as long as it suits your needs and is safe its all good. If you think you will be doing freefly soon you should find a rig that is freefly friendly.

Size of canopy the container can hold. The manufactures website is a fantastic resource and make sure you go there often to answer any questions you have. Like in the above add, I would go to the Mirage website (press gear – container – mirage) and read up about the features of a Mirage G3. The M6 is the container size so you can find out what canopies it can fit by looking at their website. In the above example I would guess the main would be nice to pack but the reserve says it is a snug fit (I would have been thinking if they were both snug). Some container sizing also can be used to work out if the rig will fit someone of your size/build.
http://www.miragesys.com/DesignOrder/SizingGuideByContainer.aspx?Prod=2

Buying new or buying used. I personally bought second hand because I do not care what my container looks like (even though it is great). And I expect that as a student I will give it a few knocks anyways. Also I knew that after I get about 200+ jumps I might then consider buying new gear and may have to buy a new container to fit the canopy. Only thing about buying second hand reserves, I normally checked the repack dates to see if it was repacked regularly. If it was not safe the rigger would not pass it, so new or used I do not see safety as being a reason. Some people find the perfect rig but it is pink but hey its your first rig, and it beat a rental.

Canopy. Ask your instructor what canopy you need. Basically you want to find a canopy that is the correct performance for your skill and the correct size. Read manufacturers websites and reviews of canopies and make sure you ask your instructor what they recommend for your skill set.

Quote

The number of jumps on a piece of equipment can tell you how much useful life is left in it. A ZP main parachute can still be flying like new after 1000 jumps, while an F111 constructed main is just about a car cover by then. The ZP fabric has proven so durable it's not unusual to see canopies that have been relined two or three times and are still flying fine.http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/safety/detail_page.cgi?ID=46

Only other thing is to buy a complete rig or the parts. Depends if you can get everything that suits you. No use getting a container and main that is perfect but the reserve is not right. Talk with the sellers and think of the options you have (resell main etc..). I am a lazy sod so I was patient and waited till I found a complete rig that suited my criteria.

Things I looked for in an advert.
Container brand, model, dom, jump#, size, jumpers size that jumped it (if container size doesnt answer this). Main canopy brand, model, size, dom, jump#. Reserve brand, model, size, repack consistency, jump#. Cypres and its service dates etc.. If the advert does not answer any of these questions I would ask the seller, but also do some research yourself and see if the answers can be found on the manufacturers page.

So am I smoking too much? Please correct any mistakes anyone.

[Canuck 0]

As many people have said there is lots to consider, but I would like to point out that as far as "safe" goes, don't get hung up on new. A reserve is a canopy, kinda like any other canopy only generally built stronger. Having a jump or two on it doesn't make it un-safe. BASE jumpers put hundreds of jumps on a canopy that is almost exactly like a reserve. As for the harness - same thing, they can last thousands of jumps. I would not recommend anybody who is on a budget buy new for a first rig.

Canuck

[darkwing 4]

get a used cypres, get a used rig, get a used main, get a used reserve. Judicious shopping should get you into suitable gear for a reasonable price. There is a good buyers market out there. As said above, used does not mean that safety is compromised. Also, as said above, you will probably put 100-200 jumps on the main and want something different anyway.

Get a new jumpsuit. Get a used altimeter &/or audible. Get a used helmet (and paint it your colors).

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[mnealtx 0]

Get ANY used canopies/containers checked out by your friendly local rigger, too!

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[windcatcher 0]

Hi tsonka!
I just ordered a brand new Wings container to fit me exactly. I have a used cypres, reserve, and still looking for my main. I really didn't want the hassle of finding a used container, and it was uncomfortable moving around the plane w/ a huge student rig and too tight jumpsuit, so I ordered a container.
Depending on if I buy this canopy, I will have spent less than $2000 on my first rig, not including reserve pack and cypres servicing. I tried finding a complete system, but in reality, I think I got a pretty sweet deal buying pieces separately.

good luck on the "Great Search" for your first rig

Mother to the cutest little thing in the world...

[DancingFlame 0]

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