Canopy size for coming back into the sport

[SPAWNmaster 0]

Hey Guys. Looking to tap the collective wisdom of the community here. After taking a small break from skydiving (last jumped in August) I am looking to get back into the sport.

I am wondering how to ease back into canopy flight and what sort of sized canopy to invest in since I will be purchasing a new rig when the time is right.

I was very current on a Stiletto 135 before I quit and my last few jumps were on a Crossfire 2 119 (at a 1.25 WL) before I finally stopped jumping.

Obviously, it's better to err on the side of safety and go bigger but I would rather not have to buy multiple canopies to slowly downsize from, say 160 back down to 135 where I was most comfortable.

Would it be out of line to just put a few recurrency jumps on a borrowed rig in the 150/160 range and simply buy a Sabre 2 135 for my new canopy?

My exit weight was previously 150 and if anything has probably gone down since August. I was previously very focused on canopy control and consider myself to be a heads up and safety oriented jumper.

Looking for opinions.

Thanks!

[tetra316 0]

It's hard to say since we don't know what type of canopy pilot you were before. It certainly can't hurt to put a dozen or so jumps on a 150, try to go for differing conditions such as high winds and no wind. Get your bearings back and get comfortable. Then see where you are at and maybe borrow a 135 for a few jumps to decide.

With just 200 jumps your time off (even if just 7 months) really is a much longer time than it sounds. The fewer jumps you have, the more the time between jumps is magnified. You just don't have the natural instincts from repetitive activities built in yet.

[mjosparky 3]

You didn’t mention why you quit for 7 months, does it have anything to with landing a parachute? Just my opinion but a really smart thing would be to buy a 150 and jump it until you can’t get anything more out of it. If you friends rag you for jumping a “sled” ask if you can be on their ash dive.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[SPAWNmaster 0]

Fair enough, thanks for the replies. I'm thinking I'll probably go for a 150 something and stick with that for a while and if it's really so necessary for me to downsize at that point I can always get a new canopy.

The reason I took a break was because of a lifechange...ie I finished college, was in the middle of planning my wedding, working on starting my career and also moved from New York to Boston. Too much going on at one time to stay current. Now that we're finally settled in Boston and I have more time on my hands I'm making a plan for a return to skydiving.

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

Now that we're finally settled in Boston and I have more time on my hands I'm making a plan for a return to skydiving.

Your new bride will take care of that problem.

Good luck starting you new life.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Andy9o8 0]

Quote

Quote

Now that we're finally settled in Boston and I have more time on my hands I'm making a plan for a return to skydiving.

Your new bride will take care of that problem.

Took the words right outta my mouth.
OP: take my advice - get your jumps in now, before your wife gets pregnant with Kid #1. Once that happens, especially if she's a whuffo, you just might find yourself taking a hiatus from jumping measured in years, not months.

[JohnMitchell 14]

Always marry a jumper.

Four kids, still jumping.

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

Always marry a jumper.

Four kids, still jumping.

John, you are a lucky man.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[elightle 8]

Quote

Quote

Always marry a jumper.

Four kids, still jumping.

John, you are a lucky man.

Sparky

Took the words right out of my mouth