FALLINGORFLYING 0 #1 March 18, 2006 HOW SAFE IS A PARATEC RIG? RECENTLY BOUGHT ONE BECAUSE A FRIEND IS A DEALER. I HAVE BEEN HEARING SOME NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LATELY. ANYONE HAVE SOME INSIGHT FOR A NEXT CENTURY PARATEC RIG? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slotperfect 7 #2 March 18, 2006 Psst! Typing in all caps is like shouting in the forums. Arrive Safely John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhys 0 #3 March 19, 2006 I jump a Next tandem and compared to the vector2 tandem it seems much better? All tuck flaps instead of velcro, nicer harness and looks like a sport (student) rig. I havn't heard of any problems and have seen a few sporty nexts come through the d.z. i dont like that funny material though. looks like fish net stockings."When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyflyerh 0 #4 March 19, 2006 I am waiting on my new next rig and i haven't heard anything bad about them. Will you let me know what it is you've heard? Have you had any problems with it? Iwas originally going for wings but a faulty batch arrived at the DZ and when im packing them i find them very tight so when it came to buying a rig I got a great price on the Paratec and went for that as I couldn't find any bad write ups on them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FALLINGORFLYING 0 #5 March 20, 2006 THE REVIEWS I HAVE HEARD HAVE BEEN VERY VAGUE, REGARDING SAFETY AND DURABILITY. SOME HAVE BEEN DECIDELY NEGATIVE THOUGH. WONDERING IF I WAS "HAD", OR IF THEY ARE JUST RUMORS. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phoenixlpr 0 #6 March 20, 2006 Would you please stop yelling here? Writting in all caps is not polite. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TrickyDicky 0 #7 March 20, 2006 My friend had a collapsible pilot chute with a kill line that was too short, causing him to have hesitant openings. He was using it for > 100 jumps till he found out. UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rigger_john 0 #8 March 20, 2006 Stefen Earler, the owner of Paratec, is one of the most approchable people I have ever met. I belive you can contact him through dropzone.com. As for the safety of his rigs, they are one of the few sports rigs that are built to the TSO C23 d catogory. I personaly belive that, most rigs are much the same these days when it comes to safety and build quality, but I would choose a next sports rig, except we don't get very good deals on them in the UK._________________________________________ Nullius in Verba Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
domFF 0 #9 March 20, 2006 There are 2 rigs manufactured in Germany: The Omega made by Performance Variable and the Next made by Paratec. The Omega was grounded for some weeks in 2005 due to some incidents where a flap caught a line. A friend of mine survived with minor injuries and a french guy died. There haven't been any safety related issues on the Next or any other product made by Paratec here in Germany. Maybe someone mixed it up because both rigs are manufactured in Germany. I would not recommend the Omega but the Next is a good and safe piece of work. Dom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyflyerh 0 #10 March 20, 2006 Are Paratec rigs available through thomas sports in the uk under the name of viper or is tat a roumor? If so has anybody any bad info on the viper. I just heard that the delay is on new rigs is because the containers are made in the UK and sold by paratec in the Germany as Next? Anyone? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brabzzz 0 #11 March 20, 2006 As far as i can gather, a Viper is just a slightly pimped up TSE Teardop SF. They also make the normal SF, the Zerox and probably the classic TD too. Paratec make the Next, which is to all extents an purposes a Zerox . There is some partnership between the two companies but i'm not sure of its nature. edited to add: there, all on 1 page... http://www.my-skyworld.de/catalog/index.php?cPath=21&osCsid=390b0e3a6451d8555efe2c331399ea6a --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BBKid 0 #12 March 21, 2006 As far as I know, the Next container is made by Thomas Sports in the UK under licence, then shipped to Germany for the harness and some other bits to be added. I'm not sure of the differences in the harness itself, but the container is essentially the same as a TSE Zerox, albeit with a slightly modified main pin cover flap. In my opinion, when people give others vague reports about poor durability, it's usually because they don't bother to take care of their rigs. Nick --------------------------- "I've pierced my foot on a spike!!!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FALLINGORFLYING 0 #13 March 21, 2006 Well I am a little shocked to find out the rig is manufactured in the uk. I think the supposed problems are having to do with the omega incidents. If anyone else has any insight, would be helpful. Cheers. Ps. Thanks for the grammerical tips in the forum, VERY USEFUL. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rigger_john 0 #14 March 21, 2006 QuoteAre Paratec rigs available through thomas sports in the uk under the name of viper or is tat a roumor? If so has anybody any bad info on the viper. I just heard that the delay is on new rigs is because the containers are made in the UK and sold by paratec in the Germany as Next? Anyone? No the Viper is a redesign of the tear drop SF. The first one was made by and for Rich Aveyard while he was working at TSE towards his riggers rating. Rich works at hibaldstow in the UK and I'm sure he could tell you lots about the viper. The next container systems are indeed made at TSE then shipped without the harness to Paratec. IIRC,That has something to do with keeping the German "TSO" valid as the harrnes has to put on by the designated manufacture, in this case paratec._________________________________________ Nullius in Verba Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marcin 0 #15 March 23, 2006 I've been jumping a Next for several years, after owning a Javelin (which I hated) and a Vector. This is the safest rig AFAIK for freeflying in terms of everything staying shut. You can actually lift the rig by the bottom flap without undoing it, due to unique closing method. Riser covers are impossible to get undone in freefall (except when it comes to actual deployment, of course ). Design of yoke prevents the harness from slipping off your shoulders (OK, a bit of gym and wide shoulders helps too ). Only issue I had, was poor quality webbing on the harness, i.e fraying on the leg straps and the thread coming loose on some parts of the container. Also, on a couple of ocasions I felt uneven in the harness during deployment and thought this could be due to one riser cover staing shut in the initial phase of deployment, but I never got to the bottom of it (potential disadvantage of bomb-proof closing method) I wonder if we know eachother? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
