Safire2 149 or Sabre2 150

[lazaryu 0]

I am thinking of bying new canopy so i need your opinion.
Can somebody who jumped these canopies help me.
Thanks!

[MB38 0]

I dunno, which do you like more? Which suits your flying better?

I really don't know what I'm talking about.

[DougH 270]

Why don't you demo all three, the safire2, the sabre2, and a pilot.
I have flown all three but it was at different loadings on each so I don't think I can offer you any useful feedback.

I wish they had all opened a little quicker, but maybe that was due to a lighter loading.
I had a chance to jump a smaller pilot than my original 168 and the openings were much faster an more to my liking. I wish I never jumped it though, now both of my 170's feel like sky slugs.

For now I jump a hornet while I am trying to sell my pilot, and I wish it opened a little slower. Go figure.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[phoenixlpr 0]

The big question is what are you looking for?

I have a Pilot 150. It is good for almost everything except serious swooping.

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

Like some have said, it can depend on what you're looking for in a canopy.

However, I'd go with the Sabre2. IMO, PD canopies have always had one great quality across all their brands and each brand's flight charcteristic... they all "Land"... which, ultimately is what you want a parachute for, to land you safely so you can jump again and drink beer at the end of the day.

Anyway, just my 2 cents. Others have / will be along with other advise.

[DougH 270]

So the PD label adds some sort of a mystical quality to the Saber2? Of the three I liked it the least, it dove more in turns and was more fun to fly, but I could get my bedsheet to open on heading more times in a row than the saber2!!

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[mnskydiver688 0]

oh come on that makes it interesting. Plus I would always deploy so it would then turn me into the wind.

Sky Canyon Wingsuiters

[DougH 270]

turn you into the wind? You are joking right? The canopy doesn't care what the uppers are doing.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

Quote

...I could get my bedsheet to open on heading more times in a row than the saber2!!

Must be body position.

[mnskydiver688 0]

well as long as you discuss the uppers with your sabre then there shouldn't be any confusion... plan the dive, dive the plan.

Sky Canyon Wingsuiters

[MedicJumper 0]

had a safire2 149 for approx. 175 jumps. Was quite happy with it... wrote a review at the time and still believe all of it. It's a great intermediate canopy. It snivels a lot and it's not very ground hungry so you've got to decide what you plan on using it for. General fun canopy - check! Swooping... well, it's a great learning canopy but you'll get tired of it after a few hundred jumps.

As far as the Sabre2, sorry... I've demoed it for maybe 10 jumps so I'm no pro at it. Found the flare a little less powerful than the safire but just as fun to fly... openings a little snappier but nowhere near as bad as the original sabre. PD definitely has a good reputation in the industry so I'd say you wouldn't go wrong either way.

My best advice really is that you should a) be certain what you're going to be using your canopy for, b) try a demo of every model you wanna consider (if that's feasible) and c)please, please, please don't try to go too small too fast! It's one of the most common 200jump skydiver mistake.

hope that helps.

Somewhere, someone is training when you are not. When you race him, you will loose.

[pincheck 0]

why not See if you can demo them both see which one presses the right buttons for you as we all have different opinions on what we like but it may not be right for you

Billy-Sonic Haggis Flickr-Fun

[damion75 0]

Quote

So the PD label adds some sort of a mystical quality to the Saber2? Of the three I liked it the least, it dove more in turns and was more fun to fly, but I could get my bedsheet to open on heading more times in a row than the saber2!!

Is that a bedsheet 150 or a bedsheet 170? The openings are great, but I think that they are quite ground hungry, particularly in the smaller sizes. Flare isn't great either.

***************

Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.

[NeedToJump 0]

Quote

So the PD label adds some sort of a mystical quality to the Saber2?

There's nothing mystical about it, but in order to get the PD label on its side a canopy has to go through tons and tons of R&D and testing. By the time a canopy goes from an idea to getting the PD label on the side you can be pretty confident that it's going to be a safe and reliable, almost mystical canopy . Whether it's what you personally are looking for is obviously up to you.

I agree with ZZM, I love PD canopies and love the way they land. I've demoed a lot of canopies but have only ever owned PD.

To the OP - Safire2, Sabre2 and Pilot are all good canopies. Demo them all and see which you prefer.

Wind Tunnel and Skydiving Coach http://www.ariperelman.com

[xjumprjosh 0]

Quote

So the PD label adds some sort of a mystical quality to the Saber2? Of the three I liked it the least, it dove more in turns and was more fun to fly, but I could get my bedsheet to open on heading more times in a row than the saber2!!

Don't believe that the Sabre2 opens on heading? Check out a video my buddy made.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJLfhB9akJI

[bigway 4]

I owned a Sabre 2 150 a few years ago. Bought it brand new. I then demoed a Safire 2 139 after 80 jumps and loved it so much more that i purchased a safire 2 129.

The sabre 2 was heavy, the safire 2 has lighter toggles and risers. So much more fun in the sky as well. I finally felt with the safire that i was flying the canopy and was not scared of canopy ride anymore.

As far as I am concerned the Safire 2 is 100% better and more fun than the Sabre 2.

Saying that though, I have never owned a pilot but this canopy is in the same league as a safire and sabre so is well worth a demo and consideration.

With my sabre 2 i always had 180 to 360 degree off heading openings. With my safire it is perfect everytime.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[phoenixlpr 0]

Quote

Don't believe that the Sabre2 opens on heading? Check out a video my buddy made....

That canopy? So? Hundreds of them are sold per year. Why do you think that one would make any difference?

edit: Ops. wrong clipboard...

[riggerrob 558]

I have made a few jumps all four canopies.
They are all good canopies, however I have SLIGHT preference for the lighter toggle pressure on the Safire. If a Safire requires me to flare deeper than other models, ho hum!!!

[lilchief 0]

Quote

The big question is what are you looking for?

I've demoed Both the canopies in question, and Pilot.

The pilot is a nice canopy, doesn't do anything else then what you¨re telling it to do. you may train on hookturns on it, but no swooptoy as mentioned. I've jumped 210, 188, 168 and 150.

The sabre2 however has plenty of flare IMO. The openings to me have been variable(on/off heading, fast/sweet opening), but overall good. I've loaded it 1,0 - 1,1 - and 1,25 ( 210,190,170). By all means, it's not a bad canopy.

I only did 5 jumps on a Safire 159 at 1,3 lb/sqf. I would recommend the canopy for what it is. It's really fisty and fast, but I didn't try to swoop on it. However, think it has the same flare as the Sabre2. BUT, I've got the impressiong that Icarus sux in customer service and price them selves way high when it comes to do any service on the lines or canopy.

Then again: what are your needs and where do you want to go?

If it's learning how to hookturn and swoop you're after: Safire2 then sabre 2. you can go for the pilot but it'll just die on you half way on the flare.

Just a canopy to enjoy: Pilot/sabre2 then safire2. go for price and delivery time.

Stay safe and don't rush the Hooks. land safely first!

"Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci
www.lilchief.no

[DougH 270]

Quote

If it's learning how to hookturn and swoop you're after: Safire2 then sabre 2. you can go for the pilot but it'll just die on you half way on the flare!

Do you mean it runs out of flare in your opinion?

It is really amusing how subjective canopy flight is. I have jumped a 150 pilot loaded about 1.25 and pilot 140 loaded at 1.35 for the past couple of jumps. I found the pilot 140 to have tons of bottom end flare.

Definetly not a swoop monster, but I got pretty long surfs on it doing straight in approaches and double fronts.

I would be happy to jump all three in a 150 or 140 any day of the week!

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[Freefly710 0]

i like them all...they are all great wings. i choose the sabre2 because i like the llighter front riser pressure and longer recovery arc for learning to swoop.
and..i can make my sabre2 open better than any pilot or safire ive ever jumped..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJLfhB9akJI

[jacketsdb23 45]

I have put about 150 jumps on a safire2 159 (loaded 1.3) and liked it alot. I am used to the flare (deeper in toggles than the sabre2). My buddy went from his sabre2 and jumped my safire and hated the openings and flare.

I jumped a sabre2 and hated the openings and the flare.

My safire 159 took a loooooong time to open. I was ok with that. The sabre2 opened quicker, but was by no means hard. I always had off heading openings with the sabre2. Only every once in a while with the safire2.

I think if you jump both (10 jumps or so a piece) you'll get a feel for the different characteristics of each.

Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen
God is Good
Beer is Great
Swoopers are crazy.

[Elisha 1]

People who whine about Sabre2 openings should jump the original Sabre...without a pocket on the slider.

I have no problem with my Sabre.....but it is a 120 which doesn't open as hard as larger sizes.

[phoenixlpr 0]

Quote

People who whine about Sabre2 openings should jump the original Sabre...without a pocket on the slider.

Do you think that the fact that you may have canopy with even worst opening makes you feel better?

There are canopies with better opening and no packing tricks required.

[dragon2 0]

Quote

People who whine about Sabre2 openings should jump the original Sabre...without a pocket on the slider.

I have no problem with my Sabre.....but it is a 120 which doesn't open as hard as larger sizes.

I've jumped original sabres who opened better than some of the sabre2's we had on our DZ. Some sabre2's frankly open like sh*t. The sabre 150 I had opened as soft as my spectre did. And my current sabre 120 opens way too hard for me, let alone for jumping cameras. With or without packing tricks and slider mods. And I'm used to Lightnings too.

Moral of the story: jump the exact same canopy you want to buy before you buy it!

ciel bleu,
Saskia