Should I buy it

[lifes2short 0]

I am new just got my A license. I am 190lb and have been jumping a 9 cell 200 Navigator and landing fine. I now have a chance to buy a 7cell 180sqft aerodyne triathalon. If a dolphin container with a 200sqft reserve for a $1000. Canopy is like new and container is in excellent condition. Needs a AAD and a reserve repack because it has been 4 years. For a first rig what do you think. I am interested in experiment with freeflying but plan on upgrading before really getting in to it because i know dolphins are not the right rig to be freeflying in. Tried to put chute in student rig but RSL is on the opposite side. The riggger inspected it with me. The chute was made in 96 and the tag says 180sqft. Just interested on what your thoughts our.

[catfishhunter 1]

Talk to your instructor and take the Rig to a Rigger to inspect it. You don't have to jump the Tri you should be able to put a bigger canopy in that container but your rigger will be able to answer that.

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
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[councilman24 36]

Something is wrong.

Triathlon comes in 175 and 190 sq. ft. Not 180.

While a lot of us got away with it for a long time some our friends didn't. DON'T "experiment" with freeflying with a rig not suitable. It can kill.

190lbs means that you weigh 220 or so out the door. As you search for and look at wingloading it's 220/size, not 190/size. 180 (or 175) is kind of small to start with. I'll let others explain. Remember your student jumps and landings were done under ideal conditions with others looking out for you. Either directly or indirectly.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[377 20]

I got back into jumping after laying off for a while and wanted to start with a used 170. I weighed about 190. A wise man refused to sell me the 170, told me to go really big for at least 30 jumps and then work down in small increments. I started with a Fury 220 and ended up with a Triathlon 190, which has proven to be a fine conservative canopy. If yours is labeled 180 it isnt a Triathlon (unless they once made custom sizes?). Whatever you do, talk with your jumpmaster and rigger before buying or using this rig. I thought I knew what I was doing trying to start with a 170, but I was wrong. Also, don't do any radical turns in the Triathlon until you really know the canopy. On my first jump with my Tri I opened on heading at 3500 ft (last jumper out of a Cessna), yanked hard on a toggle and spun up some line twists really quickly. No prob high up, I just let up on the toggle and kicked them out, but you wouldn't want to have this happen at lower altitudes. Triathlons are really great conservative canopies in my opinion. They are Volvos not Porsches though. If yours does not have the latest mods get them as flare is really improved. If you have the old super skinny lines (used on some Triathlons in the 90s) replace them with a new line set. It took me several incidents with broken lines before I saw the light. My lines were not worn, looked new, just too small or weak. The speed loss with thicker lines was not even noticeable to me (a non swooper).

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[bwilling 0]

Quote

I am interested in experiment with freeflying but plan on upgrading before really getting in to it because i know dolphins are not the right rig to be freeflying in.

Mike Fury at Altico (the manufacturer) will update the older Dolphins to the current configuration, over the shoulder tuck tab riser covers, and tuck tab reserve flap, for a pretty reasonable price. It's not exactly cheap, but neither is purchasing another harness and container later.

If the rig's in good shape and fits you well, it's an option if you want to learn to freefly in it...

"If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."