How cheap is too cheap?

[Bodhisattva420 0]

I was just wondering how cheap is too cheap when purchasing a used rig? I have $1200 saved up to spend on skydiving. Should i spend the money on student jumps using rental gear? or should I buy a cheap used rig and pay less to jump?

This is a link to one of the rigs I was looking at($850)
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=82963;d=1

[JohnDeere 0]

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I was just wondering how cheap is too cheap when purchasing a used rig? I have $1200 saved up to spend on skydiving. Should i spend the money on student jumps using rental gear? or should I buy a cheap used rig and pay less to jump?

This is a link to one of the rigs I was looking at($850)
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=82963;d=1

Nothing opens like a Deere!

You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers!

[freeatlast 0]

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I was just wondering how cheap is too cheap when purchasing a used rig? I have $1200 saved up to spend on skydiving. Should i spend the money on student jumps using rental gear? or should I buy a cheap used rig and pay less to jump?

Hi there - and welcome to a lifetime of zero cash

In answer to what should you spend and what is too cheap i think you have to look at the following points:-

Why is the rig cheap in the first place?

- cheaper gear is usually old gear with high jump numbers

- now in some cases this is perfectly OK because the gear is SAFE. In some cases the gear is worn out and at the end of it's useful life - as a beginner you need to get a rigger to inspect the gear as you are unlikely to be able to make that decision for yourself.

It may be that the gear is perfectly ok for flat flying but is not freefly friendly - in which case you need to make sure that you are happy to do the next X jumps on your belly!

- Sometimes older gear can be an absolute bargain - there are fashions in skydiving like any other sport and non-fashionable gear brands in non-fashionable colours can sometimes be a steal - but again with anything that is less well known you need to speak to an instructor or rigger to make sure that it's ok for you.

The alternative is to hire gear - which may be the safer option but the trade off is that you will still have to buy gear at some point.

Some gear stores will offset some or all of your rental payments against a purchase... (We offer this in the UK)

Or you may want to see if you can either get an interest free credit card or a small loan (if you are comfortable with the repayments) to increase your budget - or maybe consider doing some packing at the DZ?

It's amazing what spending $2500 will get you compared with $1200.

Anyhow good luck with your search and remember to check any prospective purchase with your instructors or a rigger (or both).

[DougH 270]

Often rental gear is from the same era as the cheaper gear for sale. Older containers that are safe but not freefly friendly, older canopies that get you to the ground but aren't cutting edge.

Nothing wrong with buying older gear that is SAFE and APPROPRIATE for your experince with the right sized reserve and main.

When you are ready to upgrade you can sell older gear for close to what you bought it for.

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

[davelepka 4]

An older F-111 canopy like a PD190 is not going to perform very well. It will land like shit, but on the plus side it wil be easy to pack.

Here's my thoughts - you can spend $1200 in one day on a rig, but it will take a lot longer to spend that on jumps. If you do buya rig for $1200m you still need jump money, so maybe try looking for some slightly better gear, but buy it in pieces, and keep renting/jumping as you go.

Start by looking for a container and reserve. If you can get that part taken care of, you might be able to find a main you can borrow or rent from another jumper. The larger type of main you would need is exactly what many jumpers have sitting in their closets.

Buying a rig is a big expense, but only the first time. Once you have that first rig, you can sell what you have to pay for upgrades. If you get a nice first rig together, you'll be able to sell it and finance most of your next rig, so you only have to come up with the big lump sum the first time.

If you go with a rig like the one you linked to, that might be the end of line for that rig. In another couple of years and 100 jumps, that rig may be unsellable, so your $850 is gone. If you put together a nicer, more modern rig for $2000, you can probably sell it for $1800 when you're done with it (maybe even $2000).

Keep in mind I'm not talking about new and pretty with stainless harware, but just better than what you showed. You should be able to get a freefly friendly container and a newer reserve for $1200 or $1500. Figure another $500 or so for a main, and you'll have a solid rig that's not just 'getting you by'.

[MarkM 0]

A "great beginner rig" usually isn't so great. It's basically a phrase that translates to say that the gear is worthless, except to a beginner.

Nothing wrong with older gear, I mean, it's not like gear has changed much in the last 10 years. But you'd be much better off buying gear with a better resale.

[riggerrob 561]

Even if someone offers you a great deal on used gear, float it past local riggers and instructors before putting any money down.
It is only a great deal if the canopies are big enough and docile enough to keep you out of the hospital.
Also ask local riggers if they like packing that model.
And ask them if spare parts are readily available.

[freeatlast 0]

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A "great beginner rig" usually isn't so great. It's basically a phrase that translates to say that the gear is worthless, except to a beginner.

Nothing wrong with older gear, I mean, it's not like gear has changed much in the last 10 years. But you'd be much better off buying gear with a better resale.

Exactly - sometimes you can spend $1200 on a rig and in a year it could be worth next to nothing so you've spent $1200 and you've got little chance of seeing your money (plus a lot of hassle trying to re-sell it)

But if you spent $2500 - $3000 and put 100 jumps on the system and kept it in good condition you find that it's still worth 80-90% of what you paid and it's relatively easy to resell again.

The first set of gear is usually the hardest one to buy for most people as they've usually spent a bundle on getting their licence.

We have a system where people buy their first rig from us and we swap their canopy after about 150 - 200 jumps when they are ready to downsize which works quite well as everyone knows the costs up front.

[BIGUN 1,075]

Student Jumps while learning as much as you can about gear.
Then, you can make an educated decision about a gear purchase when you're off student status.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[377 21]

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A "great beginner rig" usually isn't so great. It's basically a phrase that translates to say that the gear is worthless, except to a beginner.

Nothing wrong with older gear, I mean, it's not like gear has changed much in the last 10 years. But you'd be much better off buying gear with a better resale.

I agree. When I got back into jumping in 1999 after a several year layoff I was able to buy an old but serviceable very clean Vector with a leg strap pilot chute pouch, a Fury 220 main and a Raven reserve all for $350. It had no AAD and the rig was a Vector V9 which had reserve pack tray too narrow for a Cypres to fit.

I had a rigger check it all out and add an RSL and convert the pilot chute to BOC. I was in business for well under $500. It was dumb jumping without an AAD but nothing bad happened. I loved jumping again and soon bought a decent rig.

In hindsight I should have bought a good rig with an AAD. If I had to wait to afford it so be it. Old rigs have just about zero resale value. I was lucky and sold my Raven reserve for $400 and upgraded to a PDR 193. I doubt if I could get that much for a Raven reserve today. The other stuff: Fury 220 (actually a nice flying canopy) and old Vector has almost no resale value. If you add up reserve repacks I'd have probably been better off renting until I could afford a good rig.

It happens in every hobby, newbies buy gear too soon and make bad choices. One of my other hobbies is ham radio and I see this happen all the time. There are unscrupulous sellers who prey on these eager beginner types.

My advice is to wait. Don't but anything right away. Get gear advice from experienced jumpers who are not trying to sell you anything. I bought too soon, but was lucky and didnt get hosed on price. The guy selling it said it wasn't worth a lot and told me as time passed it would be worth a lot less, so I bought fully informed. My rigger also said it was a decent buy so I bought it.

And don't get a tiny canopy to start out with. If you want one work down to it VERY slowly. Start with conservative wing loading.

377

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

[wmw999 2,150]

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Old rigs have just about zero resale value.

And that might be OK with the OP -- he might be in circumstances where that will be his rig for a couple of years, or he might know that he'll be able to pass it on for free to some other young, poor jumper when he's done with it.

Another option is to get someone to help piece together a system. There are some components in the classifieds to put together something quite decent. Not awesome, but definitely decent. And I'm a huge proponent of buying something you can afford.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)