How many canopies should I try before buying?

[ihazkittehz 0]

I'm in that "rental gear" stage of my skydiving career. I want to get as much experience and info before committing to anything, but I also don't want to spend tons of money on rentals when I can use that money towards my own gear.

So far I've done a few jumps on a Sabre2 and a few jumps on a Fusion. They were both fine... (what do I really know, though?) I actually preferred the flight and flare of the Fusion somewhat, but used Fusion canopies seem to be much harder to come by than Sabre2's.

Should I try out some other canopies? Should I try out the Sabre2 and Fusion canopies again? How do you know when a canopy is "right" for you?

[likestojump 3]

Try whatever you can, but don't make it a religion :)

At this stage of the game seems the most popular and recommended canopies are

9cell
Sabre2
Fusion
Pilot
Silhouette
Safire2

7cell
Spectre
Triathlon
Storm

I am sure there may be otheres I am forgetting, but it's probably best you determine if you prefer the 9 or the 7cell, and than proceed trying what you can get your hands on.

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

Suggest that you start by asking what you want/need in a canopy. Once you answer that question, your search will be easier to narrow. It is also helpful to rank your wants and economic needs in relation to each other …. Which is more important: price or ____?

What sort of wants/needs might you consider?

-- If you want to dabble in CReW, a seven cell might be a good choice.

-- If you are physically fragile, you might want a canopy that opens extra softly.

-- If you want a zippy ride, you might want a 9 cell.

-- If cost is the most important factor, a used F-111 canopy that is near the end of it’s life might be just the thing for you to begin with. You will pay a significant price in performance (possibly including fugly landings) if you choose this path.

Be sure to buy the right size canopy... see this for info about canopy sizing: http://www.bigairsportz.com/pdf/bas-sizingchart.pdf

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[ihazkittehz 0]

It looks like there are lots of canopies for me to investigate...

At this point I'm not especially interested in CReW. Mostly because I feel like I need to work on my own canopy skills more before considering adding anything additional. Once my skills are up I will consider it, but I doubt that will happen while I'm using my first canopy.

I don't consider myself fragile, but I definitely appreciate a softer opening.

I guess one thing to note is that I'm not particularly strong. Ok, I'm a total weakling (but I'm working on it)! It seems to me like some canopies are harder to flare completely, so I need one that is a bit more responsive.

And fugly landings are not worth a good price for me. I want a canopy that is forgiving. I'm right in the middle range of appropriate canopy sizes for my experience/exit weight, so at least that is working for me.

Thanks for all advice so far!

[DrewEckhardt 0]

As a new skydiver you're likely to meet accepted criteria for downsizing in 70-100 jumps which is less than a full season. Provided that you don't buy a parachute smaller than is accepted and you're suffering average levels of testosterone poisoning you'll be wanting to downsize at that point.

Getting a canopy you like well enough with a price tag that reflects its resale value in a container which will safely accommodate your next two down-sizes is more important than finding the perfect canopy.

If you're looking at used gear in the Sabre2 price range, try a Spectre to see how you like 7-cell flight characteristics. Ideally you want to test jump whatever used gear you actually end up buying.

If you're looking at used gear in the Monarch/Sabre price range, you might try one and see whether you've become spoiled enough by modern canopy's slower openings to sell your plasma so you can buy something newer.