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canopy reviews?

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I am trying to research gear, but there seems to be a common trend. Everybody loves their rig and thinks its the best.

I am wondering if there is any input or sites that have individuals who have tried many different canopies and have elaborated on their experience with them?

Thanks.
Skydiving is good for the soul

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Just buy your rig and used main. Demo a few different canopies and decide what comfortable for your flying style. Compare them to your current main. Sell your first main if you decide on something else.

That's what Im doing, still waiting for Vector to make my rig though[:/] The 22 week wait.


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I am trying to research gear, but there seems to be a common trend. Everybody loves their rig and thinks its the best.

I am wondering if there is any input or sites that have individuals who have tried many different canopies and have elaborated on their experience with them?

Thanks.



For a first canopy I would suggest looking at the most popular square for an appropriate wingloading. The only thing I would avoid is F-111 as ZP is much nicer. I don't think it really matters what brand. I would get advice on when to purchase gear - probably not before getting your A license, but get advice from a seasoned jumper at your DZ.
Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

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I would recommend buying used but make sure the make/model of canopy you buy is very common. Sometimes you can find a canopy that nobody else jumps for less money, but you're going to open yourself to risk in that riggers might not have easy access to line trim charts, manuals/documentation, etc. if nobody has ever heard of it and nobody at your DZ is jumping it, steer clear. you want something that is a known quantity and is easily repaired if you have a problem.

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yea, i plan to rent every different canopy my DZ offers and jump them all to compare. I am in no hurry to buy, but I want something to look forward to.

I will likely buy a new container and a used main. But still looking for as much info as possible from you guys that have been there/done that.
Skydiving is good for the soul

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Well worth it indeed, but all the cool kids seem to be ordering them in oct/nov when the lead time is around 17weeks or one month shorter ;)

For info regarding lift ticket prices all around the world check out
http://www.jumpticketprices.com/dropzones.asp

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yea, i plan to rent every different canopy my DZ offers and jump them all to compare. I am in no hurry to buy, but I want something to look forward to.

I will likely buy a new container and a used main. But still looking for as much info as possible from you guys that have been there/done that.



Canopy-wise, do jump everything you can get your hands on, figure out what size is right for you, then buy whatever you can find in that size for cheap. I'll tell you why in a minute.

Container-wise, figure out what size main and reserve you need, then find a used container that fits those canopies and your body, and make sure it's cheap (modern and airworthy, but cheap).

Here's why - making 5 or 8 jumps on anything won't teach you very much about it. When you yourself only have 15 or 20 jumps, that makes it even worse. If all you have are 4 or 5 jumps on any one canopy or rig, then you switch, then you have low jump numbers overall, what's your baseline for making comparisons to other gear you might jump? The answer is that there is no baseline.

It's all just shooting in the dark in the early days of gear selection. So find something inexpensive, and use the money you save to pay for more jumps. Save $2000 to $3000 buying used, and make 100 jumps on the rig within a few months, and look at you now (then).

Now you have become familair with one rig, and can make comparisons based off that. This canopy flies differently in this way, and that canopy flies differently in that way. Ditto for the containers.

Your other plus is that during those few months, you have a rig to get demo canopies in any size or model you're interested in, and jump them for a few weeks (with all that cash you saved). You'll also make friends at the DZ, and be able to borrow containers to try those out as well. In the end, you'll be 100x more experienced than you are now, and have 1000x the knowledge about gear that you do now.

You'll be able to make informed decisions about buying gear, and can choose a new rig, another used rig, or maybe just keep the first one even longer. If you do want to sell, cheap rigs are cheap rigs if they have 800 jumps on them or 900 jumps on them. So whatever you paid for a rig with 800 jumps, you can sell it for the same 6 months later when it has 900 jumps on it.

Any ZP canopy, reserve, and freefly friendly container built in the last 8 or 10 years is going to do everything a jumper with 100 jumps needs it to do, and much more. You're not giving anything up by going that route, you're just being smart and realizing that the number one thing you need to be a good (safe) jumper is jumps (money). Fancy rigs get you nowhere if they tap out yoru bank account, and you have to pass up a sunny day because the funds are low. Get a 'basic' rig, and pound out some jumps. Really burn through some cash and get a solid foothold in the sport. Six months or a year later, you'll ready to make more informed, longer term choices, and probably also know how to get the best deal while doing so.

Or just listen to everyone else who bought a new container and used main. I'm sure they know what they're doing. 22 weeks......

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