DSE 3 #26 August 7, 2011 QuoteQuoteI jumped Silhouettes for over 1K jumps til I moved to the Storm. The Sil is a hybrid canopy and wear was not a problem, so I'd assume the PD rep is correct. Been jumping a Pulse 170 for the past 80 jumps, really liking it as a super-soft deployment and landing canopy. It practically lands itself, and is still a bit sporty if you want it to be. How would you compare the Silhouette and Pulse? What would you recommend someone right of AFF course? I'd call the Pulse the "new Silhouette." Very similar, except the Sil can be a tad more sporty under similar wingloadings. I'm loading my Pulse at 1.2, so nothing radical. I would NOT recommend a Storm for a newer jumper. It has a steep glide and without experience at confident flares, could be a problem Either Pulse or Silhouette are excellent, IMO, for first canopies. I bought my first Sil at 30 jumps. Went from 210's down to 150, then moved to the Storm. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olmed 0 #27 August 7, 2011 Quote Quote Quote I jumped Silhouettes for over 1K jumps til I moved to the Storm. The Sil is a hybrid canopy and wear was not a problem, so I'd assume the PD rep is correct. Been jumping a Pulse 170 for the past 80 jumps, really liking it as a super-soft deployment and landing canopy. It practically lands itself, and is still a bit sporty if you want it to be. How would you compare the Silhouette and Pulse? What would you recommend someone right of AFF course? I'd call the Pulse the "new Silhouette." Very similar, except the Sil can be a tad more sporty under similar wingloadings. I'm loading my Pulse at 1.2, so nothing radical. I would NOT recommend a Storm for a newer jumper. It has a steep glide and without experience at confident flares, could be a problem Either Pulse or Silhouette are excellent, IMO, for first canopies. I bought my first Sil at 30 jumps. Went from 210's down to 150, then moved to the Storm. But is the Pulse not more "aggressive" compared to the Silhouette? The Silhouette just seems more of a reliable and forgiving canopy while the Pulse seems more similar to the advanced type canopies (f.ex. more chance of line twists and spin?)... Probably because of weight issues I would end up with a Pulse if I decide to invest in my own gear. Thanks for you answer! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #28 August 7, 2011 QuoteBut is the Pulse not more "aggressive" compared to the Silhouette? The Silhouette just seems more of a reliable and forgiving canopy while the Pulse seems more similar to the advanced type canopies (f.ex. more chance of line twists and spin?)... Probably because of weight issues I would end up with a Pulse if I decide to invest in my own gear. Thanks for you answer! Not at all more "aggressive," and in terms of landing...the Pulse is significantly smoother/less input to land. Rear riser landings are tremendously different. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flipper 0 #29 August 8, 2011 +1 Pulse is a mega canopy, didnt find the landing to lack any power in anyway whatsoever Get one - you will love it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olmed 0 #30 August 8, 2011 Any reason to choose the Pulse over the Silhouette (for someone just off AFF course)? Anything besides easy and less size packing?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flipper 0 #31 August 8, 2011 sorry not jumped the Sil Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phoenixlpr 0 #32 August 8, 2011 You can jump almost any canopy in your category. Any. If I were you I'd buy one with 150-250 jump. Any popular brand, model would do. It would make no difference for you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydiverek 55 #33 August 10, 2011 QuoteI remember reading from reliable sources that ZP fabric is more sensitive to small defects/tears - that if it does rip, or if a small defect or tear is highly stressed, then it is more likely to have a longer rip than non-ZP, so it is a good choice for reserves. Source: http://performancedesigns.com/faq.asp#17 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PiLFy 0 #34 August 10, 2011 Veddy in_tahresting... I just received a reply from PD. The answers included: 1) The pulse is available w/dacron. Lined so, it should open softer than a Storm w/dacron. 2) The Pulse doesn't have as strong a flare as the Sabre2. It has nothing to do w/its being a hybrid, though. It's the trim the chute is set @. 3) Other than two high performance chutes, the Sabre2 has the strongest flare of the PDs. 4) They concur. The steeper glide of the Storm could be problematic for Newby landings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #35 August 10, 2011 QuoteVeddy in_tahresting... I just received a reply from PD. The answers included: 1) The pulse is available w/dacron. interesting, the PD rep said NOT to match the Pulse with Dacron when my wife ordered hers ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PiLFy 0 #36 August 10, 2011 Your wife's neck & back are probably in better shape than mine. A soft opening is a high priority for me. They didn't say good or bad about it. They just said it should open even softer than the Storm w/dacron. Why did the Rep advise against it for your wife? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydiverek 55 #37 August 11, 2011 QuoteVeddy in_tahresting... I just received a reply from PD. The answers included: 1) The pulse is available w/dacron. Lined so, it should open softer than a Storm w/dacron. Interesting. Vectran is the only line choice on the Pulse order form. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #38 August 11, 2011 QuoteYour wife's neck & back are probably in better shape than mine. A soft opening is a high priority for me. They didn't say good or bad about it. They just said it should open even softer than the Storm w/dacron. Why did the Rep advise against it for your wife? You might be right. But, my wife's broken neck (cracked vertibrae from a hard opening) kept her from jumping all last year..... so we were likely asking all the same questions regardless of our relative spousal spinal conditions. I specifically researched line behavior and recommended she ask specifically about Dacron on the Pulse for very reason that dacron is (generically) very mitigating for hard openings. The rep noted dacron is not an option as the trim of the Pulse was very important and Dacron was too flexy. So she did ask, and that's the answer she got - "we don't use Dacron on the Pulse" - you might have talked to someone else, or their position in the last 9 months may have changed on the matter - YMMV I don't recall the name of the rep she talked to, it was some time ago - the lead times are/were pretty hefty. good luck - her Pulse arrive last night and we're very excited with it - I'll go get a picture and post it. I hope your wife's new canopy is gentle enough so she can continue to enjoy this sport. ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #39 August 11, 2011 Quote good luck - her Pulse arrive last night and we're very excited with it - I'll go get a picture and post it. I hope your wife's new canopy is gentle enough so she can continue to enjoy this sport. To give you one data point, I have about 300 jumps on my Pulse and exactly one bad opening, and that was more likely attributable to a pilot chute issue, not a canopy issue. The openings are positive but not spanky or sniveley, and almost universally on heading. I love the canopy. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PiLFy 0 #40 August 11, 2011 Not according to their e-mail response to me. I guess you can still ask for it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PiLFy 0 #41 August 11, 2011 Here is PD's response. I'll get to demo these sooner or later... Hi Kenny, It’s no bother. Kind of complicated though. I’ll try and pretty much address each issue in turn. 1) It is hard to discuss what an instructor has said because I don’t know what his/her perspective is to determine why they said it. In most cases a steeper glide path actually increases the flare power. When a canopy is trimmed flatter they typically don’t have as much flare. There is too much to explain here in an email about how all that works. 2) The reason it might be harder to get a good landing on a steeper trimmed canopy is timing of the flare. If this is the instructors thought process then it has merit. 3) The Pulse does not have as powerful of a flare as a Sabre2. But then with the exception of the Velocity and Katana, none of our canopies have as powerful a flare as the Sabre2. 4) This has nothing to do with the Pulse being a hybrid canopy. It has to do with the design of the canopy. The Stiletto doesn’t have as powerful a flare as a Sabre2, yet the Stiletto is all zero porosity. However it isn’t trimmed as steep as a Sabre2. 5) A Pulse with Dacron will probably open softer than a Storm with Dacron. 6) People on the drop zone can be well meaning, but with less than a full knowledge base to advise. 7) I think you should try both the Sabre2 and the Pulse and determine which one YOU like and go with it. I hope this helps. Regards, Xxxxxx Xxxxx Customer Service/Marketing Mgr Performance Designs, Inc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
P-dro 0 #42 August 12, 2011 Strange, i have several hundred jumps on sabre 2 of different sizes and for me the Storm has a significantly stronger flare and bottom end than the Sabre... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PiLFy 0 #43 August 12, 2011 Take it up w/PD. They're their canopies, & that's what they said about them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #44 August 13, 2011 QuoteStrange, i have several hundred jumps on sabre 2 of different sizes and for me the Storm has a significantly stronger flare and bottom end than the Sabre... I have a coupla hundred jumps on Sabre II's and I'd agree with you. Storm certainly has a deeper, faster flare. That said, I shortened the brake lines on my Storm by 1.5". The Pulse I'm jumping now needs to have the lines shortened by at least 2". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theplummeter 14 #45 August 13, 2011 I sold my Pulse after a small handful of jumps, and am now on a Safire2 that is one size smaller. The openings on the Pulse were, in my opinion, the best of any canopy I have ever seen. Positive but not hard, and consistent. I pro packed it, psycho packed, hurried and did a trashy job and took my time and as long as the slider was up it did the same thing every time. Up high the canopy is a blast, it turns quickly and glides forever. The stopping point for me was landing. I never made it past shoulder height in the toggle stroke and the canopy just stopped. I don't mean leveled out, it just stopped. The flare reminded me of the Manta 288 that I did my S/L course on, just less input, and a lot stronger. I ended up selling it and doing a bunch of jumps on other stuff. I really liked the Sabre2, Fusion, and Safire2 as all three allowed me to use front risers for the first time and all three had more flare so I could run out a fast approach. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpsalot-2 2 #46 August 14, 2011 That's a lot of input for a guy with 35 jumps...... Life is short ... jump often. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GobbleGobble 0 #47 August 14, 2011 QuoteI sold my Pulse after a small handful of jumps, and am now on a Safire2 that is one size smaller. The openings on the Pulse were, in my opinion, the best of any canopy I have ever seen. Positive but not hard, and consistent. I pro packed it, psycho packed, hurried and did a trashy job and took my time and as long as the slider was up it did the same thing every time. Up high the canopy is a blast, it turns quickly and glides forever. The stopping point for me was landing. I never made it past shoulder height in the toggle stroke and the canopy just stopped. I don't mean leveled out, it just stopped. The flare reminded me of the Manta 288 that I did my S/L course on, just less input, and a lot stronger. I ended up selling it and doing a bunch of jumps on other stuff. I really liked the Sabre2, Fusion, and Safire2 as all three allowed me to use front risers for the first time and all three had more flare so I could run out a fast approach. I only have 8 jumps on mine so far, but have to agree. It opens much nicer than the Spectre and Pilot that I've jumped. There doesn't seem to be a shortage of flare power. It's quite easy to shut it down on landings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
monkycndo 0 #48 August 14, 2011 I was considering a new canopy for my wingsuit rig. I asked my PD rep about the Pulse and he said it would have all the traits that I personally was looking for. Flat glide, positive but not hard opening, reliable on heading opening and good flare. When I asked about wingloading, he said the flare power will start to decrease once you start loading it over 1.4:1 requiring a little more running/sliding at the end of the landing. Almost everyone I know that has the Pulse loads it at less than 1.4 and loves the canopy, and the flare it has.50 donations so far. Give it a try. You know you want to spank it Jump an Infinity Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theplummeter 14 #49 August 15, 2011 Quote That's a lot of input for a guy with 35 jumps...... It is, I should probably update my profile but my experience is almost the same in terms of jump numbers as the original poster so I figured my opinion might be similar to what he/she would think of the canopy. I didn't mean to imply that the flare on the Pulse is weak if I gave that impression, it just seems to come all at once. I happen to prefer a more staged flare and the ability to surf a bit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpsalot-2 2 #50 August 15, 2011 Me too. .Life is short ... jump often. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
