Which option would be best?

[rifleman 61]

I need some help and advice. I'm looking at buying used gear for my first rig but given that a second hand main canopies of sufficient size to support my exit weight are rarer than rocking horse sh*t I'm left with two options, both of which come in at around £1800 inc. AAD.

The first is a xerox container with a 210 reserve. I contacted the manufacturer and according to the serial number it will accept a 220 main but the only 220 main I can find is a Fury 220 with 400 jumps on it.

The second option is a Telesis container with a Skymaster 290 (120 jumps) and a tempo 250 reserve.

Any advice or opinions would be gratefully received. I do intend to discuss this with my instructors and CCI the next time I'm up at the DZ and get their input.

Atheism is a Non-Prophet Organisation

[JohnRich 4]

Quote

I need some help and advice. I'm looking at buying used gear for my first rig but given that a second hand main canopies of sufficient size to support my exit weight are rarer than rocking horse sh*t ...

If you want help, perhaps you should give us some essential data, like how much you weigh.

[rifleman 61]

Weight 184 lbs
currently jumping a skymaster 290 (student rig) @ 0.75 WL

Atheism is a Non-Prophet Organisation

[davelepka 4]

I vote for neither, and here's why -

The Fury is going to be F-111, and you don't want that. Some people will tell you it's fine, but there are much better options out there.

The Skymaster is probably too big for you in the long run.

Here's the catch, if you're jumping a rental rig with a 290 in it now, you still need to step your way down through some smaller sizes until you're ready for anything close to a 220, so you have time to shop around.

If the container fits you, the 210 reserve should be a good size (once you've stepped down from the 290), so buy that and go from there. Keep your eyes open for anything in the 210, 220, or 230 range. Once you're ready, you could even use your own rig/resereve to test jump it (provided the owner will allow it).

In the meantime, get on the phone to every DZ you can think of (check the listings here) and ask who has a used main canopy in your size for sale. Send a PM to 'likestojump' and see if he has anything for you, or if he can give your heads up when something good comes along.

Keep jumping the student gear and work your way down in size as your abilites permit. If you buy the container and resevre, you might even look for a demo canopy in the 220 range (provided you're ready for that) and jump your own gear for a few weeks.

Buying the first rig is a process, and an annoying one when you don't have anything to jump. It sounds like you have a good start on a rig, and time to shop around for the main while you downsize.

[Remster 24]

Is your profile up to date? 3 jumps? Wait a while....

Remster

[Maksimsf 0]

I put 45 jumps on rental and I still don't know what i want. I'm a big guy and used gear prices lean me towards a custom made brand new H/C (articulated vision $1330 + brand new reserve for around $1100-1200 vs 10-15 y.o. for $500). I'm a very skeptical about all that downsize madness that is going on. I'm pretty sure I will stick to 1.0-1.2 WL for a quite few hundred jumps. I jumped Soviet PC 13 years ago couple dozen times and I will never trade a soft landing for a coolness and speed that peoples getting from high loaded wings :) Keep jumping rental and look for a deal. If you can't afford to rent anymore - just jump to keep you current and save up cash for something you think will keep you happy for a while

[DrewEckhardt 0]

Quote

I need some help and advice. I'm looking at buying used gear for my first rig but given that a second hand main canopies of sufficient size to support my exit weight are rarer than rocking horse sh*t I'm left with two options, both of which come in at around £1800 inc. AAD.

Probably "none of the above".