Tall Guy Rig Question

[mcbridetm 0]

Hey all!

Just to preface, I will be talking to instructors and riggers prior to making any gear purchase decision. I am just hoping to hear from some other people who may have gone through a similar situation and how they went about moving forward.

I am currently a college student so I don't have a massive budget. While looking online for used rigs I have run in to one common theme. None of them seem as though they would fit someone my size. I am 6' 3" but only about 150lbs.

So my question relating to a new rig would be do I keep searching classifieds and hope that something turns up? Or do I get a custom container (looking at Wings but open to input) and then purchase used canopies. I have heard finding a used AAD is very difficult as well.

I currently fly a 200 student canopy and have 45 jumps.

Also...I have heard rumors of manufacturer coupons floating around in raffles and such. Is that actually true??

Thank you all for your time and help!

[husslr187 24]

I'm roughly in the same boat 170lbs, and 6'4" all used gear I've seen so far only go as high as 6' for my weight or if I find one for my height, it's made for someone 50-60lbs more.

[sammielu 3]

The cheapest way to your own gear is used.

You can definitely save $$$$ on used helmet, jumpsuit, altimeters, all the accessories.

A used rig that fits you perfect, is in your budget, and has the right size canopies is obviously the perfect scenario - and is likely a unicorn that you won't find.

Second best: a used rig that fits you at the yoke (width across shoulders) and fits the ideal size canopies for you. Buy a used rig, sent it to the manufacturer to have the harness resized (approx $550 and 3 weeks - APPROXIMATELY!)
How to do that: talk with your local rigger (who will be doing your assembly, future repacks etc). Tell them you want to grab some time with them to discuss used gear for you, and that you will bring pizza/dinner and a beverage of their choice or pay them cash for their time and advice and promise you will listen to what they say. Show up on time with said items. Get completely measured for a rig. Ask them which manufacturers they prefer to work with and which harness sizes/container models make sense for you to look at according to canopy sizes. Take their advice. Result: now you know what to look for.

Look for used stuff in the following order:
Complete rig
Container + correct size reserve
Container only
Buy container, follow your riggers advice for how to send it to the manufacturer.
While all that happens, look for:
Reserve canopy (if buying separate)
Main canopy
AAD

Ideally all that would be used but budget for a new AAD (Mars M2 is the cheapest, $999 new, search some threads on this site for details).

Note:
Don't bug your rigger with a million questions about every single rig you see that is: close to correct, fits your budget but not your canopies, the right color, past the age they agree to inspect or deal with equipment for you.

Do recognize that riggers are essential in this sport, put a ton of time into gaining their knowledge, and are paid less than anyone else in skydiving. All I'm saying is be nice to your rigger and they will be nice to you (and give you their time and advice).

Alternate option: buy new. Contact any dealer and spent twice as much as above. Personally I bought a complete rig, with the right size canopies (I'm the 2ND owner, main was quite used) and no AAD, $2800. AAD $1000. Harness resize during winter $550. I'm 3 years into a $4300 rig that will fit me and my canopies as long as I want... the other advantahe to buying equipment separate is that the monetary cost is spread out over time. For me, I was spending $100-$400 a week on my student jumps and was only constrained by my budget ad it fluctuated. Every week I put all the money I coukd into my skydive fund and that's how much I could jump, some weeks more than other. If we were weathered out, the fund grew. When I got licensed, jumps were cheaper, (not a lot cheaper since I was renting gear) and I did the same thing. Fall, and then winter and the jump fund grew since we were weathered out often. Then I bought my rig. A month later I bought my AAD. My rig was an ok fit (to big on my back) so I waited a season before sending it for the resize, but I still budget my skydives that same way - sometimes the funds are spent on jumps and sometimes on more gear (upgrading the used helmet, jumpsuit, etc to ones I really wanted and adding audible altimeters, coaching, tunnel, and eventually coach and instructor courses so my jumping can pay for itself somewhat).

Well that was a long story, thanks for sticking with me... PM me with questions if you want, late nights with a beer and a laptop and I will pretty much try to help with anything.

[Joellercoaster 6]

I'm 6'5" and 210... my solution has been new containers and second-hand canopies (actually bought my first main and reserve new, but I got a fantastic deal on that rig and never since). Container sticker-shock is real though - if you can find one second hand that fits you, absolutely do that. They do turn up, but don't hold your breath either.

Don't compromise safety for a good deal on the container - main and reserve size is really, really vital and it's important not to get wishful on this front.

There is no disadvantage in buying a brand-new AAD - they age and depreciate in such a way that everyone gets a very fair deal, pretty much linearly. If you pay full price for one, that is OK - but it's still a lot of money, of course! It's a tough market, for the same reason - if one comes on sale, it generally gets snapped up.

Manufacturer coupons do exist, mostly as prizes in raffles or tunnel meets or the like. Nice if you win one or someone gives it to you, but generally (though not always) they're off the base price and you still pay full whack for all the extras (and you really do want the extras). You very occasionally also see them for sale, and never once have I seen it be a good deal.

--
"I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan

"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?

[SethInMI 145]

you may also look into rigs that will fit you with one modification, either changing the lats or changing the MLW. Even with the modification cost it should be less than a new container.

Seth

It's flare not flair, brakes not breaks, bridle not bridal, "could NOT care less" not "could care less".

[RockSkyGirl 10]

I don't know what the rental options are for you at your home dz, but there's always the option (as sucky as it feels) to just rent for awhile until you've had the chance to test out a bunch of different canopies and built your skills a bit more so that when you DO buy, you get something you'll be happy with for awhile. I rented for 10 months and more than 150 jumps before I bought my first rig, and as much as it sucked I'm still glad I did it. In that time I went from a 260 down to a 190 and if I'd bought gear right away, I would've outgrown it too quickly.

I'm having exactly the same issue as you are in terms of finding used gear right now, but in the other direction. Something that will fit 135-170 canopies but built for someone fairly small. Sammielu has some fantastic advice when it comes to pursuing gear - listen to Sammielu! The suggestion to buy the container itself new and everything else used is one viable option; another one - which I used for my first rig - is to find something that has everything else you want in terms of the canopies it will hold (and don't compromise on the reserve size! Make absolutely sure the container will fit what you're looking for in terms of BOTH canopy sizes before you buy it! Joellercoaster is absolutely right!) and the features you want and then have the manufacturer resize the MLW. Infinity for example does a MLW resize for $300 (which of course doesn't cover shipping, or anything else you also end up needing done, once the manufacturer has their hands on it and can give it a thorough going-over; and I ended up putting way more than $300 into the modifications to my first rig, to bring a 13-year-old container up to date). Caveat - resizing only works to an extent. The yoke cannot be resized; and some manufacturers won't resize the laterals (the small piece which connects the MLW to the container above your hipbone). If you're one of those people who disappears when they turn sideways, it can be tough to find a used container that will have laterals short enough to keep the rig firmly against the base of your spine in freefall. As for reserve versus main sizes - some manufacturers have multiple takes on the same container in that two or three or four containers will fit the same set of mains, but will have a different size reserve tray, allowing you to go smaller or larger on the reserve based on what you're looking for. Wings is one of those (you mentioned you were looking at Wings); Infinity is another. All the manufacturers have canopy sizing charts for their rigs on their webpages (though sometimes it takes some hunting). Bookmark those pages and reference them any time someone says they're selling x model of y brand container. Just because THEY stuffed a 190 in there doesn't mean it's supposed to take a 190.

There's a lot of stuff out there in the dzdotcom classifieds. Most of the time, the seller says "will fit someone x feet tall and x many lbs". What I've learned in my own search over the last few months is that no matter what the seller says, get the rig's serial number and shoot an email directly to the manufacturer asking if it'll fit you (this means you'll need to get you own measurements taken by someone knowledgeable at your dropzone so you can send those together with the rig's serial number. This is where all that advice about how to talk to your rigger comes in handy). Manufacturers keep the measurements for every rig they've ever produced and it's usually really easy for them to pull those up based on the serial number, take a quick glance at how they match up to yours, and then give you an answer. I heard back from both Mirage and Aerodyne within 24 hours after sending my queries! And I'm glad I asked - a couple of things which sounded good from the classifieds posts and looked like they could work from the pictures turned out to be no-gos.

Used mains are easy to find. Used reserves (especially those less than 10 years old and are from brands which have a good reputation - talk to your rigger) are a bit tougher. Used AADs - they ARE out there, and Cypres at least has an online value calculator on their website. AADs depreciate at a fixed rate so make sure if you're buying one used that you don't get cheated.

As for raffles and such - yes, if you're VERY lucky, you might score a %-off coupon from one manufacturer or another at a raffle at a big boogie at a major dropzone, but it's by no means a common thing! Take it if you win it, but don't wait around for it!

Best of luck!

[zoobrothertom 5]

Try talking to Stump of Skydive Radio. He's in the same boat.

I'll bet money he can hook you up with something/someone suitable.

____________________________________
I'm back in the USA!!

[riggerrob 558]

On sizing of main lift webs ........

The Javelin method is easy.
Start by asking a buddy to measure your height and inseam (sans shoes).
Subtract your inseam from your height.
Subtract another 20 to 22 inches (head and neck) and compare the result with the length of your MLW.
Measure your MLW from the bottom of the 3-ring to the hip joint.

For example, I stand 72" tall with a 32" inseam. Minus 22" (head and neck) = 18" MLW.

[mcbridetm 0]

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. I really appreciate all of the great information!

[lyosha 46]

6'5" here.

Look out for X% off coupons. People get them at boogies but often don't use them.

That's how I got my rig.

As far as what containers conform to tall bodies best, there are some vectors (i.e. 350-355), and infinity 4X series of containers.

I'm actually about to sell my infinity i-43.

[sundevil777 93]

Quote

infinity 4X series

What do you mean? The 4 doesn't relate to a series, the first number after the "I" is the reserve size.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[lyosha 46]

My understanding is all I-4X infinity containers share the same reserve compartment, which gives those rigs a "longer, thinner" shape versus (for example) I-3X containers which are "shorter and chubbier" for the same size main.

I believe longer rigs tend to work better on longer bodies.