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Soulfirewarrior

Velocity i43 with a pulse 190 ?

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I picked up a velocity i43 form my local dz shop that fits like it was custom made for me. Problem is I have been jumping a 210 and have been advised I would do well in a 190. The sizing chart for the container I have says it will fit a pulse 170 not a 190 but have been told by the shop that it would fit a 190 . Did I screw up and waist a bunch of money . I think a down size to a 170 would be way to much to fast if I can’t get a 190 to fit . A 190 puts my wing load to a 1.13-1 and I currently have 29 jumps

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As I see it from the chart the 170 is recommended. I don't know how Infinity makes their d-bags but recommended sizes are mostly snug "just right", one above that are tight as fck and one bellow are acceptably loose. Add material stretch to that if you will have a 190 in, so when a 170 comes the container will be overstretched/deformed.

If you aren't proficient with your packing you gonna have one hell of a ride when stuffing it in and every packer will curse you, not to mention possible shitty deployments :)

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First off, I wouldn't push past that 1.13 WL - especially if you haven't even jumped a 190 yet. The I-43 CAN take an Optimum 193 reserve tight; so at least you can get a reserve that's at no more than a 1.1 for you (even that puts you into the "experienced" category - read pages 11-12 of the PD Reserve owner's manual for WL recommendations and considerations for reserves http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/Reserve_manual.pdf). But you're not going to (comfortably or safely) get a 190 main into that container, too, and you have good instincts, thinking that shifting straight to a 170 would be too big a step right now. So where does that leave you?

Depending on how naturally you take to canopy flying, your progression 210-->190-->170 might not take too long, especially if you work on it through some canopy courses. Depending on where in the country you are, you can contact Flight-1 https://flight-1.com/sport/, Alter Ego http://thealteregoproject.com/, or Greg Windmiller http://superiorflightsolutions.com/ for the best canopy coaching in the U.S. (and elsewhere).
I was a REALLY crappy canopy pilot for a LONG time; got my A on a Nav280 (only a 0.6 WL!) and wasn't down to even a 210 until jump 96; and made 76 more jumps on that 210 before I went down to a Pilot 188 (which I bought). I took my time, and I rented until I was ready for the canopy which I bought. I didn't have my first container until about 2 months before my 188 arrived. I didn't get down to a 170 (and a 1:1 WL) until I had almost 500 jumps... but I also didn't take my first Flight-1 course until the weekend before I hit #400. It should've been much sooner - I had a lot of bad habits to break. Summary - I spent a lot of money on renting gear before getting my first system, but it was worth it, because I ended up on something that I kept for a long time and I didn't rush my canopy progression, which most likely saved me from injury. I'd rather spend the money on gear rentals than hospital bills.

So I wouldn't say you've wasted your money. Why? Because while it's possible you'll get on a 190 and never want to go smaller, it's unlikely. However a 170 will put you at a "sporty" wing-loading, and containers that max out at a Pulse 170 will get you down to a 150 anything and a 135 anything - so you'll have that container for a good long time - once you're ready for it. Until then - keep renting while you work through your progression from that 210 to a 190 and then to a Pulse or Silhouette 170 (or another 170 which is a hybrid ZP-F111).

In terms of VSE (Velocity Sports Equipment) gear:
VSE makes excellent rigs. I've owned three Infinity rigs; my first was an I-56 and currently I have and love my I-33 and I-34. In two cases (56 and 34), the max recommended canopy size from the chart was already insanely tight. I had to learn how to get and keep ALL the air out of my 170 to be able to close my I-34 without help (and I'm far from new at packing). For some reason a 150 in my 33 isn't quite as tight as the 170 in my 34 and I've never had an issue closing that container; doesn't mean I'd want to try stuffing a standard ZP 170 in it, though. I had a ZPX Pilot 188 in my 56, with a ZPX 210 in it before that; and I wouldn't have wanted to put a regular 210 in it though it was supposed to take one; the ZPX 210 was tight enough.

To summarize all that, you can ask Kelly Farrington from VSE (he's on these forums regularly and he and his crew are very responsive to messages from the contact form on their website www.velocityrigs.com), but trying to squeeze anything larger than the sizes on the chart into an Infinity isn't a good idea. While some brands list a mid-range size on their canopy compatibility charts, VSE is serious about their max sizes (though you can usually go DOWN at least two sizes from there with no issues; the 170 was just fine in my I-56 and the 150 soft but okay for belly-flying - this in a container that takes a 210 max or a 230 Pulse).

Having an unhappy packer (whether it's you packing it or someone else), and having a rock-hard container which is uncomfortable against your back are just part of it and the least important. In terms of safety: Overstuffing the main can deform and damage the container, as Maddingo says. It can also make it harder to pull your pilot chute, because of the pressure against the bottom of the container. I can't say whether an overstuffed d-bag might leave the container unevenly (if so, it could make you more susceptible to line twists), but I CAN say that overstuffing the d-bag can damage the d-bag particularly at the grommets. Overstuffing the container may also lead to a delay in reserve bag extraction in the event of a total (main still in the container) because the two canopies are jammed in there so tightly together. If you're low enough that your AAD fires, that hesitation could be enough to keep you from having a fully-inflated reserve at impact. This issue in particular has come up in other threads on this page.

TL;DR: Don't try to put a 190 in the new container; it will likely damage your gear and there are safety concerns as well. Use rental gear and fly a 210 and then a 190 until you're comfortable downsizing to a 170, and then find a low-pack-volume 170 main for your new container. Get some good canopy coaching during this time to help you progress more quickly and safely. While you're working on your downsizing, find yourself an Optimum 193 for that new container. If the container fits you as well as you say you'll have it for a good long time from a 170 on down to a 135 and possibly to a 120, and VSE makes very good rigs. Contact Kelly at VSE with any specific questions about his rigs; VSE has great customer service.

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I, uh, have nothing more to add:D

If you have the rig and the canopy, I would encourage you to try packing them, simply because we don't get the opportunity to actually pack every canopy/container combo. But even if you do get the Pulse 190 into it, I don't think it's going to be something you would want to do for every jump you make. Basically, you would be doing it for personal experience and building a frame of reference for your knowledge base:)

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