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cebra

Experiencing Repeated Hard Openings

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I took about a 6 month break from the sport and recently came back.  My first jump back which I packed was fine, the 2nd bam, seeing stars and car crash like bruising anywhere the harness touched me.  I thought I either forgot how to pack or didn't slow down from freefly to belly long enough.  Next jump a week or 2 later, a similar but less painful hard opening after taking more time to pack and slowing down a lot longer from freefly to belly.  I then decided I suck at packing (admittedly I have always been a crappy packer) and paid for a pack job, it was a belly jump doing camera for a tandem and 3rd time in a row a slammer that left bruising on my thighs.  I watched video of all 3 and my body position seems fine.  I fly a larger canopy, Safire2 149 at about a 1.3 WL with maybe 50 jumps on a new lineset.  I am starting to consider I may have something going on with my canopy or slider.  Any recommendations of what to check for?  I searched through a lot of hard opening related threads but couldn't locate an answer of what to do to try and eliminate repeated hard openings.  Thanks.

Edited by cebra

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Did you change/do anything at all regarding your equipment during your break? If both you and someone else packed it and you got hard openings I guess we can dismiss packing issues (though it could be a fairly unlucky coincidence).

Maybe have someone stay with you on the jump and record your opening?

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20 minutes ago, cebra said:

Since I came back, 1st jump fine, last 3 have been hard openings...the first one was really hard.  I had never had a hard opening before including 100 jumps or so on this canopy.

If you haven't already, I'd have a trusted rigger look it over. I might be that first "really hard" opening caused some rib damage that's now allowing your canopy to inflate too quickly. Just a wild-ass guess.

These weren't the first jumps post-reline, right?

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(edited)

After 3 consecutive hard openings as you describe, don't jump it anymore - a visit to somebody/somewhere for diagnosis is appropriate.  Serious inspection with the possibility of test jumping by someone else should be considered.

Edited by sundevil777
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