My new canopy v's my experience level

[canedraw4 0]

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Why do these forums allways become slagging matches?

Have you noticed the trend in injuries and fatalities under good canopies? And people keep saying, "I am different, I can handle it". Go figure.

Sparky

I dont think im different or any less likely to hurt or kil myself than the next skydiver.
I am certainly not rushing into anything if i was i wouldnt be posting for advice on DZ.com

[Andy9o8 0]

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I started out with a 1.32 wing loading at 66 jumps on my current canopy.

I think most instructors would say a 1.32 WL is pretty aggressive for the average person with only 66 jumps. I'm glad you didn't get hurt on any squirrely landings, but that doesn't mean the higher potential for injury wasn't (maybe I should say "isn't") there as you progress through the learning curve.

[canedraw4 0]

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I started out with a 1.32 wing loading at 66 jumps on my current canopy.

I think most instructors would say a 1.32 WL is pretty aggressive for the average person with only 66 jumps. I'm glad you didn't get hurt on any squirrely landings, but that doesn't mean the higher potential for injury wasn't (maybe I should say "isn't") there as you progress through the learning curve.

My wing loading will be 1.18 at 160jumps, what you think?

[Andy9o8 0]

Please take a look at the USPA recommended downsizing chart, and the discussion, in this thread: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1979447#1979447

[canedraw4 0]

Thanks for that link, although i am not a uspa member that table seems to suggest i am bang on the money downsizing to my canopy at this stage. Many thanks.

[stratostar 5]

Just because I am capable of jumping a canopy of X square feet does not mean it is a good idea for me to do so.
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To bad more people don't think this way in today's sport before getting busted up, yea I know it just not cool to do in the sport today with the new generation stupid fucks we have these days, we get comments like the following quote.

"So he can live with it or he can break himself. I've started to fly my 150 with higher load and I've survived."

There is the problem right there as stated in the quote above.
Look at the poster of it, his time in the sport and jump numbers, this is the kind of person that someone will have to scrape up off the ground one day!

If your going to be stupid do the rest of us a favor and find a new sport.
Carry on>

~

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[skydiverbry 0]

Ask an instructor,someboby that is familar with your jumping and landing, not to mention your canopy skills

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Growing old is mandatory.Growing up is optional!!

D.S.#13(Dudeist Skdiver)

[Devious 0]

I would agree that 1.32 was aggressive for 66 jumps. I flew it pretty conservative. Also later I found out that my brake lines were to short, so my canopy wasn't even flying at full glide. So maybe that was a good thing, because when I did get my lines lengthen, it felt like someone took the training wheels off.

My over all point though is each person needs to be evaluated by their progression and skill level at that point. My instructors felt that this would be a good starting point for me after I discussed it with them.

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May the skys be blue, but never your balls!!!

[mdrejhon 8]

You forgot something: How big a bargain was it?

Personally if a complete nearly-new Safire2 149 rig came for only $1000 used including an AAD and it was legal (It's plausible: Somebody's girlfriend quitting the sport in disgust and a breakup and needs the money to fly back to her family the next day), I will buy it even at my jump numbers, and will store it away.

It may collect dust for a year or two as I jumped to get myself experienced enough. Then the wingloading will eventually be pretty conservative relative to jump numbers (experience).

Although, I admit would be tempted to jump it right away -- at a canopy course.

[TALONSKY 0]

While the conservative path is always the safest path, I truly do not feel he is being too aggressive either. Once again it truly depends on his canopy skills. I also find it absurd that you are being sarcastic and trying to give advise to someone with more jumps than you. Personally, at 130 jumps I went to a wingloading of 1.5 to 1 on an original Safire and did 300 jumps on it. I did not have any landing issues what so ever.
Kirk

[canedraw4 0]

Thanks for posting the above comments Kirk.

[mdrejhon 8]

You misread my post. I was a little aggressive at 1.1 wingload at 57 jumps (still jumping it now) -- but not nearly as aggressive as many of you are. I'm not a canopy nazi, but I'm not going to be the first person to recommend jumping this right away... Obviously, I'd be attacked by instructors otherwise. I'll leave it to you 1000+ jumpers to say it's not too aggressive, better it being you than it being me being the one who say it isn't aggressive. I'm not as experienced as you are to say that, and neither is this jumper. Actually, personally, I feel ready to jump a 150, but I really want to get a bunch more flareturn landing done first (I've tried a few, but I feel I need more pratice) and a lot of other canopy instructor recommended stuff.

My post was made in part because I am a perspective of a potential gear shopper, another similiar 170sq ft canopy jumper (me) that's also possibly doing a 150-ish downsize eventually, roughly similiar number of jumps (only 15% difference 138 vs 160, I consider 'roughly similiar'), and the rig fit my criteria. So our places (me and canedraw4) could easily be swapped.

Anyway, that isn't even the focus of my post
Clearly, no sarcasm intended. It has actually happened before. Gear at fire sale prices. VERY rare, but it does happen. I don't recommend buying because of price, but if I knew I was only 50-100 jumps (less than 1 year) away from a 1-step downsize, the price savings were massive over the 2nd best price elsewhere over the last few months, and I knew the gear was good....then...well...

Obviously, I have to word my posts very carefully around dropzone.com -- I apologize for leaving information out of my original post where is all too easily misinterpreted.

[canedraw4 0]

Well, the rig is..

Wings container 80 jumps 2004 model
Safire2 149 80 jumps
Techno 155 0 jumps
Cypres 2 New with system

I paid £1,350 which is about half market value in the UK. The guy i bought it from is a highly respected, well known skydiver with 1,300 jumps. He was retiring from the sport after 30 years. I think this was a BARGAIN but compared to American prices it might just be a bargain. Either way its going to sit in its suitcase until i go to Empuria to do a canopy course at the begining of Febuary and hopefully then it will serve me well for a few hundred jumps.

[RossDagley 0]

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Personally, at 130 jumps I went to a wingloading of 1.5 to 1 on an original Safire and did 300 jumps on it. I did not have any landing issues what so ever.

Equally, how many people chose the same path as you and aren't here to preach about how safe a 1.5:1 WL is at 130 jumps?

"I've done it, therefore it must be safe" is not a good ethos to preach. I dont care how many jumps someone has. Brian Germain and the USPA have downsizing guidelines for a reason.

I'm not saying one-size-fits-all - you've proved that it doesn't. That doesn't make what you did safe or sensible. Even with my low experience, I radically downsized off my student gear (to a 1.1:1 loading I have now) and I THINK I've got away with it. I'd never advise someone to make the same choice though. Certainly not someone I've never met
You've now made it to 1000+ jumps. Good for you. I'll stick to the USPA/BPA guidelines personally and hope to make it to 1000+ too. Unlike you, I'm in no hurry though.

Edit to add: this wasn't a slur on you, or your post - just wanted to pick up on the specific comment you made
Blue Skies

[TALONSKY 0]

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Equally, how many people chose the same path as you and aren't here to preach about how safe a 1.5:1 WL is at 130 jumps?

I am not preaching to anyone start jumping 1.5 wingloading at 130 jumps either. I feel it is greatly dependant on your canopy flying skills and style. Yes as I stated being conservative is the safest approach but it not a death sentence to push beyond the norm as long as your skills are good and you get canopy coaching. Hell I know jumpers at 600 jumps that really have trouble landing safely at 1.3 wing loading.

[canedraw4 0]

If no one wanted to improve, enjoy more get more out of something, how would the sport or anything in the world evolve?

[canedraw4 0]

Just found out that a guy that i did my AFF with who has less than 200 jumps and ways 14 stone 196lbs without gear is jumping a pilot 132 at the moment in the states. Hmmmn, more food for thought.

[NWFlyer 2]

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Just found out that a guy that i did my AFF with who has less than 200 jumps and ways 14 stone 196lbs without gear is jumping a pilot 132 at the moment in the states. Hmmmn, more food for thought.

I don't have any advice for you on what you *should* jump (I'll leave that to the more experienced folks) but I can tell you that what your friend is or isn't jumping should have absolutely no bearing on your decision.

[artistcalledian 0]

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Just found out that a guy that i did my AFF with who has less than 200 jumps and ways 14 stone 196lbs without gear is jumping a pilot 132 at the moment in the states. Hmmmn, more food for thought.

wot?

________________________________________
drive it like you stole it and f*ck the police

[Andy9o8 0]

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Just found out that a guy that i did my AFF with who has less than 200 jumps and ways 14 stone 196lbs without gear is jumping a pilot 132 at the moment in the states. Hmmmn, more food for thought.

Factoring in about 25 lbs for gear, not only is that about a 1.67:1 wingloading, but a 132 is in the more aggressive "sub-150" range. Seems pretty aggressive for the average jumper with less than 200 jumps.

[jasonRose 0]

Man you need smaller than that! Why not try a velocity 90. You can do it!!!

By the way I don't know shit about shit, but I do know a good instructor can keep you safe and out of trouble when you have questions like yours..

I fly a spectre 170 and weigh about 190 geared up and I love my canopy and have no desire to down size at this point.

Stay safe!!!

Some day I will have the best staff in the world!!!

[HeyRobin 0]

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Either way its going to sit in its suitcase until i go to Empuria to do a canopy course at the begining of Febuary and hopefully then it will serve me well for a few hundred jumps.

Good call on the canopy control course. Also, I'd recommend working on that Downsize Checklist thang (could someone post a link to that?) with your current rig before downsizing.

Also. Consider jumping your current rig at Empuria until you're familiar with the area. No sense jumping a totally new wingloading with a totally new rig at a totally unfamiliar DZ if you can avoid it... and you can.

Just a thought.

edited to add: For that matter, you might wait and ask whomever's giving the canopy control course what they recommend.

[tbrown 26]

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Just found out that a guy that i did my AFF with who has less than 200 jumps and ways 14 stone 196lbs without gear is jumping a pilot 132 at the moment in the states. Hmmmn, more food for thought.

I think something like "Wingload, Schmingload" would look good on his tombstone. Hell, he could even save some dough and go ahead and have them carve "2006" on it for date of death.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[canedraw4 0]

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Either way its going to sit in its suitcase until i go to Empuria to do a canopy course at the begining of Febuary and hopefully then it will serve me well for a few hundred jumps.

Good call on the canopy control course. Also, I'd recommend working on that Downsize Checklist thang (could someone post a link to that?) with your current rig before downsizing.

Also. Consider jumping your current rig at Empuria until you're familiar with the area. No sense jumping a totally new wingloading with a totally new rig at a totally unfamiliar DZ if you can avoid it... and you can.

Just a thought.

edited to add: For that matter, you might wait and ask whomever's giving the canopy control course what they recommend.

The course is with Brian Vacha and i am already familiar with the DZ i have about 50 jumps there. Paul and his 132 was just a point of interest not something i thought would be good for me.