Help downsizing!!

[Bluessurfer 0]

Hey Guys

I’m quite a novice skydiver with 210 jumps which 80 were done with a 9cell student PD. swooped later on for a saber 1 135. The problem is that I would like to downsize a little bit as my weight is just 50kg and my canopy rides are sometimes are too long and bumpy a real pain. Perhaps a smaller saber? Many Thanks for your help.

[AFFI 0]

Dont know about all this metric stuff - make tings easy on this dumb American -

What is your wing loading with your current canopy?

What exactly are the issues you are having with your current canopy?

Have you taken a look at the downsizing checklist?

Mykel AFF-I10
Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

[Bluessurfer 0]

Dont' know about all this metric stuff either and i don't have a clue about the wing loading with my current canopy but the main problem is that take me ages to land and sometimes in medium and strong wind conditions the canopy turns really bumpy and unsafe.

[wmw999 2,150]

50 kg is 110 lbs.
A 135 isn't bad (a little less than 1:1), but not great. However, to downsize you're getting into canopies that are designed to really be swooped by heavier people.

Talk to someone experienced where you jump about what's available. A 120 would not be a big downsize, and you can fly that conservatively still if that's what you want to do. But any small canopy is going to feel more radical than a larger one at the same wingloading because the lines are shorter, so you swing out more, and the canopy deforms a little more.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[AFFI 0]

First off I am a bit on the conservative side when it comes to down sizing because I have seen first hand what a human body looks like after making a mistake low to the ground flying a canopy that person was not ready for – so here goes..

Let’s see, I think 1Kg is 2.2 Pounds

50Kg multiplied by 2.2 is 110 Pounds + 25 for gear = 135 Pounds Divided by 135 Sq Ft =1

So your wing loading is 1:1 or close to it flying a Performance Designs Saber.

If these numbers are correct you current wing loading should not be causing you to hazardous problems – if you are backing up under a Saber with a 1:1 wing loading perhaps you are jumping in winds that are too high for your experience level. Something to think about.

Now go to the following link:
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/safety/detail_page.cgi?ID=47

This is the downsizing check list written by Bill von Novak - read it and honestly assess whether or not you are ready to downsize.

You will likely get a response here that you are looking for that will justify a decision to downsize. If it were my wife or brother seeking this advice I would insist they stay at the 1:1 on the Saber longer until they have really mastered the items on Bills cklst - and master means proficiency over and over and that they get a little more time in the sport and more actual experience in the air. You only have a couple hundred jumps, if ya break it down that is not really a lot of time to reach a high level of proficiency piloting your canopy.

But then again I could be wrong..

Hope this helps...

Mykel AFF-I10
Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

[Elisha 1]

No problem, but please don't cross post.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2026267;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

[FrogNog 1]

Would wearing weights be an alternative to flying a smaller canopy with shorter lines?

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[billvon 2,435]

>Would wearing weights be an alternative to flying a smaller canopy with shorter lines?

Some very experienced swoopers do this for better performance from their already-small canopies. It is a VERY bad idea for newer jumpers, though, as weights increase your speed AND increase the chances that you will break something during a botched landing (and increases the chances of drowning if jumping near water!)

[packerboy 3]

Take my experience for what it is... very little, but here is what I know:

When you start getting into canopies smaller than 135 or 120, they are of themselves higher performance regardless of wingloading. A 210lb jumper with a 1:1 wingloading on a 210sq ft canopy is going to experience something a lot more docile than a 107lb jumper under a 107sq ft canopy.

My experience does however include a bunch of jumps under a Sabre 135 at close to 1:1 (a little higher but not much). I think if you are finding your canopy flight under such a canopy at 1:1 too long, than you are being a little impatient. Do more jumps, complete Billvons list and go smaller... but for now just enjoy what you have, you have a lot to learn, and if you do it right, you have lots of time to learn it.

--------------------------------------------------
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

[bob.dino 0]

To give some context to people's replies, here's the thoughts of Performance Designs on wingloading and its effects.

[stoneycase 0]

extremely informative, especially for a lighter jumper like myself.

thanks.

Does whisky count as beer? - Homer
There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner
Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

[kschilk 0]

Consult with riggers at your home or regularly frequented DZs. They probably know your style of flying and your capabilities....as well as the typical conditions you'll be jumping in.
Also, are you using a collapsible pilot? If not, they will cause the same symptoms. Maybe consider a Sabre 2, Safire 2 (they make a 129) or the Fusion....and don't forget your container! Check pack volume allowances, if you don't plan on a whole new rig.

"T'was ever thus."