Slamming Triathlon... HELP!

[Donna 0]

My husband has gotten slammed on opening twice lately with his new
Triathlon. We are trying to figure out why. On the last one he was
pretty sore with bruises on both thighs and along his right side near
his chest and broke his finger. Most other times he has nice openings
and he can't figure out anything he is doing different. He is
pro-packing it according to the Triathlon video. We are using the small
rubber bands like Aerodyne suggests but some people have said it might
be line dump because of the small bands and say we should switch to the
larger ones and double them. He is careful about making sure his slider
is way up and he thinks his body position at deploy time has been nice
and stable. Since I just started jumping my new Triathlon I'd like to
try to avoid it happening to me, too. We would appreciate any advice or
suggestions.
Thanks!
Skies,
D

[DBTECH 0]

In regard to line dump and openings.
I recommend no less than 2 1/2" bites for the locking stows and not less than 3" bites for the last four stows, with the bands wrapped twice if needed. As far as Tube Stows are concerned, you may want to do a Double Larks head knot, as this will make for a tighter stow without double wrapping the line bite.
(see "tighter" or "tightest" on Tube Stow instruction sheet)
Aside from poor stowing methods, the other negative factors in line dump are large pilot chutes and light weight canopies, as both these factors will mean higher bag acceleration away from the jumper. This results in the stowed lines pulling on the stows harder during bag launch, possibly resulting in their premature release (line dump) if not stowed properly. Large pilot chutes also increase the percentages of fast/hard openings.
I'm currently jumping an Atair Cobalt 135 with a 21" ZP pilot chute that I made.
(400+ jumps on PC)
I recommend quartering the slider.
Dave Brownell
Mesa/Eloy, AZ

[DZBone 0]

Whaddya mean? Those bruises were gorgeous!
I vote for line dump. A quick change of rubber bands should be pretty easy, and telling.
Someone should also go up with him and watch the deployment. That will help determine if there is indeed line dump, whether he has body position issues, how his fingers are getting caught in the risers , etc. Even better, get high-speed video of a few deployments.
Carl

[rogue108 0]

I have had a couple of hard openings on my Triathlon, but they weren't all that hard. Apparently the previous owner of my Triathlon had broken some lines due to a hard opening. He got the lines repaired and a new slider to remedy the problem. What I have done to slow the opening (when necessary) is to tuck the nose toward the center of the canopy. This tends to slows things down and increases the snivel. Another thing I do is to make sure the slider is well quartered and the front and the back of the slider are cupped outward to catch the air. My $ 0.02

[cloud9 0]

This is interesting, my Triathlon opens so soft and slow I sometimes wonder if its going to open. I pro pack, fold the nose into itself and make sure the slider is pulled out over the nose. I roll the tail just enough to control the pack. I also use the super bandz that aerodyne recomends, the small ones.
I had one hard opening and I know I was feet down when it happened. That one did the same to me with the bruises and I sprained my finger on the risers.
Check his body position cause thats what got me.

[BadDog 0]

I jump a Tri too, and it slammed me 3 or 4 times before I came up with the "solution". Here's what I suggest:
1. Use Super Bandz.
2. Use 3" line bites. That's the length of my little finger, and that's how I check them.
3. Roll the nose (4 times) and quarter the slider (especially over the nose).
4. Stay belly-to-earth when you deploy. Don't look up as you deploy.
Works for me.
CorporateLawyerDave aka BadDog

[Craig 0]

I was slammed several weeks ago on my Triathlon 160 loaded at 1:1. Neck and back was a little sore the next day and I split my knucke open on one hand and had a swollen and sore finger on the other from the risers. Was dazed for a few seconds as well. I have about 40 some jumps on it and purchased it new FYI. I could not come up with a resonable explination. I am almost positive the slider was un-stowed since I always make sure it is quartered between the line groups and pulled out the front over the nose about an inch or two, which would be difficult if stowed. Oh, and I was pro packing. The first 20 jumps or so I used the small bands but needed constant replacement because after a few deployments they would stretch and not grip the lines well at all, especially after the locking stows and the first regular stow since the line bulk decreases cause your past the cascades (at least on my d-bag). After those first 20 jumps I started rolling the nose, all together about 4 times, trying to slow the already relatively soft openings (was about 600', looking for around 700-800' openings). I have always used about 2.5" locking stows and between 2.5" and 3" stows on the rest. I had changed over to the larger rubber bands, double stowing all except the locking stows prior to the slammer. After the slammer I have folded the three end cells on each side in and pushed the center cell in like the video shows and I was originally doing in the beginning. Now I also roll the tail about 6 times pretty tight which have yeilded really nice openings. Not to mention that I really make sure the slider is up ALL the way! I have also rolled the stabilizers in like they suggest in the video on all jumps on the canopy. Like I said I am not sure on the cause of the hard opening, maybe chalk it up to shit happens? In any event, the little blood stain on my steering toggle and slider grommet seems to be a good reminder to pack carefully.
Craig

[RemiAndKaren 0]

mmm... this all puts the reputation of the original Sabre in perspective..... doens't it?

[cjw 0]

I'm a packer, and I'm a rigger. the local 4 way girls all jump Tri's. I pack for them and can easily give them a 800 ft opening. (Karen and Jeni would rather open high and get set in cotton.) here's the deal:
roll the nose. I mean it! not just flop it a few times, roll it. start by stacking up the seams and rolling just the seams. you should be able to get a full 360 turn before it gets fatter than a hot dog. Start by turning 1 inch folds on your hip and roll tightly from there.
When you get it rolled, pull the front edge of the slider up over the rolled nose. make it catch air first.
Roll the tail the same way. Start by stacking the two seams and roll them. keep it tight right up until you feel the ribs fatten it up. don't just flop it. don't the slider grommets show.
stows. don't use super bands (aka death stoes) they get old and stretch out for dumpage. double wrap and you get a bag lock (already one this year here, not by me). rubber bands, double wrapped. 2 inch stows. any larger and it's too easy to get a tangle in a tangle, then you're bag locked. there is a reason why reserves are 1.5 to 2 inches -- safety. more shorter stows are safer and softer. also less chance for one to catch and start the bag spinning for twists. you'll also break less rubber bands. I break one every 6-8 jumps.
Tri's aren't born spankers, they just aren't forgiving to sloppy packing.
-chris

seal #S19

[Kirils 1]

Check out the Tri packing video from AR. It's one of the best
packing videos I've seen. I have psycho-packed my girlfriends
160 Tri and it takes almost grand to open! Slow, and on heading.
Skydiving is not a static excercise with discrete predictability...

[rhino 0]

I put 250 jumps on my Tri150.. Get the rubber bands from Aerodyne Research and double them. Don't worry about bag lock, the rubber bands will break if they have to.. Also, Roll the nose completely on both sides, 4 or 5 rolls, medium stuff, and quarter the slider.. You won't have any problems.. I got wacked one time on my Triathlon due to what could have only been line dump. Also good to have a 20" pilot chute so the snatch force isn't too great.. Blue Skies!!
Blue Skies and Smooth Rides!!