waterproof cypres

[grasshopper 0]

I haven't seen or heard much talk about waterproof cypres since their introduction. so my question is, other than cost, are there any drawbacks to them?
blue skies,
grasshopper

[riggerrob 558]

There are two drawbacks ot waterproof Cypri.
First of all water proof Cypri are more bulky.
Secondly the filter has to be changed every time you get it wet. So if you "score poorly" in the first three rounds of a pond swooping cometition, your rigger gets to dry out your reserve three times and you get to pay for three new filters. Oh joy!

[Kelly 0]

not to encourage taking your cypres in the pool with ya but heres what i witnessed from a cypres:
a friend of mine was swooping the golf course pond. He screwed up and hit the water halfway thru the landing. First he hit and bounced, then he had to doggy paddle to shore. then he had to strain up to the bank.. finally we were able to pull him out. All together he was in the water for about 3 minutes. his cypres was in there for probably a few seconds longer. we immediately popped his reserve and a rigger (who happened to be there) removed the cypres. I took it and dried it off with a friends shirt. Then i gently turned it so that the part where the wires run into it were upsidedown. I gently banged it against my knee, and water dripped out rapidly. We kept wiping it down.
turns out the cypres was perfectly fine. no damage done.
just so ya know~ sometimes they can be subjected to a lot of water and still work perfectly fine. I just see no reason to run out and get them, unless youre a hard core pond swooper and find yourself above water about as much as youre boarding a jump plane.

"i can not attest to what i did, just what i remember...."
~me, after one too many

[Geoff 0]

Quote

turns out the cypres was perfectly fine. no damage done.

Did SSK or Airtec test it, and confirm it was OK then?

[Fab 0]

Banging with a cypres doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Probably best to switch if off and let it dry for a long time (there could still be some water inside and what can happen when something short circuits when your in the air...prem depl). Besides the hazard of a short circuit, the airpressure sensor could be damaged by the water..I don't know how the sensor works however put it's a possibility.
I would ask some advice from SSK or Airtec before you go up again.

[riggerrob 558]

As a bare minimum, I would wipe/shake off any obvious water and leave any damp AAD to dry over night.
FXC recommends - something like - leaving a damp AAD in a 100 degree fahrenheit oven overnight to bake out any moisture.
Then I would do a chamber test, or at least the start-up routine.
Remember that all the manufacturers recommend returning damp AADs to their respective factories for inspection.
Oh, and moisture is unlikely to affect the air pressure sensor in a Cypres - because it is solid-state - but who knows what the water did to the tiny wires leading to and from the sensor?

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

OK, here's what I know about the kit and why I don't have one:
First, the thing does not fit into a standard Cypres pocket; you have to sew an oversized one in your rig (it comes supplied with the kit). If your reserve is already TIGHT with a regular Cypres you can forget it.
Second, Jim Slaton had one and it failed. Airtec gave him some grief saying it probably wasn't installed properly, but replaced the unit anyway.
Third, I have had a similar experience as Kelly's friend. To wit: I competed the entire Ranch Pond Swoop Nationals with my Cypres in. To make a long story short, I just didn't have time to yank it out prior to departing for the meet and I didn't bring my rigger tools with me. I left the unit turned off for the duration and didn't chow until the last two rounds, which were pretty much "hit the water or score a zero". My rig went completely subsurface on the last two jumps. Upon completion, I cut away my main to dry, then fired my reserve and flew it dry like a kite. I pulled the Cypres out, wiped off the little bit of dampness present, then did a functions check (no problem). I sent it off for a 4-year right after that since it was due and they found nothing untoward. I was pretty surprised how dry the thing stayed and very happy that it still worked.
Chuck
"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy"

[Aviatrr 0]

Damn......I figured you professional swoopers would have rigs dedicated to pond swooping - without a CYPRES ever in it......and probably rigs that NEVER saw terminal.. Hell, I've been thinking about getting another rig just to dedicate to swooping.......ok, no, not really - I need to perfect the regular swoop before I move to the pond..
Mike

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

Yeah. No shit. Actually, I had a swoop-specific container but got talked out of it by one of my buddies. It only takes me about 20 minutes to take out my Cypres and close my rig back, so it's not too much of a hassle. Now that I have a container deal with another sponsor I am definitely going to score a "water" rig.I am trying to get one sewn up with neoprene reserve flaps and backpad. Solid black and very sexy. Still you wouldn't believe how fast your shit dries out in the sun on a regular rig. My Odyssey is mostly black, so it doesn't show murky water stains (thank god). Troy Ketsdever, on the other hand, jumps a WHITE Infinity....
Chuck
My webpage HERE