Downsizing for Lightweights

[mujie96 0]

I would like to know how the lighter jumpers, men or women, went about downsizing and how quickly they did it. I weigh 120 pounds or so without gear, so 140 or less with gear, and I am jumping a very tired 185 square foot F111 canopy. I would also like to know how much harder it is to fly and land a Sabre 170. I have 20 jumps now, my student canopy was a Sabre 230 and I've been using the Falcon pretty much since then, with one or two jumps on whatever else was available (NAvigator 200 or 190, one on a Sabre 170 but I had a bad spot and landed downwind somewhere other than the DZ and thus didn't get a feel for it).Thanks.
Jess

Just keep swimming...just keep swimming....

[Ducky 0]

Jess,

I have about 10 lbs on you (130lb) so we are in simialr positions. I have flown anywhere from an Omega 210 to a Monarch and a Sabre 150 with lots in bewteen and I have 58 jumps.

My canopy skills are perhaps average if not a little above according to the Instructors who know me. The only canopy I have any bulk of time under was a Safire 169 (25+jumps). I think changing canopies alot has made me perhaps a little more conservative, but also helped me to learn to feel out a canopy up high. I have stood up my last 43 landings (knock on wood) but will confess some were not exactly on target.

I am in the process of buying gear now and and am looking to buy a 150 probably a Hornet. In actaulity I would not be loading a 135 too terribly heavy, but think that's just a little small for me. The 150's I have jumped were plenty fun and fast, but still within my abilitiy. 20 jumps ago I may have been satisfied with a 170, but after much careful thought and trying smaller I know i would be unhappy with it quickly. I think a 150 will suit me for MANY jumps to come.

As I am sure other peeps will tell you demo whatever it is you are thinking of buying first.

kwak

Sometimes your the bug, sometimes your the windshield. Sometimes your the hammer sometimes your the nail. Question is Hun, Do you wanna get hammered or do you wanna get nailed?????

[AggieDave 6]

Remember something when taking advice about this from guys, they will not have the same experiences under canopy as you will. Some will have flown the same sized canopies that you're looking at, but that will be at a higher wingloading, which will cause their experience to be different from yours. Then you look at the different canopies and ask people who would load them at the same loading that you want to load at, but their experiences will be different due to the size of the canopy and more importantly, the length of their lines as opposed to what you would be jumping.

Good luck!

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[PhreeZone 15]

Check out Performance Design's website. John put up an excellent artical on this. He refers to how a wing loading of 1:1 on a 210 is not at all like a wing loading of 1:1 on a 120. The 120 will be much faster and more responsive then the 210 even at the same loading.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[mujie96 0]

Thanks, that was a good article. I should take it to the DZ and pass it around.
Jess

Just keep swimming...just keep swimming....

[Ducky 0]

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wing loading of 1:1 on a 210 is not at all like a wing loading of 1:1 on a 120. reply]

kind of what I was getting at by saying the math indicates my wingloading (1.2) on a 135 would not be too bad, BUT it's a 135 were talking about not a 150+ @ 1.2.

kwak

Sometimes your the bug, sometimes your the windshield. Sometimes your the hammer sometimes your the nail. Question is Hun, Do you wanna get hammered or do you wanna get nailed?????

• Quote

[cam 0]

i'm about yr weight and put 100+ jumps on a 150 before it started to feel a bit sluggish. it was my first canopy (after student rigs) but what u are comfortable with may not be the same.. a lot of ppl i know got smaller canopies with their first set of gear and were just fine... they were better canopy pilots than me

[Jumperpaula 0]

I was your weight when I started jumping, . Student Status I jumped a 210. I was advised to start with a 150. I put 200 jumps on the 150 before I thought of downsizing.

Things I would consider:
How often do you plan on jumping? Are you an every weekend at the DZ jumper or a once or twice a month jumper. I would be conservative if I knew I wouldn't always be current.

Also, if you are going to be wearing a weight belt , don't forget to add that to your wing loading calculations. Its the curse of the small body mass.

[Beachbum 0]

I'm lightweight for a guy my height (6'2", only 145 lbs) .. and got REAL tired of lack of drive, etc. on the 215 student rig (smallest at the dz where I went thru AFF). SO ... I wanted to get my own canopy ASAP when I was ready for it. I talked with a LOT of folks about it, but particularly to the JM's who had worked with me. One thing they stressed is that the same size canopy in one type may be much more forgiving of small errors than another type. Safety was a main concern for me, being 45 when I started into this, I have figured out that my body IS breakable. I ended up opting for a 160 triathlon (puts me dead on 1:1) because it is small enough to be a lot fun for me, but is (according to everyone I know who should know such things) a very forgiving canopy. I have to admit, going from a 215 to the 160 was scary before I did it, but I decided that if the JM's thought I could handle it .. I probably could. The first landing on it wasn't too pretty, but after that .. I found it much easier to get good landings on than the 215. I guess my main advice on this would be to do some serious consulting with those who best know your abilities. Tell them what your thoughts are as to how you expect to be flying it, and what you will expect it to be able to do ... and see what they think.

As long as you are happy with yourself ... who cares what the rest of the world thinks?

[alan 1]

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I have to admit, going from a 215 to the 160 was scary before I did it, but I decided that if the JM's thought I could handle it .. I probably could.

You were lucky. I think much better advice would have been to make a few jumps on at least one canopy size in between. All is well that ends well and your Tri is a good choice. I am sure it will treat you well for many, many jumps to come and give you the opportunity to learn more about being a good canopy pilot......if you make the effort and take the time and jumps to learn. There are many good articles with advice in them, many right here in this web-site, just do a little searching. PD's web-site also has some great stuff as well as Icarus. Try this article, it is a little on the technical side, but if you gloss over the numbers and formulas, the basics are there.
http://www.afn.org/skydive/sta/highperf.pdf

alan

[mujie96 0]

Thanks jumperpaula-was the 150 scarey? I started using a Sabre 170 this weekend and it was different enough to make me happy but not enough to scare me. Its much easier to land, although its still big enough that if its windy I don't get a whole lot of drive. I'm going to use a 170 for the next 5 or 6 weeks until the container for my 150 get here.
BLue skies!
Jess

Just keep swimming...just keep swimming....

[Jumperpaula 0]

I tried a 190, 170 and 135 (that was scary) before my 150 came in.

I don't remember it being scary. It was more like the Goldy Loxs "this one is just right!"

[drenaline 0]

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The first landing on it wasn't too pretty, but after that .. I found it much easier to get good landings on than the 215.

Same for me, I was jumping a PD 230 until my jump number 17, on the 18 I changed to a Spectre 150. First landings were not so good but now its much better than trying to land the PD 230. Exit weight is 165 lbs.

HISPA 21
www.panamafreefall.com

[Beachbum 0]

I totally agree ... and had planned to make a few jumps on a friend's 190 first ... but he didn't make it to the dz that day, and my stuff was in ... and as I said ... the JM's talked to me about it VERY thoroughly and told me to go ahead ... with extremely specific instuctions (and light wind). I have only had that one bad landing, and it wouldn't have been bad except I got a bit tilted by a small gust and didn't correct fast enough, right in the middle of my flare ... kinda let it yank me over sideways. I've had that happen a couple of more times since, and have made the correction ok (that old "fly it 'til it stops" bit is true!!). Thanks for the link ... downloading the .pdf right now!

As long as you are happy with yourself ... who cares what the rest of the world thinks?

[fool 0]

I weigh about the same as you and progressed from the student Mantas 288 sq ft, then a 220 fury, then PD 190, and tried a sabre 150 as well as a 170. I eventually bought a spectre 135 when I had 43 jumps, and now have about 107 or so and love the canopy. It's a ZP 7 cell, and i really have nothing bad to say. You can tip toe land it, or using the right technique (or as much of the right technique as I know so far..) actually get a fair bit of swoop out of it. Already stated earlier in this forum, is that your experience is not our experience. Ultimately talk to people you know, and who have much experience and they can help you figure out what it is you're looking for. I don't know, just my thoughts. Good luck, and have fun.

S.E.X. party #1

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "f*#k, what a ride".