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jad_ben

What canopy after no jumping for 16 months ?

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Good morning ya'll,

My question is fairly simple.. I have been out of the sport for exactly 16 months. My last jump was during the WPC Dubai in 2012. I didn't get injured or anything, just had to stop for personal reasons.

Between March and December 2012 i made a little over 800 jumps, 300 were Tandem, around 200 on a Velocity96 early season and then after selling that VE-96 i made 300 jumps switching back and forth from a Velocity 84 and an FX 79. I was extremely comfortable under my canopies, my accuracy was 8/10 in any wind condition, elevation, etc..

I am making a comeback into the sport this year and not too sure where to start from. So my question is for those who have been out (either for injuries or ... well, injuries mostly) when you came back into the sport, do you go straight to what you were comfortable with before, or slowly ease back into it ? Want to know your opinions !
If everything seems under control, it's because you're not going fast enough.

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I was very uncurrent (years) and went up one size and to a less aggressive design (just to be extra cautious). Within a month or so I went back to my normal canopy after I got the feel back then eight months later I downsized after a couple hundred jumps or so.

Honestly it's more mental than anything else IMO. If you feel confident in what's over your head, you'll be fine. Having a nice margin for error is good though, like when having to land off on a night jump in a completely unfamiliar unlit place for instance. :D

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

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I took a 9 month break, and made a significant upsize when I came back. Was jumping a Storm 150 at 1.6:1, lost weight while I was gone, and came back to a Silhouette 210 at 1:1. Jumped that a couple weekends, then a Spectre 170 at 1.23:1, then back to my Storm now at 1.4:1.

I figured better safe than sorry. For your experience, I'd guess demo or borrow a Sabre2 120 or 135, then a Katana 107, then back to the Velocity 96 or whatever, over the course of a month.
Brian

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katzas

***You sound like a grown ass man. Make your own decisions.



Such a helpful comment from a D license holder. Got any more pearls of wisdom?

Lots of that going on here on any canopy questions in various forums here. At least he didn't say he was a fucking idiot for even considering not going back to a large canopy so he doesn't screw himself into the ground.

That said I do kind of agree with the content of what was said but there is nothing wrong with someone asking others how their hot rod canopy felt after an extended break. But that is going to be an individual thing just like how some can downsize safely and get reamed on here. Some people get nervous with speed and their head can not make decisions fast enough. Others everything seems slowed down in their head and have no tendencies to panic or have anxiety and can take a different path. They of course get hammered on because some get confused on where they fit in and get hurt.

Ultimately no one knows online the mindset of the OP(what dqpacker was trying to say). The fact that he has asked the question could indicate more concern than indicated and if so would say something in itself.

Whew. Sorry for the rant
That spot isn't bad at all, the winds were strong and that was the issue! It was just on the downwind side.

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Thanks for all your comments, they all make sens (except for that very useful comment, thanks a lot douche) but anyways, i'm gonna try and find a Katana 107 or 120 and slowly get back up to speed. Thanks a lot for your feedback guys
If everything seems under control, it's because you're not going fast enough.

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I was in your exact situation last year. I had been out of the sport for 6 years after a plane crash and the last canopy I jumped was a JVX85 @2.2:1. No one at this new DZ knew me so they made me make my first jump back under a 220. Definitely overkill but they didn't know me so I understood. After that I put 1 jump on a Sabre 170, 2 jumps on a Sabre150 and then went back to my old Jedei105 for 8 jumps before finally settling under a Velo103 with a 2.1:1 wingloading(Don't judge me, the voices in my head said I'd be fine:S). I do have to say that I forgot how fast a 2:1 wingloading was and was glad to have 12 jumps under my belt before getting back under a x-brace and dealing with a full RDS. Obviously it didn't take long for the visuals and old routine to come back. It was only 7 more jumps under my Velo before I was back to doing 270 deg approaches from 700' but I also did nothing but hop-n-pops and focused solely on flying my wing. I still avoid canopy traffic like a hot girl at the DZ with HPV!!! Bottom line is do whatever your belly is comfortable with. No one knows what you're capable of better than you. I'll choose risky confidence over indecisive conservatism every time.

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skow

***
JVX85 @2.2:1.
Velo103 with a 2.1:1 wingloading



you either gained some serious weight, or got really bad at math during your break ;)

I got fat! I'm 225 out the door with no lead now. I put on about 30lbs. It's awesome. Now I can get up to almost 2.5:1 with my same weight belt from 6 years ago if I can fit it around my belly when the time comes! :P

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