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dream23

PD optimum reserve for swoopers

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I heard from my friends that PD optimum reserve is not suitable for swoopers as it might not function properly when wet, there were supposedly few incidents linked to wet optimum reserve.

I know reserve should be repacked when wet, but I want to make sure that it is safe to continue jumping that day(weekend) and have it repacked later.

As I havent found anything about this topis, I would like to ask here experienced users, if this is true. Are there any swoopers using Optimum reserve? What do you do when getting wet? Continue jumping or call it a day and have it repacked?

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I doubt any wet reserve will open very well.

I've only have two jumps on completely wet canopy(Icarus 330).
One of those wet canopy opened normal, and the other one came out in one chunk and stayed that way for quite a bit and then it slammed open.

Think about it, drogue collapsed, chunk of 330 over your head acting as a drogue, 175lbs person hanging underneath you....

I don't think I'll ever wanna experience wet reserve staying in a big wad and not catching air under 1500 ft.
Bernie Sanders for President 2016

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I've been conservative and opened the reserve every time I've taken a bath and the water has never got into the reserve fabric. The lines have been wet and the free-bag and pilot chute have been damp, but the reserve hasn't. That said, I tend to get out rather swim around.

I don't mean that I stopped jumping to check the reserve - I mean I checked the reserve at the end of the day/weekend/soon after to avoid damp/rot.

If you're in for longer, the progress of the water through the mass of material could make for slow/asymmetric/dangerous openings IMO. Anything that potentially slows my reserve or makes it asymmetric is bad news.

Swim faster, young jedi

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I don't mean to come across naive here and act like people don't jump wet containers/reserves, but the decision to jump a wet reserve should really not come down to if you have an optimum or PDR or . If you know your reserve is wet and continue jumping...you are doing so in less than ideal conditions regardless of the mfg.

we all roll the dice and take our chances. I don't think anyone is going to advocate jumping a wet PDR or Optimum.

I think the benefits of the smaller pack volume for people who jump tiny canopies / containers would out weigh concerns of a wet reserve.

Stay safe out there.
Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen
God is Good
Beer is Great
Swoopers are crazy.

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Even normal ZP can be trouble when wet. A few years ago after a dewy early morning jump I had a high speed mal on a Strong main that was wet from the dew on the landing area grass. When it came out of the bag the canopy just stayed in a sausage and I had to chop it.
Life is ez
On the dz
Every jumper's dream
3 rigs and an airstream

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