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Mars

Do I jump the Triathlon 135?

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I need your opinions.

Basically I am 55kg, 121lbs without gear. I have 80 jumps.
Do I downsize to a Triathlon 135? Is it too soon or how many should I put on the 155?

I have talked to quite a few instructors and most of them say they would be happy to put me under it because my wing loading is fine and I land well, and after all its a triathlon. I'm perhaps paranoid after an instructor told myself and friend (who is 119lbs to buy 170's and put a hundred jumps on them before downsizing which at loading of 1.2 seems strange) It doesn't matter how many jumps you have, some people never learn how to land, but I've always been a good lander and never try anything stupid.

No matter how many people tell me to jump it, I just don't want to end up in a puddle of blood.

Canopy progression:

Manta's 280 &
Fury 220's around 40 jumps.
Triathlon 190 around 15 jumps
Triathlon 175 around 8 jumps
ZPEXE 155 about 10 jumps

I jump in England and according to the BPA student regulations, I could jump this canopy on my 2nd jump, and the British are quite strict!

Under the 155 I still feel like I'm putt putting along like an old car. I've jumped it in no winds and high winds. I feel completely confident under it.

What do you think?

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Do I downsize to a Triathlon 135? Is it too soon or how many should I put on the 155?



It's not about jump numbers, there is no magic number at which you can downsize safely. It is however, about skill level. BillVon has a reasonable list of skills you should posess before you downsize, search the forums and you'll find them.

Edited to add the following:
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Under the 155 I still feel like I'm putt putting along like an old car. I've jumped it in no winds and high winds. I feel completely confident under it.



There are plenty of jumpers every year feeling confident under their current canopy who injure or kill themselves shortly after downsizing. It's good to feel confident, better to prove your skills. I put over 400 jumps on my canopy before downsizing, before I realized that I could complete BillV's list of skills. Now that I have, I realize I've got a whole new world of things to learn.

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Jim

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Jim
"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

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If your local instructors think you can handle a Triathlon 135 and you have done all of Bill Von's exercises under your current canopy and most of your landings have been stand-ups near the target, then go for it!

Truth is some of your local senior jumpers are probably scared of anything smaller than a 170 and they are trying to prevent you from repeating their mistakes. However, you sound like a bright lad and you can probably learn more in 20 coached dives than they have in the last thousand.

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Your exit weight is probably about 20 lbs more than your normal body weight with gear. That said you probably have about 140 lbs exit weight.

On a 135 you are barely over 1:1.

This is lightly loaded and quite reasonable.
Just be very cautious about what you do after changing.
Fly very conservatively until you have a good bit of time under that canopy.

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Can you tell me about your downsize progression and weight etc...



I made about 30 jumps on student/rental gear varying in size from 280 -> 210. At around jump #30 I bought a Safire 189 that was really a Safire 173ish. I loaded that canopy pretty heavy for someone with my number of jumps, around 1.4. I had plenty of bad landings under that canopy and probably broke my tailbone. Had I known about the size issues witht he early Safires I wouldn't have jumped that canopy. After about 450ish jumps I downsized to a Crossfire2/159 at about 1.55. After a few jumps on this canopy last weekend I can tell that it's going to keep my busy for a long time.

-
Jim
"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

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Seems to me your mind is already made up.........

It's a Triathlon loaded at 1.1 to 1, not a X braced at 2.5 to 1 for god sakes, Just jump it already!

You can kill yourself just as easily with that 155. 20 sq ft won't save your ass if you do something stupid enough to kill/seriously injure you under either. Like I said 1.1 to 1..........................it's not like your pushing it!
_______________________________________________

More rules is NEVER the right the answer.....

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This is lightly loaded and quite reasonable.



While this is quite true, it's also important to remember that it's high enough to screw you into the ground and kill you if you make a big enough mistake under canopy. Don't forget to fly smart at whatever wing loading you're jumping guys! You can't afford to be complacent just because you're jumping a lightly loaded canopy!

peace, blue skies, and dark beer.

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This is lightly loaded and quite reasonable.

Don't forget to fly smart at whatever wing loading you're jumping guys! You can't afford to be complacent just because you're jumping a lightly loaded canopy!

peace, blue skies, and dark beer.




100% agreement. Complacency kills.

Being too agressive too soon also kills.
My point was simply that a jumper with a 140 lb exit weight on a 135
is just BARELY over 1 to 1 so if the change is only one size or so (150 to a 135) and the jumper is comfy, its a good change and not pushing any reasonable limits on safety.
Obviously they should fly very conservatively until they get used to the canopy

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it's also important to remember that it's high enough to screw you into the ground and kill you if you make a big enough mistake under canopy



you can do that under any canopy....a wingloading of around 1.03:1 on a 7cell triathlon is not bad. recognize mars that you are jumping a smaller canopy, it will fly different....plus assume that i am a donkey and make your mind up for yourself whether you should fly this canopy!

remember, if you power-auger yourself into the turf, you won't be able to make the next load!


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Never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience!

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My point was simply that a jumper with a 140 lb exit weight on a 135
is just BARELY over 1 to 1 so if the change is only one size or so (150 to a 135) and the jumper is comfy, its a good change and not pushing any reasonable limits on safety.



I agree! And the Tri's got a good reputation as a nice docile canopy, so it's probably a good move down for him! It should be very managable... and fun!

I was just reminding everyone to fly safely, regardless of wing loading, that's all!

"If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."

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