Atom Classic

Hey, this is a simple review - because the Atom rig is simply perfect.
A really bold statement to make on a rig. We all know of the personal bias that any owner of a piece of jumping equipment has about it... but this is the truth!
I have had my current Atom rig since 1997, when my 4-way team took it to the 1st World Air Games in Turkey, and there has been no maintenance needed (apart from closing loops) except for a wash to get the Eloy dust out of it!
P de France have been the innovators in parachuting equipment for the last 8 years, coming up with all those goodies that you take for granted on "other" rigs nowadays.
Things like stainless hardware, DECENT bridle protection, reverse risers (no grommet hole punched throught the riser and no chance of risers being snagged in a total mal if you have pulled the cutaway handle first!),narrow chest straps, velcro-less brake toggle stowage, detachable soft links, metal swage clip to retain the cutaway cable housings, etc, etc. (get the point?)
The quality of manufacturing workmanship is fantastic. All of the finishing has been of the highest quality throughout.
Comfort is exceptionally good when wearing the rig - but why would you buy a rig that is uncomfortable to wear - right?
My rating as a rigger lets me into some areas that most do not see, and you should know about those as well. The reserve (Techno) is the lowest bulk available, which = fit more canopy into a smaller space. Nice small reserve pack-up. The line stowage of the reserve is a very "staged" affair which uses line stowages instead of the total free-stow of lines common to all other types of rigs. "Is it safe - do they work OK?" Yes, it works beautifully. A few reserve rides on my Techno leaves me in no doubt of it's functionality and performance!
Overall: comfort, performance, quality, design are all fantastic.
Negatives: Difficult to find one. Aha! The bungee collapsible pilotchute system that comes as standard (well in '97 it did). The kill-line is the best to use on a high performance main, but I will be confident that this will be a standard feature by now!
Simply: find someone on your DZ who has one and have a look. Then have another GOOD look, and talk to any Rigger - they will like it as well!
And you will look STUNNING wearing it on the DZ...
Blue Skies!

Bought my first Atom rig from my jumpmaster who but way over 1000 jumps on it. I took over and no matter what I do with it, it has never failed me so far. The finishing is great, the concept makes sense and it’s safe. Beginning from the pin protection to the risers to the line protection for the pilot chute. I ordered my new one last month and will keep my old one for injumps and back to back loads. There is no way I’ll give away my first rig. If you get a chance to try one – do it and you’ll see why this is a great rig. For all Europeans it’s also an good alternative to the US because of the USD being so damn high. The only shortfall is the waiting period for new rigs -up to 4 month and counting :-(

Before I bought my Atom I asked everyone I saw with one on what they thought of it and all I got was positive comments. My rigger jumps one and he told me it's one of the most well made and durable containers about.
The reversed risers might not be to everyone's taste though. The theory is that they have one less grommet and that makes them stronger but I've never heard of any type of riser breaking.
I really like the bridle line protection, comming out of the pilot chute pouch there's just 2cm of exposed line, at the pin there's about 4cm.
The risers are well protected, I've never had the covers pop open.
The reserve pin has the best cover I've seen (aside from something like the Teardrop where it's actually between your back and the rig). The main pin is also well covered, with a nice long tounge that tucks up under main flaps and is about as secure as I've seen.
Even though the harness is a little bit too small (I bought the whole rig 2nd hand) it's really comfortable, especially under canopy.

I wouldn't hesitate in buying another Atom, after 100 jumps it's been absolutely faultless.