Jumpingeezer

I recently bought a Kiss as my first full face helmet after 30 years of using a ProTec. It took a bit of getting used to but it does work well. The Kiss is sized a bit small, so I would recommend getting a size larger than you are used to using. I really like the latching mechanism that doesn't require a chin strap, but I find that the visor latch is a bit hard to use. That one small issue is my only real complaint about the design. The flow through air design does truly keep the visor virtually fog free.

I never jumped a Triathlon but I did jump a Spectre for a few years. The Spectre always landed very well, but the openings were unpredictable. I transitioned to a Storm with Dacron lines and I haven't been disappointed. If a smooth opening is high on your list of priorities then I would highly recommend those bulky Dacron lines on whatever canopy you choose. You wont be the "Cool Gal" on the dropzone, but your Chiropractor won't be making a fortune off you.

Years ago I purchased a new rig that included a Spectre 190 canopy. I ordered that canopy because I was getting a bit "long in the tooth" and the Spectre had a reputation for nice soft openings with long snivels. Well, that canopy never lived up to that reputation. It would usually open without hurting me but never gave me a really soft opening. On some occasions it would really slam me! That wasn't what this old man needed. I sent it back to PD for a checkout and after a number of test jumps and trying a larger slider they decided it wasn't worth the effort of trying to save. They told me to choose the new canopy of my choice with the colors of my choice and they would put it at the top of the production list! No charge! I chose a new Storm with Dacron lines and that canopy really does open nice! Just what this old body needs to keep me in the air for a few more years. The Spectre was produced in Honduras and I have a suspicion that their quality control was not as good as that of the US manufactured products. I don't know this for a fact. I am just guessing. Whenever I compare an old US made product to it's now foreign made counterpart that is "made to our exacting specifications" it is never as good.

Let's face facts people. The full face skydiving helmet is more of a fashion statement than a safety device. That $300 helmet offers less head protection than a Pro-Tec that costs ten times less. Yes, it does offer a bit of protection to the chin in the event of a minor strike during a freefall collision but that is it! If you think that it makes you look cool and that look is what you want to achieve then go for it.

I still jump with my 28 year old Protec and I recently had my harness retrofitted with B12 snaps. Yes! I'm a fat old man who still likes to do a few jumps. What looks worse, hobbling around trying to get my legs into the straps with a thread through fitting or casually snapping the B12 connectors without any theatrics? I'll take the B12 connectors.

I'm 69 years old now and still jumping. I don't jump nearly as much as I used to, but that is a matter of logistics rather than desire. I now have to travel much farther to a drop zone than I did before retiring to the coast. I have participated in two SOS state records and I hope to participate in more attempts in the future. I have made a few concessions to aging such as having my harness retrofitted with B-12 snaps and using a more forgiving canopy. My range of motion isn't anywhere close to what it used to be, but I still feel that I am safe in the air and will continue to jump as long as I am not a danger to myself or to others. I won't get into freeflying or wingsuiting but I will continue to "belly fly" as long as I can. I might take up golf after that.

My Spectre used to open hard on a random basis, but never when I flat packed it. It never had that nice snivelly opening that the Spectre was famous for. After one particularly hard opening that nearly tore my head off, I sent it back to PD for an evaluation and a reline to Dacron lines. After a month or so of evaluations, PD told me to pick out the new canopy of my choice free of charge! Great customer service! But I can't help but wonder if PD's outsourcing of the manufacturing of that canopy to another country contributed to the slammer openings that I experienced? Can quality control really be maintained from afar? I doubt it. My new Storm canopy with Dacron lines suits my aging body just fine.

Hey Jim, (fcajump) Are you still hauling meat? Do you still make the demo jumps at Bealton? I jumped all of those canopies at Hartwood just like you did, and I thought that the XL Cloud was the greatest invention of all time! Still jumping with the SOS crowd. Dave

Why play guessing games? Take DBCOOPER's advice and send it back to PD for an evaluation. I had a Spectre that had inconsistent openings (some of them were real "spankers") and I sent it back to PD for testing. They made things right in a timely manner and with a minimum of hassle.

Why not just ship the canopy to PD and have them do the reline? I have done this a few times and have always been satisfied with the results. The cost and turnaround time was also reasonable. If you are doing this for the experience, then please disregard this post and have a good time at the sewing machine.

I too went from a Spectre to a Storm . I wasn't disappointed.

The static line route is still a viable option and the jumps can be much less stressful for some people than the AFF method. I really have to question why tandem jumps would be required before taking the FJC and jumping with the static line. This is a common practice at many drop zones, but it seems like a waste of money to this old school geezer.

I had a problem that was very similar to the one you described. I contacted PD and they had me send the canopy in for testing. I was VERY SATISFIED with the outcome. Take the advice offered by skybitch and John Mitchell.

Death is something that I could live with! Seriously, I would never want to suffer an incapacating injury that would render me incapable of enjoying my few remainging years on this planet.

Don't believe everything you hear. I have used Kroops for over twenty years (OTG) and I have never had a problem with them. You won't be the Kool Kid on the block with the latest and greatest, but they are inexpensive and they work just fine.