Newbie Question

[Kristan 0]

There is probably a million questions just like this but here it goes. I have been gear shopping and my question is this: As far as canopies go, how much can a student/novice deviate from the size of the canopy? I mean, I don't want to buy all the gear reqired to hold a 190 if I am going to want to go much smaller in the near future. TIA

[Dangerousmind86 0]

if you buy a new container have them make the main tray for a 170. that way you can cram a 190 in for a while then go 170, then if it ever happens a couple hundred jumps from now then you could go to a 150. But I'm a newb too so i'm just letting you know what my rigger had me do. from 230-210-190 if i get there in the future

ANDY

[JackR 0]

I don't like moving more than one size outside of the canopy size that the container was designed and built for. You start introducing strains and stress points that were not part of the original container design.

The advice given to me when I was looking for my first rig was to look at used gear. I still think this holds true. You are just at the doorway to a wonderful sport with many, many opportunities. You're going to want the next hundred or so jumps to explore where to go with your skydiving career.

There is a lot of good used gear out there to choose from. Now is a great time to be looking. There were some great innovations introduced at the beginning of the year at the PIA symposium, so the experienced jumpers are looking to upgrade. They will fund this upgrade by selling their slightly used equipment. Also it is spring time and many jumpers in the north are dusting off their gear and wanting something newer.

Grab some quality used gear right now. At the end of the summer, you'll have a better idea about the different containers, different canopies, and different options. Then next year, you may be selling this to pay for the perfect rig for your jumping.

I think you'll get a better return on your initial investment and you're less likely to downsize out of your second rig.

Blue skies, and keep checking this forum for answers to all of your questions.

Packin' Jack
42nd Lost Prairie: The Ultimate Answer to Life, the Universe, and Skydiving
25 Jul - 3 Aug 2009
2007 photos: http://www.skydive.com/prairie/pages/prairie.htm

[upndownshop 0]

Quote

There is probably a million questions just like this but here it goes. I have been gear shopping and my question is this: As far as canopies go, how much can a student/novice deviate from the size of the canopy? I mean, I don't want to buy all the gear reqired to hold a 190 if I am going to want to go much smaller in the near future. TIA

go here http://www.skyfestboogie.com/buyingyourfirstrig.htm

then when you have more questions, feel free to ask here or even pm me.

Good luck and take your time......If you are under 150 pounds I would not spend your money on a container built to hold a 190 or even a 170..... but more on that later.

read on and welcome to our sport

J

[billvon 3,114]

A lot depends on the design of the container. A container with a bottom-anchored closing loop has a wider range than a container with a flap-mounted closing loop. You can always go up or down about a size; the bottom-anchored closing loop allows you to put a canopy ~2 sizes smaller in the container. I've successfully put a 117 in a container (with bottom anchored closing loop) sized for a 150. The key is careful setting of the closing loop to allow for sufficient tension to prevent out-of-sequence deployments.

(Note that the rig won't look very good when going that far outside its normal range.)