Will I eventually want to downsize?

[JerseyShawn 0]

Im just a student but would like to hear some opinions.

After I get my A I plan on buying a new rig just so I have a comfortable custom rig. Out the door Im 210, 1:1. I've heard with a 190 ZP canopy will give me the same fall rate. Anyway, I don't plan on swooping with a small canopy or anything like that. I really enjoy the canopy ride down and Im in no rush to get to the ground.

I currently have no attraction to do RW. Just bellyfly and freefly in the future seems like where I want to go with the sport. And the long canopy ride down is good.

Two questions (Ill ask my instructors too). Is 210 or a 190 too big of a container to freefly with in the future with? And with accumulated experience have you had the need or want to downsize? Or was/is sticking to a larger canopy all you ever needed? Three questions, sorry I lied.

I don't want to make a mistake of buying a larger container. Thanks in advance!

[davelepka 4]

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I don't want to make a mistake of buying a larger container

Then don't. Buy a used container, jump it for a year and see how you feel then. If you find yourself thinking about a smaller canopy, maybe you can fit one in your rig or maybe you buy a smaller rig. If you still feel like you'll never want to go smaller than a 190, use your increased level of experience and knowledge to pick out the best rig that 2012 has to offer.

Unless you are very oddly sized, you can find a great fitting used container. Even if you are oddly sized, you can have a used harness resized to fit you perfectly, and have the total price of the used container plus the resize still be less than half the cost of a new one.

If you buy new right away, and quickly find out that you will want to go smaller, you're going to lose a ton of cash selling a 1 year old container with not too many jumps on it. Containers are like cars in that if you buy a new one, you need to keep it and use it for a few years in order to get your moneys worth when it comes time to sell it.

A word on 'custom' fit harnesses, there really only a handful of harness sizes they make. For an oddly shaped person, they might bump a measurement here of there out a bit, or cut the leg straps or pads a little long, but when they say 'custom' it's not custom fit like a tailored suit. They don't test fit it, and pin it here or there to cut it just right, they look at your measurements and slot you into the closest size that will work for you. Again, if you're anywhere near normal proportions, you'll be able to find a rig that fits.

In terms of the size, you can freefly in any size container if it's freefly friendly. You may find in a year and 100 jumps that you prefer to carry around, and fly in, a smaller, lighter, more aerodynamic rig, but from a functionality standpoint, the size of the rig does not matter.

[theonlyski 8]

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I currently have no attraction to do RW. Just bellyfly and freefly in the future seems like where I want to go with the sport. And the long canopy ride down is good.

Bellyflying is RW, freeflying is VRW... so unless you plan on just doing solos, you're going to be doing some sort of RW

Eventually you may want to downsize, but don't count on it. I got tired of not getting much wind penetration on higher wind days, so I moved down to a 170.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[DocPop 1]

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Bellyflying is RW, freeflying is VRW... so unless you plan on just doing solos, you're going to be doing some sort of RW

And then there's CRW.....

"The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls."

~ CanuckInUSA

[Martini 0]

Will I eventually want to downsize?

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Most people eventually downsize. Reasons vary but mainly a smaller canopy is more maneuverable and therefore more fun. Yes there are issues both pro and con with a smaller canopy but you don't have to get into swooping or have a highly loaded canopy to have fun. You are in the sport for fun I'm sure, well almost any passenger car is more fun to drive than a schoolbus.

Sometimes you eat the bear..............

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