Canopy Size & wing loading

[skydude2000 3]

Hi everyone,

I've just recently applied for my 'A' license and I think I'll be looking for gear shortly. My exit weight is about 175, and thus far I've only jumped a 288, loaded at 0.7 and I have a couple of jumps on a 7-cell 210, loaded at 0.78. I'm trying to figure out how to buy my 1st rig. The 210 was pretty scary at first, but I may not find that, 100 jumps from now. My problem is that I need a left-handed container. Is there an easy way to demo-jump an experienced canopy in a student container, until I can buy one to have customized? What size should I be looking at, considering my jump #'s & weight?

P. S. I'm not into Swooping or looking cool.

Thanks,

Skydude

PULL!! or DIE!!

[AFFI 0]

I need a left-handed container???

Mykel AFF-I10
Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

[quade 4]

Quote

I need a left-handed container???

This is not unheard of.

Not everyone has full use of all of their appendages.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[AFFI 0]

Quote

Quote

I need a left-handed container???

This is not unheard of.

Not everyone has full use of all of their appendages.

Right, correct - but I have only known one person that had to use one so far so to me it is rare, was curious why and if the student gear was retrofitted.

[councilman24 37]

Do you NEED a left handed container because of a physical limitation? Or are you just left handed?

Left handedness isn't a reason for a left handed container.

Back in 1982 handle position wasn't standardized. I ordered a new container with a right hand throw out but with a right hand reserve and a left hand cutaway. I figured I wanted to alternate hands. I also only had a couple hundred jumps at the time and didn't know what I was doing. The rig came in completely reversed with a left hand throw out. I'm right handed. I kept that rig for 5 years, but when I sold it I converted it to 'normal' placement. During that time I also had a 'normal' right hand rig and a right hand ripcord rig with two hand canopy release. I only started to reach the wrong way once and stopped after only moving a few inches. But it wasn't a good idea.

If you need a special rig great. But a left handed people normally use a standard rig, and resale on a reversed rig would be difficult or impossible.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[AFFI 0]

Quote

My exit weight is about 175, and thus far I've only jumped a 288, loaded at 0.7 and I have a couple of jumps on a 7-cell 210, loaded at 0.78.

Some conflicting/confusing information about your WL to clarify:

175 exit weight, means you weigh around 150 lbs?

W.L. on the 288 is .61 (rounded up)

WL on the 210 is .83

Your profile lists a Saber 170 which would have a WL of 1.03

So do you mean you are currently jumping the 1.03 WL on a Saber 170?

******************

As for the left handed container, Terry tells a pretty interesting story and brings up some good points to consider as well. The one person I knew that had a left handed throw-out had a physical impairment necessitating the custom job - I do not know any left handers with a setup like that and since you have been jumping the student gear I can only assume you do not have any physical reason you cannot throw from the right?
-

Mykel AFF-I10
Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…

[councilman24 37]

just got clued in that you DO need a left hand throw out. What are you doing for cutaway and reserve? A Single Operation System? I don't know if you've checked it out but my guess is that most manufacturers will probably be able to build you a rig. But it may be more difficult these days than 25 years ago because of more integrated BOC's and existing patterns.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[skydude2000 3]

Ok, I may have fudged the numbers a bit on the exit weight. I weigh 165, student gear is about 20 lbs, so that puts my exit weight at 185, W/L of 0.64 under a Tutor 288. I'm at 0.88 under the 210, Sabre I think it is.

I'm jumping left handed because of a physical impairment on my right hand. I just don't trust it to save my life. I'm using a regular DAS, because I've trained with a 2-hand cutaway, and I'm comfortable with it. If I buy a used rig, I'm planning to just get a rigger to sew a spandex pouch on the left BOC. That way, it's a dual BOC and I don't hafta worry about all that resale crap. I'm just trying to figure out the easiest way to find a canopy I can test jump, that I'll be comfortable with for at least a couple hundred jumps.

PULL!! or DIE!!