lazerq3 0 #1 February 12, 2002 I was doing some reading on PD's site about undoing the chest strap and stowing the slider. I am going from a PD 170 (1.01-1) to a hornet 150 (1.14-1) and I read that when undoing the chest strap and pulling down the slider it widens the canopy giving it more lift and better performance. Now at my loading it is considered a class 3 canopy and it says that this will not be a very noticable adjustment. However it said when the strap is undone it causes you to turn with the canopy instead of the canopy turning you and having to catch up with it. To me I would think this would be noticable. I want to start doing this but my question is how many times do I jump like I am now before I should start. Or would it be safe to start right away. I'm not looking to swoop or anything, just to feel and get the fulest glide I can ! How nerve racking is it the first time loosening your strap at 2500-3000ft??jason Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #2 February 12, 2002 What type of Chest strap? the wide typpe 8 webing have a catch at the end to make it hard to acccidently take it too far. The narrow ones on Javelins are a bit diffent at first, just look at what you are doing and leave plenty of excess there.Political Correctness - At least one person at any one time will be offended by something Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #3 February 12, 2002 You definately need to let out your chest strap. I fly a PD 190 and I can feel a huge difference. Just take it out until there is 1-2 inches of excess left. I find it easiest to push in on the lift webs with my upper arms while I loosen the strap with my fingers. You have to get the pressure off to be able to move it. If you have a collapsible slider use it. It makes a big difference in speed plus who wants to sound like they are flying a helicopter. If the grommets are big enough pull it all the way down behind your head so it won't catch any air and lets your risers spread out as far as possible. Yes, once the strap is loose you will need to lean to the outside in turns to keep your parachute loaded properly. Be careful when you first start doing hard turns. If you don't lean into it you may twist yourself up. Bad Juju!!! "I only have 131 jumps, so I don't know shit..right?"-Clay Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #4 February 12, 2002 QuoteTo me I would think this would be noticable. I want to start doing this but my question is how many times do I jump like I am now before I should start. Or would it be safe to start right away. There is no safety issue with undoing your chest strap once you're in the harness, unless you plan on inverting yourself....Wanna do it? Go nuts. It's just another thing to do before you get to start playing under your canopy._AmICQ: 5578907 @ MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hooknswoop 19 #5 February 12, 2002 If you get into the habit of doing it now, when and if you do downsize, you'll have it down and won't have to spend time under a faster canopy learning how to do it when you should be learning the new canopyFreeflier29- I think I misunderstood what you meant by leaning to the outside of a turn. Turning left and harness steering right is counter productive. ???Derek Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #6 February 12, 2002 Undoing a chest strap sounds scary.On the other hand, I usually loosen my chest strap to the very end. That and pulling the slider down behind my head makes my Sabre 135 (WL1.55) almost twitchy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lazerq3 0 #7 February 12, 2002 QuoteYes, once the strap is loose you will need to lean to the outside in turns to keep your parachute loaded properly. Be careful when you first start doing hard turns. If you don't lean into it you may twist yourself up. Bad Juju!!! Do you mean if I'm turning left...lean at my from my waist to the left?? Also will it make my final approach alot faster? Sorry for all the ??? But my DZ is closed and I have no one else to ask right now!jason Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #8 February 12, 2002 "I think I misunderstood what you meant by leaning to the outside of a turn"I was talking about toggle turns. When you are just spiraling you don't need to do much harness steering. (At my 1.3 loading) I do however just need to shift my weight to make sure I keep the outside lines loaded. Hooking is a much differen't story...."I only have 131 jumps, so I don't know shit..right?"-Clay Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #9 February 12, 2002 "Do you mean if I'm turning left...lean at my from my waist to the left??"When I'm spiraling up high I have noticed a tendency when in a left hand turn (Hard toggle turn, I mean pulled down as far as I can) that I need to lean to the OUTSIDE of the turn to keep the canopy loaded evenly. Otherwise it feels like the right side lines are loaded less and I'm not really stable in the harness. Now....Forget all this when you start using your risers to turn to final. Thats a whole nother story...."I only have 131 jumps, so I don't know shit..right?"-Clay Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freefallin14 0 #10 February 12, 2002 No one else added this so I thought I would - while first experimenting with this, it will take a little time to get everything in order (slider behind your head, and chest strap loosened) Be aware at all times of other traffic as you may get so caught up in looking at your gear that you forget to look around you. After a while though it will only take a few seconds. Bret Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lazerq3 0 #11 February 12, 2002 QuoteOtherwise it feels like the right side lines are loaded less and I'm not really stable in the harnessANd does that mean if you snap hard to the right it could twist up on you easier??? See thats what I love to do now is buury one toggle go just go like hell towards the earth, but I havnet ever sanpped the other way. I let the canopy come out of its turn and then snap it. But my finals are only 45 to 90 degree approaches and even those are still a little high!!jason Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lazerq3 0 #12 February 12, 2002 QuoteBe aware at all times of other traffic as you may get so caught up in looking at your gear that you forget to look around youGOOD POINT! My first couple jumps with this canopy I plan on Hopn Pops.. I jump at a 182 DZ so I can get out all by myself while everyone else goes up to 10,000. Plus the most we may have out at once is 5 form the 206 so there is traffic but not like 15 to 23 at once!!jason Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thrillseek 0 #13 February 12, 2002 You'll want to be careful when doing a right 90 degree turn followed by a 270 left, or vice versa. I have done this consistently since i started jumping, until i got thrown higher than horizontal in a spiral. What happens next is a very fast "gator roll" line twist situation. Mind you, this was on a sabre 210, so you can imagine how the odds will increase as the size decrease. You're the pilot--fly safe. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,110 #14 February 12, 2002 >There is no safety issue with undoing your chest strap once you're in the harness, unless you plan on inverting yourself....Or unless you collide with someone, or discover a canopy problem (like a widening hole in the topskin) or you hit really serious turbulence.I strongly recommend _not_ removing your cheststrap until you are on the ground. Loosening it gives you most of the same benefits, while keeps you in the harness if something really bad happens. After your parachute opens you're sitting 3000 feet above the ground with nothing but some nylon and strings holding you up - why would you want to remove the option to use your other parachute if you need to?-bill von Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lazerq3 0 #15 February 12, 2002 HOLD IT!!!!! are you talking about taking the chest strap completely off?? Cause I'm just talking about loosening it to its end stop or catcher or whatever you want to call it,but not taking it off!!jason Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hooknswoop 19 #16 February 12, 2002 I'm w/ Bill, loosening is OK, undoing the chest strap is an unecessary risk. To get maximum vaule from loosening the chest strap, you only have to loosen it until it is no longer taunt. Depending on if you pull your slider down and how big it is, the limit may be the slider or the length of your chest strap.Derek Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thrillseek 0 #17 February 12, 2002 *serious applause for common sense*Cyber beer for Bill... I think there are too many of us that forget how precarius a position we are in under canopy...I have had near collisions, near wraps (crw), collapsing canopies, line overs, cutaways, and the list goes on and on... Maybe i just have bad luck though!**Gotta give a shout out to my reserve..i love you man!** Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aviatrr 0 #18 February 12, 2002 Quote How nerve racking is it the first time loosening your strap at 2500-3000ft?? Not at all.....since you are just loosening it, not removing it.. Squeeze your shoulders together in front of you(which relieves the tension on the chest strap), grab the chest strap buckle with a couple fingers, pull it to the side, and start releasing the tension on your shoulders........when your shoulders are back in the "relaxed" position, pull about another 2" of slack into the chest strap.. It's loose enough to allow your canopy to spread, but still snug enough that it will keep you in the harness if you have to cutaway later.. Loosening the chest strap takes me all of about 2 seconds, max.. Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 4 #19 February 12, 2002 In case it hasn't been beaten to death already, the point is to LOOSEN your chest strap all the way, NOT take it off. You do this AFTER you kill and stow your slider and BEFORE you unstow your brakes (at least that is what I do on every single skydive). ChuckMy webpage HERE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lazerq3 0 #20 February 12, 2002 Thanks for all the great info!! I'm sure I'll have more than enough things to play with for a LOOOOOONG time with this new canopy. Now if only the DZ would open and the canopy was here !!!jason Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
