I'm brand new at this, weigh 175 without a rig, and am jumping with a Manta 288. I'm having the same issues as mentioned here with regards to penetration. On one hand- it is keeping me very vigilant with regards to picking my exit spot and tracking, and the canopy IS very forgiving with my landings. On the other hand- I've found myself unable to make it to areas I'm aiming for and sometimes even pushed backwards. My fragile ego has taken a pounding and I'm sure the farmer is getting sick of me in his corn.
I'm self supervised and will be looking for my own rig soon. I would like to start off conservatively but would like more penetration. Are my issues more likely skill or equipment related?