openings

[mahonie10 0]

I'm looking to purchase my first canopy and just wanted to know which canopies have the least amount of "snieval" I jumped two today that seem to take forever(800ft) to open up, maybe it's just my newb state of mind that doesn't like that, but im just looking for some input. Thanks.

Let the Otter fly!

[councilman24 37]

Anything old! Many jumpers prefer these streamers that eventually open but I don't. That's why I still have two original sabres and a Triathlon. You can still by a new Triathlon and that may be the only zp current product that opens quickly.

Others with more experience with new canopies will chime in. And probably tell you you want one of these new ones. It's tough to get out at 2000' with a canopy that takes 800' to open.

Of course I'm an inch shorter than I used to be.

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

[Bertt 0]

You might be right. I was going to say Falcon (Precision Aerodynamics) opens quickly, but, of course, that's an F-111 canopy.

You don't have to outrun the bear.

[phoenixlpr 0]

My Triathlon(ZP, dacron) opens slowish.

[davelepka 4]

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I'm looking to purchase my first canopy and just wanted to know which canopies have the least amount of "snieval

Stay away from canopies that don't snivel. Once you get your own gear, and put a couple dozen jumps on the same canopy in the same rig, you can make a snivelly canopy open faster if you want. I won't bore you with the details of how, but there are ways to cut a snivel short during the opening itself.

The point is that once it's out of the bag and sniveling, you can then make the choice to let it open itself, or speed it up and get open a couple hundred feet higher.

On the flip side, there's nothing you can do about a canopy that opens too fast. Sure, you can make physical changes to the canopy to slow the openings, but then they'll always be slow and it will no loger be a fast-opening canopy.

Any canopy can open painfully hard. One that is designed to open fast is more likely to slam you than one that is designed to open slow. Take the less-painful route, and look for something that opens slow.

With 10 jumps it might seem disconcerting, but it's really a much better way to live. At the end of a long day, or a long weekend, a dozen (or more) hard openings are going to add up, and you'll feel it in the morning.

Buy a canopy that opens slow, put 20 jumps on it, then PM me and I'll tell you what you can do to speed up the opening (after the canopy is already sniveling). It's nothing you need to know now, and you stand a good chance screwing something up if you tried on a random student rig at this stage of the game. I'm willing to bet that after 20 jumps, you won't even care and will just let the thing snivel.

[Hellis 0]

French canopies are known to open quicker.

But I agree with Dave, get more jumps before you walk that direction.

[faulknerwn 38]

I agree you can have a very nice soft opening in 500 feet - but some modern canopies take upward of 1000 feet to open. I prefer the 500 foot soft openings myself.

[manseman 0]

Deploy with your left side handle and you'll get to enjoy full inflation in less than 300 ft.

But seriously, slowish openings is something you can get used to. Hard openings might hurt you. I don't think you should worry about slow openings to the point that you go and buy something that's infamous for serving slammers just to avoid a bit of snivel.

[popsjumper 2]

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My Triathlon(ZP, dacron) opens slowish.

Mine, too. But that's the way I pack it and that's the way I like it.

True story:

I got my first Tri from a guy at the DZ who bought it new and didn't like the snivel. I tried to tell him that the opening speed can be adjusted with slider positioning and other packing methods but Nooooooo...he didn't want it and wanted to get rid of it instead.

So...
Me: Well how much do you want for it?
Him: $700
Me: SOLD!

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Olmed 0]

Not so much experience but my Pulse opens quick and smooth (Pulse 210). And although 90+ percent of openings are 90-180 degree head off openings it is a great canopy.

Also a few jumps on a Navigator and Silhouette..which both also opens nice.

[Andy9o8 2]

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90+ percent of openings are 90-180 degree head off openings

Doing big-ways with that one must be interesting.

[Hellis 0]

Meh!
Just turn 180 towards the center again before you pull

[mahonie10 0]

I don't mind a moderate amount of snivel, it sure makes a comfortable opening, I was just curious if diffirent canopies had more or less of it. I definatley don't want to get slammed. Thanks for the info. The more input i can get at this stage, makes me that much the wiser.

Let the otter fly!

[Olmed 0]

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90+ percent of openings are 90-180 degree head off openings

Doing big-ways with that one must be interesting.

..Time will show..

[JohnSherman 1]

Most manufacturers can vary the snivel distance to suit the buyer. Demo canopies are usually set to open soft and snivel a bit. If you demo a canopy and like it, but it snivels to much, ask the manufacturer if that can be adjusted. We often accomidate this kind of request when made.
BTW: Snivel does increse as the canopy wears.