What (second hand) canopy to buy?

[cyan 0]

I`m thinking of buying a used canopy, in the size 150, also possible with 135 cross braced. Normally I jump a 150 spectre. 

Not buying a new canopy, because of the price.

I would like to buy a canopy that is fun and have soft openings and landings. And also a canopy that have a low chance of malfunctions. 

I have about 800 jumps. A 135 cross braced canopy would give me a wing loading of 1,59 (exit weight 192  lbs (87 kg) and equipment weight 22 lbs (10 kg).

A 150 canopy will have a wing load of 1,43. 

I`m thinking of Sabre 2 150, but don`t know much other than it is popular. And will it be fun at a wing load of 1,43?

Any  other good alternatives?

 

[IJskonijn 45]

Call me conservative (you'd be right) but I feel that the step from a Spectre 150 to any crossbraced 135 canopy is a very big one, and likely to get you hurt. Better to step down in size first (Spectre 135 or similar) before moving into crossbraced canopies. And have a plan for what you want to do and achieve with it. In my opinion, downsizing for the sake of downsizing is overrated.

My personal experience with a Sabre2 150 is that it's boatloads of fun (I'm at exit weight ~95kg so only slightly higher WL). Long recovery arc & good flare. I find the openings slow and twisty but my point of reference is about a thousand jumps on the Lightning which has never heard of that new-fangled thing called snivelling, so take that with a lot of salt. But because they are rather popular they tend to be pricey and quickly gone on the second-hand market.

[cyan 0]

Thank you for a good answer. Main goal is to not get hurt. The sabre sounds good. Also good to hear that i snivels, so it dosen`t  open to hard. Just need to find something not to expensive. 

[tbrown 26]

The gear store where I jumped has a rule that they would let you jump a smaller size with same number of cells (seven in your case) OR a nine cell in the same size, but not both all at once. 800+ jumps is nice, but cross braced is a different animal. Do not attempt them without some serious coaching. You sound like you're interested in nine cells, so aside from Sabre 2 (a fine canopy), check out the Pilot and Safire 2 as well, they're all in a comparable class.

Edited April 2, 2024 by tbrown

[lyosha 50]

Ask your canopy coach. If you're thinking crossbraced, you should definitely be working with one. I can see a few things potentially wrong with your plan.

1. You are jumping from a super docile canopy (spectre) to super aggressive (xb) with no intermediate planforms. Usually people will jump an aggressive elliptical non cross braced such as a katana or crossfire or x-fire for a long time before cross braced.

2. 1.6 seems too low wing loading for cross braced.

Go work with a canopy coach, don't ask the Internet for advice.

[cyan 0]

Thanks, I can consider also Pilot and Safire 2 also, katana, crossfire and x-fire also. 

Crossbraced is out of the question. 

Edited April 4, 2024 by cyan

[nwt 131]

On 3/30/2024 at 2:01 AM, cyan said:

Main goal is to not get hurt.

On 3/24/2024 at 5:06 PM, cyan said:

soft openings and landings. And also a canopy that have a low chance of malfunctions. 

Don't get a katana.