Dumb color question?

[shah269 0]

Why no solid colors?
Right now I'm flying....weather permitting and money...an all white 280 navigator.
It's a student rig. And I love that it's all white.
It's an emotional thing for me.
But looking around, not many people fly solid colors.
I can understand the lack of white due to keeping it clean must be a PITA but why so few solid colors?
Shah

Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

[ILUVCHUTERS 1]

So they're not confused with Reserve canopies?

Every time I see an all-while canopy in the air I automatically think it's a reserve.

[likestojump 3]

personal preference

same reason why some people choose to have a reserve with different color cells (no cost option from PD)

[davelepka 4]

All white makes it look like a reserve. Or all yellow. Or orange.

All white also turns into all brown sooner or later. Skydiving is not a 'clean' sport.

In the end, I think it boils down to choice. When you order new gear, you have a shitload of them, and most people can come up with more than one that they like.

That said, my container two containers ago was all royal blue. Everything. On the order form where there were 30 boxes to fill in the colors, I just wrote royal bule in big letters across them all. It looked good, but at the same time my canopies were all multi colored ( I bought them used).

Lose the emotional attachment to skydiving gear, it's a dead end street. Especially for a rig you don't own. Based on your other threads, I reccomend a moderately drunk female in her mid-20s. That should get your 'emotional energy' refocused in short order.

[shah269 0]

Well I'm in the dumps emotionally so seeing a big white wing over my head really makes me feel good.
It's dumb but it does.
But Ok cool. Solids are usually for reserves.

Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

[pilotdave 0]

Packing is another reason. It can be easier to learn to pack on a canopy where at least the center cell is a different color.

Dave

[shropshire 0]

If you want to see great looking canopy colours... google images of paragliders ... I know they have a lot more surface area to play with but I find most skydive canopies a touch boring to look at.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[omnia 0]

not a fan of all white canopies because they're hard to see among clouds in the sky.

[Hellis 0]

I could never own a one color canopy.
That would be so boring.
I dont know what color my reserve is (rigger packed it without letting me see the canopy ) but if its one color, i will be so ashamed landing it

[wayneflorida 0]

Dumb comment by me with no intent to inflame or insult.

But Shah, your new avatar shows you have a perfect
egg shaped head. I can see your head sitting on a coffee table and someone comments about it, and the owner says " That my Shah egg, isn't it neat."

[shah269 0]

Quote

Dumb comment by me with no intent to inflame or insult.

But Shah, your new avatar shows you have a perfect
egg shaped head. I can see your head sitting on a coffee table and someone comments about it, and the owner says " That my Shah egg, isn't it neat."

Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

[DrewEckhardt 0]

Quote

I can understand the lack of white due to keeping it clean must be a PITA but why so few solid colors?

Solid colors are boring and it doesn't cost any more to get exactly what you want when ordering new gear.

[mjosparky 4]

Quote

I could never own a one color canopy.
That would be so boring.
I dont know what color my reserve is (rigger packed it without letting me see the canopy ) but if its one color, i will be so ashamed landing it

You have almost 200 jumps and don't know what color your reserve it? Do you what size it is?

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[TiaDanger 0]

The used rig I bought has a white canopy with blue ribs. In the 100 or so jumps I have on it, its been mistaken for a reserve once. Even though its gorgeous and matches the rig, its still white. My next canopy will be a very bright so I am more visible under canopy and so I can find it if i cutaway

And for the record: the appropriate ranking of cool modes of transportation is jet pack, hover board, transporter, Batmobile, and THEN giant ant.
D.S. #8.8

[millertime24 8]

You know, I think quite a few things play into this question. First, you have the newer jumper who maybe has to buy used gear at a deal to get them going and color really isn't an issue. Then you have people who can afford new, but dont want to wait for the turn around time on the gear so they're limited to what is already on the shelf (usually never solid colors unless you're talking reserves). Also, there's people who want new and they want what they want. What I mean by this is most people have a preffered idea of what color combo's work and that they like (for me it's black and purple). Everyone is different. Everyone likes different colors for a variety of different reasons.

Bottom line- It's YOUR gear. Buy what YOU want not what you think someone else will think looks cool. Hope that gave some insight.

Muff #5048

[JohnMitchell 16]

Quote

Well I'm in the dumps emotionally so seeing a big white wing over my head really makes me feel good.
It's dumb but it does.

Hell, I'm happy to see anything over my head. I don't ever really notice the color. Makes me even dumber.

For a main canopy, make sure what ever you jump has bright colors, contrasting stripes and/or other schemes that make you more visible. Solid black, gray, green, etc. are very dangerous choices. I'd avoid camo for the same reason.

White can be a great safety color, but is usually reserved for reserves. Same with light blue and orange. Sorry, Shah, but maybe you can get an all white jumpsuit or something.

[Hellis 0]

Im closer to 300 now.

My previous gear had a white reserve.
The one i bought this year i just asked my dealer to suprise me.
When i asked my rigger what color it is he said "uuuhhmm.. yellow, red, orange and...." and he just changed subject.
Something tells me i dont belive that, but if its true. NICE!!!

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

Multi-colored canopies are easier to see than solid colors. Bright colors are easier to see too.

Being seen is a good thing IMO.

I jumped with someone recently that commented how easy my canopy was to spot (Triathlon with standard rainbow colors). The guy I jump most with has a Sabre2 that's blue, purple and white. It is a little harder to spot.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[skybytch 273]

Quote

same reason why some people choose to have a reserve with different color cells

Never could understand that. I have a solid color reserve primarily because it looks completely different from my multicolored main. It's also a color that I have nowhere else on my gear. There will be no question in my mind which canopy is above my head should either of them ever deploy without my permission.

[NWFlyer 2]

Quote

Multi-colored canopies are easier to see than solid colors. Bright colors are easier to see too.

Being seen is a good thing IMO.

I jumped with someone recently that commented how easy my canopy was to spot (Triathlon with standard rainbow colors). The guy I jump most with has a Sabre2 that's blue, purple and white. It is a little harder to spot.

I jumped a canopy that was solid black (which faded to more of a dark charcoal gray after a few hundred jumps) with red ribs for three years. That thing went into stealth mode in any kind of lower-light situation (days with cloud cover, sunset load). When I bought my current canopy (new) I went for high visibility - it's neon yellow and neon orange. It's hard to miss me.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[shah269 0]

Thank you everyone!
I get it now.

Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

[JohnMitchell 16]

Quote

I jumped a canopy that was solid black (which faded to more of a dark charcoal gray after a few hundred jumps) with red ribs for three years. That thing went into stealth mode in any kind of lower-light situation (days with cloud cover, sunset load).

Damn hard to find in the woods after a cutaway, too.

[NWFlyer 2]

Quote

Quote

I jumped a canopy that was solid black (which faded to more of a dark charcoal gray after a few hundred jumps) with red ribs for three years. That thing went into stealth mode in any kind of lower-light situation (days with cloud cover, sunset load).

Damn hard to find in the woods after a cutaway, too.

Good thing I have gifted friends.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[theonlyski 8]

Quote

Good thing I have gifted friends.

Ms Cleo?

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[pinkfairy 0]

Quote

Hell, I'm happy to see anything over my head. I don't ever really notice the color. Makes me even dumber.

For a main canopy, make sure what ever you jump has bright colors, contrasting stripes and/or other schemes that make you more visible. Solid black, gray, green, etc. are very dangerous choices. I'd avoid camo for the same reason.


I ordered a really beautiful pattern with gold and red and red inside the gold. The first time I saw it, I was like "WOW! beautiful!", and gave it a name and everything. Now I don't see the color at all, it's kinda orange-y, but I don't look at the color, I just look up to see if it's square, there, have no broken lines dangling around and no people in it.

It's very visible, though. Which is good.

Neon yellow, gold, pink, any rainbow combinations, contrasting cells are all good choices. I used to own a black Sabre1. Good thing my jumpsuit was so brightly colored. And if I'd cut that one away over the forest at my then home DZ, it would have been a complete writeoff.

Sure you can have a white canopy, but I think it's a really good idea to have some contrasting colored cells in it. White isn't a really bad color. Black, grey and navy are.

Relax, you can die if you mess up, but it will probably not be by bullet.

I'm a BIG, TOUGH BIGWAY FORMATION SKYDIVER! What are you?