Student riggs

[aa1b 0]

I know this sounds like a dumb question but are student rigs
as"safe" as the other rigs worn by the more experienced jumpers?
I do know they have a lower wing loading.
Do they open as fast and as consistant?
Thanks for your reply. (2 jumps)
"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."
Helen Keller

[Slowfaller 0]

The student rigs are very safe. At least where I jump. They're Javelins w/ BOC. They're pretty much just like the rig an experienced jumper would use w/o the options. The only difference I noticed, ( mind I only have 32 jumps so I not very smart ) is the JM can pull a red handle on the other side of the BOC pouch to deploy the PC and they're all Cypres and RSL equipped. Thats also the same gear they rent out. As far as the canopies go, when I was in AFP earlier in the year they had Icarus Safires and now they're all Sabre2's. Hope this helps you some.
CHris
"..and your hands and knees felt cold and wet on the grass beneth." - modest mouse

[FallingMarc 0]

Low wing loadings make them safer in the sense that even when things go wrong, it gives you more time to work with... they won't go into a spin as fast as highly loaded wings will. A great big lightly loaded square has a good chance of opening and flying straight even in line twists. More importantly for students, low wing loadings are more forgiving of mistakes... I watched a student a couple weeks ago almost hook into the ground, at about 10 feet he decided he wanted to be facing the other way to land and yanked a toggle all the way down--the radio guy yelled "FLARE, FLARE!!" and he pulled the other toggle down after starting the turn, just fell over, but wasn't hurt. If he had been on anything faster than a student canopy, he'd have broken both legs or worse...
Marc

[Michele 1]

Congratulations on your jumps.
As I have a total of 16 jumps, 10 on student gear and 6 on a Spectre/Javelin Odessy, I have no expertise in this or any skydiving area. That being said, I think that the student stuff opens harder by a great degree. I even took to carrying aspirin so I could make it out of the car after the drive home.
I have left the student gear bruised all over, from arms down to legs and most everywhere in between. I have a great opening picture of me with my legs literally over my head at line extension. Once in rental gear, I have not yet had a bruise, or anything nearing the opening shock that I felt in the student stuff.
I had asked one of the instructors as to why they opened so hard, and the response was "so the student knows it's open". I don't know if he was joking or not. I do know that my one reserve ride did NOT open as hard, and when I asked why it didn't, he said I was not at terminal, and that made a difference.
Just my newbie .02-
ciels-
Michele
"What of the dreams that never die? Turn to your left at the end of the sky".
~e e cummings~

[PhreeZone 20]

A lot of the time the student rigs are packed by a packer that has no idea how the canopy opens. Once you start to learn your gear you can learn how to make it open slower and softer or faster and harder. Tricks used to slow certin canopies dont work on others. ZP canopies are a little more predicitible in my opionin. Certian canopies (Spectre) open much softer and slower then a normal canopy and its hard to use them as a compairison canopy.(No Offence Michelle) In most cases the packers are'nt too concerned about the openings on the student canopies since you dont know who to give feedback to about it. And with little jumps most students dont know what an opening should feel like.
As long as your student rig has a working AAD, amin and reserve canopy that is within its 120 day repack cycle you should be fine. Most containers made since around 1990 is safe for use as a student. I just would'nt want to go freeflying in that 1992 Sweethog
Do I HAVE to do another raft dive???

• Quote

[Michele 1]

No offense taken, Phreezone. I don't know much about anything, and you're right, Navigators and Spectres have no comparison. I really like the Spectre. I really don't like the Navigator. Thank god I was warned that Spectres take a long time opening, or I'd've been worried. lol....
me
"What of the dreams that never die? Turn to your left at the end of the sky".
~e e cummings~

[mountainman 0]

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I just would'nt want to go freeflying in that 1992 Sweethog

So this weekend, I shouldn't try any sitflying stuff in the Sweethogs with Raiders?? Crap. --------------
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[billvon 2,990]

>I know this sounds like a dumb question but are student rigs
as"safe" as the other rigs worn by the more
>experienced jumpers?
Yes and no. How's that for an answer?
They are safer for students to jump, as they are pretty much guaranteed to have an AAD, RSL etc. They will also typically have a larger main and reserve canopy, and this helps when you're first learning to land (bigger canopy = more forgiving.) In addition, they may have features that make them safer to use for AFF or SL training (like reserve side main releases.)
However, they often do not have as good pin protectors as experienced rigs, and they do not fit as well, since a student rig has to be a 'one size fits all' deal. So I wouldn't want to take one sitflying, and I would have to be a bit more careful moving around in the plane if I used one.
-bill von

[Aviatrr 0]

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I do know that my one reserve ride did NOT open as hard, and when I asked why it didn't, he said I was not at terminal, and that made a difference.

That makes all the difference in the world.. You had an RSL I'm sure, so your reserve was on its way out before you pulled the reserve handle.. My terminal reserve deployment hurt like hell.....but I was definitely happy to see that thing open fast.. Mike

[Viking 0]

do they construct reserves stronger to take an extremly fast terminal opening?? i think we have all seen that vid in the archives with the split bottom skin after wingnut got slammed!!
Remember when Sex was safe and skydiving was Dangerous?

[freeflir29 0]

"do they construct reserves stronger to take an extremly fast terminal opening??"
I believe PD reserves have some extra bracing on them.
"Don't give a F$#ck if I'm comin or leavin"-Pappa Roach
Clay

[Aviatrr 0]

Quote

do they construct reserves stronger to take an extremly fast terminal opening??

Reserves are built to FAA TSO 23 standards.. The TSO requires the reserve pass certain drop tests with specified weights/speeds.. Plus, you have to consider the fact that reserves are not subject to many deployments - unlike mains..
Mike