Heatwave Loading / Durability

[mikefarmer 0]

Does anyone out there consistently jump a heatwave loaded betweem 1.9 and 2.0? I jumped a 120 this weekend (out the door I'm 235-240,) and LOVED the way it flew. My only concern before buying one is the "thinner" ZP that is used. Can anyone verify that this canopy should give me 500-1000 jumps before it explodes? I would be happy to get this many, as I could buy 2 of these for less than 1 Velocity/Extreme VX. (Price comparison only, I know the difference.) Anyway, any stories, good or bad, about YOUR Heatwave?
Mike
Mike's Sky World

[Kirils 1]

I load mine at 1.5 and love it. The fabric is actually heavier
than PD fabric. I don't see any reason it shouldn't last for 800-1000 jumps.
Skydiving is not a static excercise with discrete predictability...

[mikefarmer 0]

Cool! I'm glad to know that! I just got a great deal on a Vengeance, but if I don't like it, it's right back to the Heatwave!!! Thanks!
Mike
Mike's Sky World

[Kris 0]

ARRRGGGHHH!!!
Quit teasing, Kirils! I still have three weeks until my custom Heatwave and my Mirage UNISYN gets here.
And Damn you, Farmer! :) Let me know if you still want me to come over tonight and help you with a line-check on your new toy. Kris

[riggerrob 643]

First of all, canopy fabric rarely "blows up" these days, unless you are sloppy packer.
The life of a canopy is determined more by abuse than fabric durability. Now canopies are retired because they have too many tiny holes in the center tail, or they have lost flare power.
Wing loading has a far greater affect on line durability. Lines wear out quicker on heavily-loaded canopies. It is partly due to increased opening shock and partly due to heavier loaded canopies being more sensitive to lines that have stretched/shrunk even slightly out of trim.
Line durability is also a function of how you fly your canopy. A friend liked to open high and crank the toggles - hard - all the way to landing. His Dacron steering lines wore out quickly from all the rubbing up and down through the slider and steering guide rings, but he also noticed that the Dacron other lines wore out quicker than on similar, more gently flown canopies.

[Geoff 0]

Quote

Now canopies are retired because they have too many tiny holes in the center tail, or they have lost flare power.

I've noticed these holes or at least tiny worn patches appear on my canopy even after about 100 jumps. What causes them? - I always cock the kill line before putting the canopy in the bag, and there's no exposed connector link inside the bag.
Can careful packing prevent them?
Thanks if you can help
Geoff