PD Reserves

[freeflyfree 0]

Got a good deal on one of these two. Please choose and comment. Thanks.

Felipe

--
Blue Skies
NO FEARS, NO LIMITS, NO MONEY...
"A Subitánea et Improvísa Morte, Líbera nos, Domine."

[freeflyfree 0]

imagine being decent at kicking out of line twists

--
Blue Skies
NO FEARS, NO LIMITS, NO MONEY...
"A Subitánea et Improvísa Morte, Líbera nos, Domine."

[skydiverek 63]

Optimum: weaker material and slower openings. Do you need that in your reserve?

[piisfish 140]

  skydiverek

Optimum: weaker material and slower openings. Do you need that in your reserve?

do you think there is a problem with Optimum?

What size main ?

I would go with the larger size

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[Mark4 0]

Assuming your profile is correct, if I was you I would go for the Optimum because I wouldn't want to load my reserve at 1.7+

It looks like you live in Florida, so why don't you get up to Deland and you can demo them (hooked up as a main) for $40 each?
http://www.performancedesigns.com/sport-demos/
... or you can get them shipped for $95 each.

I have demoed both the PDR 126 and the Optimum 126 and I have one of each. I'm ok with either as a reserve, they land ok but IMO they are not like a decent ZP main.

http://blog.performancedesigns.com/9-things-you-should-know-about-pds-demo-program/

[Bufobufo 0]

  skydiverek

Optimum: weaker material and slower openings. Do you need that in your reserve?

Do you need a reserve that slams you like a slider down base canopy in order to be quick/safe enough to use?

I simply want to get a decent amount of fabric above my head if I ever have to ride the reserve, and if shit hits the fan the optimum doesn't differ much from flying a regular spectre. At the same time I use a container that doesn't require an expert rigger in order to get the reserve to fit in the reserve tray. I also picked a main that I can handle, and switch to an even more conservative choice when flying wingsuit.

PD Optimum openings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw0k0LA4P-0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGwHR8uhtvs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEZOOe2tK28

[freeflyfree 0]

Nice videos! saw them all. Cool. Demos....yeah I know. Demos.

Thanks!

--
Blue Skies
NO FEARS, NO LIMITS, NO MONEY...
"A Subitánea et Improvísa Morte, Líbera nos, Domine."

[gowlerk 2,246]

  freeflyfree

Got a good deal on one of these two. Please choose and comment. Thanks.

Felipe

For you, the OPT. A couple reasons. You could use the extra size, and your discipline is FF. They are designed with the possibility of a high speed opening in mind. That and the fact that your rigger would rather pack the OPT. They are really nice to work with. They have a very soft hand (feel), like really nice lingerie. Now you know what I'm thinking about while I handle my customer's nylon.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[Freeflaw 0]

When shit goes south, no one ever thinks, I wish I had smaller parachute right now. As to the light weight fabric concern, PN9 (which I believe the OPs are constructed out of, but I may be full of ka ka) has been field tested in the base environment for many years, with canopies seeing many hundreds (some as much as 800+) of terminal jumps. As to openings, I (anecdotal evidence) have not noticed much of a difference between the PDR and OP in terms of opening speed (14 chops on various sizes of OPs and PDRs). What is the claimed difference here anyway?

[sammielu 3]

160. More fabric over your head in an emergency = always better. Unless you have a reason to want to go faster in an emergency, go big.

[Alexg3265 0]

This is your land you unconscious parachute... nuff said bigger the better.

Or like the picture... when this happens after dealing with a spinning main on your back and low, you want it as big as you can.... Im sure weve all seen the guy on the 126 at over 200lbs fight line twists all the way to the ground....

I was that kid jumping out if his tree house with a bed sheet. My dad wouldn't let me use the ladder to try the roof...

[freeflyfree 0]

  Quote

Im sure weve all seen the guy on the 126 at over 200lbs fight line twists all the way to the ground..

Poor guy, didn't seem to "fight" the twists that much. Though.

The bigger the better. I agree.

Thanks.

--
Blue Skies
NO FEARS, NO LIMITS, NO MONEY...
"A Subitánea et Improvísa Morte, Líbera nos, Domine."

[radical_flyer 0]

  freeflyfree

  Quote

Im sure weve all seen the guy on the 126 at over 200lbs fight line twists all the way to the ground..

Poor guy, didn't seem to "fight" the twists that much. Though.

The bigger the better. I agree.

Thanks.

Is there a video of this?

[freeflyfree 0]

Video is on the first posting of this thread.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=4810702;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

--
Blue Skies
NO FEARS, NO LIMITS, NO MONEY...
"A Subitánea et Improvísa Morte, Líbera nos, Domine."

[RMURRAY 1]

  skydiverek

Optimum: weaker material and slower openings. Do you need that in your reserve?

exactly. pd reserve and pick the correct size then get the container for it. not other way around.

[chuckakers 426]

  skydiverek

Optimum: weaker material and slower openings. Do you need that in your reserve?

Out of curiosity, what's your knowledge source on that statement?

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[skydiverek 63]

Weaker material: John LeBlanc from PD, 'Skydiving Magazine' around year 2005.

Slower opening: 'Optimum Flight Characteristics' from PD, and countless videos online.

[chuckakers 426]

  skydiverek

Weaker material: John LeBlanc from PD, 'Skydiving Magazine' around year 2005.

Slower opening: 'Optimum Flight Characteristics' from PD, and countless videos online.

Cool, thanks.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[piisfish 140]

  skydiverek

Weaker material: John LeBlanc from PD, 'Skydiving Magazine' around year 2005.

Is he still saying the same 10 years later ? Did he really use the word "weaker" ?

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[skydiverek 63]

  piisfish

***Weaker material: John LeBlanc from PD, 'Skydiving Magazine' around year 2005.

Is he still saying the same 10 years later ? Did he really use the word "weaker" ?

Definately he said the Optimum material is weaker that the one on PD-Reserve. Still, weaker may still meet the requirements. Just saying.

[Crispy. 0]

  piisfish

***Weaker material: John LeBlanc from PD, 'Skydiving Magazine' around year 2005.

Is he still saying the same 10 years later ? Did he really use the word "weaker" ?

Good question. Let's not forget, too, that "weaker" and "slower" are relative terms. Alone, they mean nothing. And even if OP reserves are weaker and slower (than what? PD reserves? Smart reserves? other reserves?), does that make them unsafe, improper for the use, or possibly better in some aspects (discussion in other threads about slower openings reducing impact forces)?

I'm not making an argument for or against OP reserves. Rather, I'm saying that things are not so black and white. Simply asking whether a reserve is weaker or slower opening does not mean that it is necessarily worse than some other reserve that is stronger and faster.

[chuckakers 426]

  skydiverek

****** Still, weaker may still meet the requirements. Just saying.

That's what I was thinking. The new fabric still has to pass the TSO. One may be stronger than the other but that doesn't mean the weaker one isn't sufficient for the job.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[gowlerk 2,246]

OPTs ad PDRs are different canopies, designed at different times with different design goals. Clearly it is unlikely that both materials are of the same strength, therefore one is stronger than the other. Clearly, opening characteristics are different, and one is going to be faster than the other.

It would be nice if PD would openly state what they believe the advantages and disadvantage of each are, But they will not, and I can't blame them. Anything John LeBlanc or anyone else says will be misinterpreted and misstated endlessly on DZs and forums.

So, we are left with the fact that both are certificated canopies suitable for use as sport reserves. And that one has a lower pack volume than the other. Design is a series of compromises and PD is not an exception to this rule. So, it is reasonable for all of us to assume that choices were made. Until it is shown otherwise, I am going to assume that the OPT which was described as having a short snivel, by the designer, and seems to have been designed with the higher airspeed of today's skydivers in mind will take slightly more distance to open all other things being equal.

As far as the strength goes, it's possible that the low bulk material is weaker in some aspects. But I don't care. It has clearly proven itself to be of adequate strength for the job. I almost always recommend my customers choose PDRs over OPTs. But there are exceptions.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[Skydivesg 7]

For what it's worth - attached is my take on reserves.

Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

[masterrigger1 2]

A larger reserve is not worth a dime if it is not open and/or flying properly.

Just my 2 cents...

MEL

Skyworks Parachute Service, LLC
www.Skyworksparachuteservice.com