gmac324

Thanks for all of your advice guys, will look into getting a demo 139/129 at some point to get an accurate comparison to the stiletto 135. But I am now totally sold on buying a 119 when I'm ready

Thanks for the advice

Just wanting to bounce this off a few people before I go ahead and purchase anything too small. I have put my last 200 jumps on a sabre2 135 loaded at 1.51 and have recently lost 18 lbs of weight. I now feel that the canopy is very slow and is harder to get a long swoop out of than before. I am currently jumping a stiletto 135 at 1.4 ish and will try a stlletto 120 at 1.6 in 20 or so jumps more. My eventual goal would be to purchase a crossfire 2 119 loaded at 1.6. My basic question is; is that too aggressive a canopy and wingloading for a skydiver with 450 jumps? I do intend to swoop it, but currently do 90-180 degree carving landings, and only when there is space in the landing area. I have never jumped a canopy that has felt fast or scared me, but don't want to put myself in unencessary danger. Graeme

Just got my merlin suit a few weeks ago in the same situation. I was told by merlin suits, to put on my rig and tighten up all the straps. Then fit the velcro sandwich and reinforcing first. After that, put on the fastex snaps and swoop cords. It will be several inches different than without a rig :-) now fits great. I got my rigger to help me stitch it all . Graeme

I have dive blocks on my javelin, They are just dive loops that have been folded up on themselves and stitched down. I personally don't like playing about trying to get my hand into a loop, and have never had a problem hanging onto the block or pulling my slider over them. Graeme

That is one seriously interesting wing load on your canopies. Remember to chuck your weight in pounds in the box :-) Graeme

I have decided to get a freefly camera suit, because I sometimes have a few fallrate issues filming tandems in my normal freefly suit without wings. The only one I could find was merlin suits. Does anyone know other manufacturers which sell freefly suits with wings. I live in the UK if that makes a difference. Graeme

According the the manufacturers website (PDF) you are no overloading your reserve but you are just above the maximum recommended weight. max recommended = 90Kgs = 198lbs absolute maximum = 100Kgs = 220lbs Speak to the CCI if you have any concerns about your reserve and experience. Graeme

Works fine, got a PC8 and a cameye II a couple of months ago. Graeme

I would choose the PC8 because it has DVin, but the PC103 is a newer model with more features which may be more important to you. Gotta get the balance right :-) How is my CYPRES 2 coming along? Graeme Mackay ---------------------------------------- Edinburgh University Skydiving Club www.eusdc.net

I have a Sabre2 135 - loaded at 1.5. If I don't pay attention to staying level in the harness during opening it opens slightly faster on one side and consequently dives in a turn of less than 90 degrees. It will not spin up in line twists but with take 10 or so seconds to pull out of the dive completely. It is not usually a problem if I pay attention to my body position on opening or steer the turn out and just wait for it to stop diving. Graeme

One of my teammates on my 4 way team has had problems wth a dislocated shoulder after a fall last october. She took 6 months off jumoing and came back, doing a few solos under the carefull watch of our Chief Instructor, who is concerned for her saftey. She was advised to do 10 solos before any fs to determine that openings and landing were not a problem. After 2 jumps she stopped to keep her money for a holiday in Eloy. She then went to Eloy 2 weeks ago and popped it again twice in 7 jumps, once on landing, once on deployment. It then popped out on a 2 way exit and she took a few days off. She returned to jumping with a shoulder brace and has had no further problems ion the next 10 jumps. On her return to the uk the chief instructor now requests that she does not jump again until she gets signed off by an orthapedic surgeon to say that her shoulder will not dislocate again in free fall or under canopy in a way that could compromise her or anyone else's safety. This is quite an feat and she is unsure what to do. She has 130 jumps and it is her left arm that dislocates. Any help appreciated, Graeme.

Richard, If you jumped without a reserve, You would be dead right now.