Paraglider jump - gear advice please

[dimbo]

Hi all,

I know this isn´t strictly base, but it´s all fun and I guess you guys probably know more about this than anyone else would.

OK. Here´s the details :

Me - very experienced paraglider pilot, hundreds of hours annually blah dee blah dee blah.

I´ve been into skydiving for a couple of years. 150 jumps, mainly freefly. Now find the whole environment and fuel issue gives me a bad vibe. Couple this with long drives to dropzones, beurocracy etc. and I´m considering getting out.

I own a vector 3 rig with a sabre 150 inside.

The place in Spain where I usually fly my paraglider allows me to reguarly get 1000m-2000m ground clearance (taking off from the mountain and climbing 1000-1500m using thermals - ie. no fuel).

I would like to jump reguarly like this (maybe once or twice a week).

Obviously, I will look from some specific BASE advice from some friends of friends, but I am looking for as many ideas and comments as possible.

Specifically - Should I only be using a specific base rig? I ask because given the unusual height and type of my planned jumps, perhaps I could reap some safety benefit from carrying a dual parachute rig. ie. perhaps by opening 300m higher than I might otherwise.

I read about such a rig called the Sorcerer, but I can´t seem to find out if anyone still makes it. Are there any alternatives.

Would a modified skydiving rig be a stupid idea?

Well, I hope someone can help me. It´s kind of my future dream for environmentally friendly long freefall.

C u

Demian.

[nicknitro71]

So you got between 3000-6000' of elevation...jump what you got and if you feel like pulling low (<500') you can always use the silver handle, I don't think you will be banned by doing so

[dimbo]

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the reply. I have been thinking of using my normal rig as you say, but would like to be able to pull lower consistently.

The opening charateristics of my sabre 1 150 are not as consistent as I might like. I have had everything from fairly brisk openings to fairly snively (normally around 250m from toss to be flying and happy) ones. This is OK when you chuck at 1000m, but would make me quite nervous at 500m. Yeah I know, I'm a pussy. I have had all sorts of advice about packing from riggers etc. (it now has pockets on the slider).

Is this canopy suitable for what I want to do, or would there be something better?

Would fitting a skyhook be a sensible precaution in my case?

Thanks again.

Demian.

[nicknitro71]

I've never jumped a sabre that takes so long to open! Get rid of the pockets! Sabres are great low pull canopies (skydiving wise, so 1000-1500').

Again if you want to pull lower than 1000', you can always pull your reserve...but then you need to recover the free bag and repack it...which is not hard but you need some tools and someone who's going to show it if you have not done it already.

A BASE rig will be optimal of course as you can take it as low as 100m and probaly be just fine.

[fixMe]

I read about such a rig called the Sorcerer, but I can´t seem to find out if anyone still makes it. Are there any alternatives


www.apexbase.com

get a hold of MARTA E. OR JIMMY P. at Apex BASE MOAB-utah through the website.

Apex is now the combination of Vertigo and Basic Research.


Vetigo Base Outfitters made the Sorcerer and I think they (Apex BASE) still will.

I was Talking to Apex about making me a Prism 1 the other day and they said sure even though they don't advertise it for sale. So just ask.

But remember with the sorcerer ya gotta buy two canopies. And it's kinda a bitch to pack at first. Ya gotta remember how exactly you want to set up your second (reserve) parachute? Slider up or down? Set it up with indirect stow? and/or direct stow? Big mesh or Small mesh? You never know where your gonna be (altitude wise) off the ground in BASE or BASe type envrioment.


So the big argument with the Sorcerer is what is the best configuration for the reserve on the Sorcerer?

MOST would say to learn standard BASE gear and learn to trust it. The Sorcerer from waht heard hasn't been ordered for about 4+ years cuz most people just understand and trust standard BASE gear now.

But if i had the extra, extra money I might actually get one as well just for the hell of it. but i dont so.....


don't forget to write www.apexbase.com Marta or Jimmy in utah, and Todd in perris , ca.

bye

[hamsandwich]

All depends on your goal of the jump, right. If you want to just fall or track and dump low then you might as well use your base rig seeing as you're only planning on 1 or 2 per day you can take the 10 minutes extra to pack. Its also less weight and less things to snag on your paraglider on exit. If you wanted to fly a swoopy wing around or do some freeflying with your friends you then use the skydriver and pull higher. figure out what you want to do and then you'll know the tool you'll want.

I've done a few paraglider drops from tandems and PG-base rig chops (this guy has a cool system for it www.firstimpactrigging.com). 3000m is pretty high. when cork and i were doing the chops we only had to worry about the glider coming down from 600-800ft. What is your plan for recovery of your glider? I don't know much about PG but those things seem like they'll flying just with the weight of the risers loading them. I would get a weight to attached to one toggle to collapse the wing and bring it down. Or are you planning to go off a tandem?


-

[hamsandwich]

the sorcerer... if you're planning on opening low don't waste your time with looking for one. my opinion. more weight, more packing, usually stuffed with that shitty dragon canopy (not the rock-dragon).

anyway if you don't trust your first pack job then why trust your other packjob?


-

[dimbo]

Hi and thanks everyone.. Keep it coming....

So far it seems like my best option is to remove the slider pockets and jump my Sabre 150. Pull at 1500 ft.

What is a normal sabre opening time in feet?

Any comments about fitting a skyhook? Sorcerer doesn't sound like a goer...

What is a normal tempo 150 reserve opening time (in feet) at terminal?

I assume that pro-pack is out, and I should learn to flat-pack?

If I wanted to jump lower (2400ft) could I safely do this and dump at 1500ft using the same pilot chute and all?

Oh yeah. I have several ideas for not loosing my old paragliders. The most basic of which relies on the fact that I live is a fairly deserty place - leave the glider locked in a B-line stall, or attach a couple of litres of water to one on the brakes prior to exit AND calculate wind drift as well as I can. Fool proof eh.........

Thanks again.

[lifewithoutanet]

Oh yeah. I have several ideas for not loosing my old paragliders. The most basic of which relies on the fact that I live is a fairly deserty place - leave the glider locked in a B-line stall, or attach a couple of litres of water to one on the brakes prior to exit AND calculate wind drift as well as I can. Fool proof eh.........

Run a small pulley above one of the leading cascades and attach a long line to the pulley. To this, attach your water. Once you unload the risers on exit. It should weight the upper line above a leading cascade and really distort the wing, eventually sliding and dragging the glider down from the attachment point at the bottomskin.

-C.

[nicknitro71]

What is a normal sabre opening time in feet?

Less than 500' (time is usually never in feet)

Any comments about fitting a skyhook? Sorcerer doesn't sound like a goer...

Planning to cutaway low? Do you have a RSL? The difference is not as much as they market it.

What is a normal tempo 150 reserve opening time (in feet) at terminal?

Less than 400'. Nice reserve by the way (I got two of those).

I assume that pro-pack is out, and I should learn to flat-pack?

Pro pack it. Use some masking tape to tail-gate your brake lines. When you put the canopy down instead of cocooning it under, bring the ears on top (this will prevent most line-overs and promotes nose-first inflation).

If I wanted to jump lower (2400ft) could I safely do this and dump at 1500ft using the same pilot chute and all?

What's your "normal" PC? I'd use a 32" Z-po collapsible. I hate PC hesitations.

With such a set up, you are probably OK to 1000' deployments.