- This video is part one of two about how to choose
the right canopy for you.
Let's go.
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Hey, Skyvibers, this is Catherine Bernier from Skydive Vibes
sharing the passion of skydiving, and helping you
become a better skydiver.
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So like I said, this video is the part one of two
all about choosing the right canopy for you.
The first one will be more about the design and features
of canopies, and the second one will be more
on the performance, characteristics of those canopies
that you need to consider, so today, there are many options
to consider whenever it's time for you to choose a canopy,
whether it's the number of cells, the overall shape,
or the type of material used.
So first, seven or nine cells.
Seven-cell canopies are more responsive, generally,
under deep breaks, and are performing better
for accuracy type approaches.
Because they have fewer lines and ribs, they generally
pack smaller than nine cells canopies.
When seven cells are more preferable for crew accuracy
and as reserve, nine cells mains are more popular
with most skydivers.
Most nine cells will level off, or swoop farther
when flared, but landings on some seven cells
can easily be just as soft.
Of course, nine cells will tend to pack a little bit bigger.
Now, deciding between a seven- or a nine-cell canopy
is now just a matter of personal choice.
The second element I wanted to talk about is material.
Modern skydiving canopies are now made of low-porosity
or zero-porosity nylon.
The main problem with low-porosity material
is that they tend to become more porous over time,
and so, used faster, meaning that more air
can pass through the fabric.
After 300 to 500 jumps, those canopies will tend
not to flare as well as when they were new,
and the overall performance is decreased.
This change will be less noticeable on bigger canopies,
but can be dramatic on small canopies.
Zero-porosity fabric has a coating, which is often
silicone-based, which protects the canopy
to get more porous over time.
Those canopies will tend to last well over 2,000 jumps.
Unfortunately, those zero-P canopies will tend to
pack a bit bigger, and can be more difficult to pack
than the low-porosity one.
Next, the canopy shape.
Platform is the shape of a canopy seen from above,
and there's three particular types in the skydiving
industry right now.
We have the rectangular shape, the semi-elliptical,
and the full elliptical.
Canopies described as semi-elliptical are often
more responsive than the regular ones.
They often have lighter toggle pressure,
but still turn more easily.
When large rectangular canopies can be a big sluggish,
especially when lightly loaded, it's surprising
how the semi-elliptical canopies, even though they are
lightly loaded, as well, will be way more responsive
and fun to pilot.
Those canopies are great for a skydiver who wants to
jump bigger, more forgiving canopies, but still have
great fun with it, and small, semi-elliptical canopies
can be very agile, and extremely responsive.
Elliptical canopies are usually way more responsive
than the other type.
They turn faster, and require less force to start a turn,
and the elliptical canopy, especially a smaller one,
can react to harness inputs in a way that
the rectangular canopy won't.
Elliptical canopies can be very exciting to fly,
but they can also be unforgiving in some ways.
Because they are more responsive in flight,
they are also more responsive while opening.
To avoid problems such as hard openings,
and line twists, you may want to give a particular
attention when you're packing your canopy,
and to your buddy position during deployment.
It's a good idea to get some experience before flying
an elliptical canopy.
If other canopies are not quite as responsive
as you'd like them to be, and you're thinking about
downsizing, try to simply change the type
of canopy you're piloting, maybe from semi-elliptical
or rectangular, to elliptical, but with a bigger
size, so without downsizing at first, and so,
in the end, you'll get a little bit more fun,
a more responsive canopy without drastically changing
the canopy type, and downsizing.
The change to an elliptical canopy can give you
the handling you're looking for, without necessarily
going into a smaller size, and so, if you'd like
to get more tips and tricks on how and when
it's time to downsize, I did a video not long ago
all about that, so you can watch it by clicking right here.
Now, let's talk about some special features
that you can find on canopy designs.
So today, higher performance canopies have special
features to give them more performance.
Two of the more popular ones are cross-braces, and airlocks.
Cross-braces are extra diagonal ribs that keep
the canopy more rigid.
It allows to use thinner fabric and less lines.
Today, cross-braces are used on few
high-performance elliptical canopies.
These canopies are generally faster, and have
more lift upon landing than non-cross-braced canopies
of the same size.
Because they are available for smaller sizes,
and requires a good amount of skills to fly them
safely, they are only recommended for pilots
that already have experience jumping
small elliptical canopies.
Like cross-braces, airlocks make a canopy more rigid
and improve performance.
Airlocked canopies are available in a wider range
of size than the cross-brace canopies.
Because airlocks helps a canopy to stay pressurized,
they have a reputation to be very stable in turbulence.
Now, the number of sales, the type of material,
and the platform of a canopy may give you a basic idea
on how a canopy will fly, but it's just the starting point.
Whether you're considering another type of canopy,
or you're considering downsizing, getting advice
and help from people you trust around you is the second
next step, however, keep in mind that it's always important
for you to trust your own feelings, as well,
so I hope you've liked this video.
Give it a thumbs up if so, and consider subscribing
if you don't wanna miss the part two on how to
choose the best canopy for you.
On that, as always, keep jumping, stay safe,
and blue skies.