Skydiving Parachutes
January 23, 2011 by Skydive Website
Filed under Sky Dive Tips
Oblivious, you can’t go skydiving without a parachute but do you know how to choose the right parachute for you? If you are new to skydiving, then you might think that all parachutes are the same but this is not exactly true. There are differences and some skydiving parachutes may be better suited for you than others. Learning a little about parachutes will help you to choose the right one for your skydiving adventure.
The first successful attempt using a parachute is accredited to a Frenchman named Andre-Jacques Garnerin. After several experiments he designed a parachute and jumped out of a hot air balloon landing safely on the ground. However, he did have a few problems on the way down because he failed to place air vents at the top of the parachute and this caused him to swing back and forth wildly.
Of course, much has changed since this time and parachutes are much safer and more complicated. There are two types of skydiving parachutes available. The one you choose will depend on which type of skydiving you intend to do. The canopy and the design of the parachute is what will make the difference. Listed below are the two types of skydiving techniques you can choose and the type of parachute that is best suited for each one.
1. Basic Skydiving – The parachute used for the basic skydiver is called the Ram Air. These are designed with parafoils that were invented to make it easier to control the parachute. This also makes them safer to use. The two sheet design provides high pressure that creates more stability and makes it easier to go in the direction you want to travel once the parachute is pulled. These are shaped like a rectangle or they can be tapered.
2. Speed Skydiving – The parachutes that are used in speed skydiving are called ribbon and ring parachutes. These are designed to deploy when you reach supersonic speeds. It got its name because the canopy is shaped like a ring and the ribbons will spread apart under extreme pressure. It’s also designed with a very large hole in the center of the parachute to release pressure.
Obliviously, the most common type of parachute is the Ram Air because not as many people go for speed skydiving. That is reserved for the serious thrill seeker that is searching for a way to enhance the experience of jumping out of an airplane and traveling at incredible speeds toward the earth. For most people, a basic jump is enough.
The size of the parachute needs to be matched to the size of the person using it. This is very important. If the parachute is too small, it won’t slow you down enough and if it’s too large, you won’t have full control. Either of these situations can cause serious problems and you could be harmed.
It’s vital that your parachute is packed correctly or you may run into problems. It’s possible for it to not deploy or it may not open correctly. An improperly packed skydiving parachute could get tangled up with the lines when it opens. These situations could prove to be dangerous. Check and double check your parachute before you make a jump. It’s always a great idea and recommended that you have a reserve parachute just in case the main one fails. This is a sport in which it pays to be as safe as possible.







