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so going out on a limb here, but...

I am looking at getting a seven as a first canopy, after reading the glowing reviews. i have a pro rating and 500 skydives in 2 years, 300 of them on an eiff classic or startrac I (classic ac & demos) - so the transition should be fairly straightforward, I imagine. I asked my BASE jumper friend about the seven but he says he doesn't know much firsthand.

So, word is that it is so well designed that it acts like it has vents without having vents (however that works...). Which would be great for jumps gone right, but does anyone have any first-hand knowledge about object/wall strikes with a seven - not just "if it works" but how it might compare to, say, a flik vtec or troll mdv?

All I could find on the topic was this post from April '10:


now that it's been around for a few more months --- in general, does anyone know anything *bad* about the seven?

Anything more would be greatly appreciated.

The theory that vents help out much during an object strike is pretty dated IMHO.

Vents help shorten the time between bottom skin inflation and a fully pressurized wing.

Wall strikes are not typically the way you imagine they would be. (unfortunately I've watched a whole bunch of them)

Instead of the canopy sticking to the wall and sliding down with the nose pressed up against the cliff, the jumper is usually yarding on the rear risers trying to get the thing turned around.

The canopy gets some space between it and the wall and will usually surge forward in an attempt to re-pressurize. Unless the jumper is almost stalling the canopy, it will keep flying forward.

This is why most wall strikes result in multiple contacts with the object before the jumper gets it turned around, or reaches the bottom of the object.

The Seven has a reputation for solid and fast inflation without vents. This has been described as "as fast as vented canopies". If this is true, the bottom skin-top skin inflation gap is already a small one and I would tend to believe this would remain true during an object strike.

A canopy that pressurizes like crap will probably be more likely to either collapse, or beat you against the wall repeatedly in an attempt to stay flying.

One that has solid pressurization characteristics during a deployment in deep brakes will do just as well as a vented canopy when you're stuck up against the wall.

If your canopy surges forward on opening in the deepest break setting you can manage before it stalls on deployment, then that canopy isn't well suited for solid object jumping.

If your canopy "parks" on opening, pressurizes quickly, and you can still turn it without stalling... you've got a winner.

The second seems to describe what I've heard about the Seven.

I'd gladly jump an ACE off anything I'd jump. Low cliffs inlcluded... and the Seven seems to be even better.

I haven't had a chance to jump one yet (long story that I won't go into here) but just from what friends have said, I'd order one without thinking twice if I was in the market. And in the interest of disclosure, I have no relationship with any BASE manufacturer what-so-ever.

I personally watched the incident where the jumper piloting the seven came down the face of the wall and landed on the talus. From what I witnessed as the accident occurred and from inspecting the gear afterwards was that the nose top skin hangs WAY forward compared to the bottom skin. This angle on my ace and blackjack seems to be right around 40 or 45 degrees forward, and with the seven I'd say it was even more than that, like 50-55 degrees. This angle seems to give the canopy better access to air below the wing much like a vent on the bottom skin would. To note: on this accident the only damage was to the binding tape on the leading edge of the top skin, with one exception: a line attachment point on the bottom skin had been blown, but no other damage was visible on the bottom skin.

the only bad thing about a seven is it makes every other canopy obsolete.

it might be a little fast for a beginner, its not a first canopy.

i cant say enough good things about mine, and any experienced jumper in the market should consider one.

Very interested in the Seven, whats you lowest freefall on it? How did you find it compared to a vented canopy?.

What do you mean by fast. Is that fast flying forward speed? If so not sure why that would be bad. After sitting and watching vented and non vented canopies at bridge day I can't imagine not having vents for low stuff. Inflation was much quicker than ones without. This has nothing to do with the Seven because I was not able to pick out a Seven vs other non vented canopies. Would be interesting to see side by side comparisons of openings. I know the Seven is getting a lot of love and Marty has a good group of guys jumping his stuff so its gotta be worth demoing thats for sure.

does anyone here have much experience with the seven for mesh slider up jumps?

I feel it's a good canopy for a beginner.

A beginner adapts to a Seven immediately and develops habits to deal with the flight characteristics. He has not developed habits used to fly something different, therefore is never surprised by it. A new jumper should work their way into BASE just the same regardless of canopy.By the time you're ready to jump off a building with a tighter landing area, you should know the canopy pretty well. If you already have 500 jumps on a different canopy, then you must change the habits and adapt to the Seven.

What surprises a seasoned jumper is the new found range. A few jumps into it, the seasoned jumper adapts to it just fine.

It's still a big seven cell canopy and it's quite good.

300 or more jumps on various seven configurations. Probably 200 slider up, 80 or so wingsuit, maybe 20 tracking, the rest subterminal. Highest jump 4800 foot wingsuit, lowest, 160 ft PCA, 240 foot freefall, 200 foot unpacked. No issues thus far. If you jump mostly low stuff, go for the ZP nose. I could make comparisons to vented canopies ive flow, but just try to get ahold of one and fly it yourself. I tested one out in moab last year and it quickly became my preferred canopy.

do you mean get hold of a vented canopy or a Seven?

I have a vented canopy that opens perfect but it's flight characteristics are so so. I also have a new Seven. I love the Seven's flight characteristics but I haven't had many on headings slider up, perhaps because of my body position or packing style. Haven't dialed it in yet, I guess.