Re: [flyinryan] Toggle out
I'm not going to give any advice because I'm a total newbie, but I will tell you my experience of landing with one toggle and one riser, vs just rear risers. I've been flying my dagger from planes to practice all the possible scenarios... this is what I've found from these two:
With both of my toggles released, rear riser flight/landing was symmetrically simple but pitch sensitive and sort of hard to find the sweet spot of the ~"flare"~... I landed uneventfully using just rear risers and did get a pretty nice stall. However, the thing I found most diffucult here was sinking it in steeply for accuracy. Granted I flew it on rear risers from 2000', but I found my arms getting really tired as I sunk it in the last 50' - making the "flare" a little tougher.
Flying with one toggle stowed and one rear riser took lots of energy too - but it was easier for me than both RR's and as long as I paid attn. to my heading at all times, the flare wasn't too bad either, it seemed I got more of a glide effect.
I liked flying/landing with one toggle and one RR best - if you can, pick your stronger arm for the riser if you'll be doing it for more than 1000' (ha!) - This config seemed the best bet because I got a much nicer scooping flare, I felt like the canopy retained more of its accuracy characteristics and the range of the sweet spot on the flare was more forgiving. It was a little asymmetrically strange at first, but if I just focused on my heading and how my landing "pictures" should look, my arms just figured it out on their own.
I know some manufacturers reccommend tossing the second toggle, but I think I'll be keeping mine. It all depends on what you feel most comfortable doing - do it and do it fast so you can avoid the metal implants. It doesn't seem like it takes too long to unstow a toggle if that's what you want to do. And I'm sure I wouldn't get tired from 300' with the help of sum adrenal gland secretions.
I practice at the DZ so that I'm comfortable with doing it later in BASE - also it helped my confidence to do it over the peas where I'm used to landing instead of some crazy talus slope or rocky shoreline.
I'm not sure there is a "best thing to do" - it changes for every jump and jumper... like you said - just land the bitch.
What type of toggles do you have, pin, tab, snap? Just curious.
CP