Knowing Your Gear:  Mid-Cycle Gear Inspections

You Can Prevent Gear Malfunctions

By Nicole Richards

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Whether you recently earned your USPA A-License or have been an active skydiver for years, knowing what your gear is supposed to look like and inspecting it regularly can save your life.

We aren’t talking about the “Check of 3” gear check that you do before you jump. We are talking about conducting a non-invasive simple overview of the moving mechanical parts and wear points of your skydiving equipment. In the United States it is required that a FAA rigger inspect and repack your reserve parachute every 180 days (this will vary country to country). This regulated interval between rigger repacks is called a gear cycle.  As the owner of your skydiving equipment, you are responsible for the safety and maintenance of that gear in between that gear cycle.

The purpose of conducting a mid-cycle gear inspection is to monitor your equipment and be aware of what it looks like in the correct condition. Then, when something is incorrect you can easily recognize it. When you first receive your freshly inspected and repacked gear from your rigger, before you leave the loft (or wherever you pick it up from) try on your container and make sure the reserve is sitting comfortable on your back.  At this time, you should do the quick 5-minute (or less) non-invasive overview gear inspection that you will continue to do throughout the gear cycle. If you have any questions or concerns – ask your rigger right then and there! If you suspect something is incorrect or if it doesn’t fit comfortably, always approach the issue as a question and a conversation for both people to learn from and try not to communicate in an accusing manner.

Whether you are a professional skydiver or a once in a while fun jumper, these quick gear inspections throughout the gear cycle will help you become more confident in knowing what your gear should look like and help you catch any potential dangers that can come from natural wear on your gear. At the very least, you should conduct this gear inspection at the 90-day mark of your gear cycle. If you are a weekend warrior, make sure to do this gear check at the start of each jumping weekend. For professional skydivers, consider doing this gear check at the start of each workday. You can never check your gear too often, but if you do not check it often enough it may result in a gear malfunction and a very bad day at the DZ.

We interviewed gear experts Dave Singer, Owner of Peregrine Manufacturing Inc. and Josh Colby, co-owner and Canopy Coach of USPACourses.com about the moving mechanisms and common wear points on gear. The following is our suggestions for how to do a mid-cycle gear inspection:

While your gear is packed

1.    Container

On the Front Side: Check the grommets for rough edges; Three rings are properly set and cable housing connections are through ring, grommet, and cable housing, and that it is clear/stowed; Harness is secure and stitching is not frayed anywhere; Friction adapters on leg and chest straps are smooth to not damage the straps; Velcro on emergency handles keeps them securely in place; Free fly bungee is secure (if falling fast is your thing); Stows are strong to hold excess in place.

On the Back Side:  Check that the stiffeners are not cracked, warped and that they stay in place when closed; Reserve flap is secure; Main flap is secure; Closing loop has less than 10% wear (keep a spare closing loop tucked away in one of the pockets so you don’t end up pushing your closing loop past this recommended wear point when you need to get packed and on a load on that 20 minute call); Tuck tabs or magnet are not broken or are polarized correctly.

2.  Reserve

RSL is connected and routed correctly; MARD system (if you have one) is routed correctly (each manufacturer will be different); Rigger’s seal & red seal thread are intact; Closing loop shows no wear; Pilot chute spring is still tight; There is no exposed pilot chute; If the pin has a cover that it is placed correctly.   

When gear is unpacked also inspect

3.    Risers

Check that the soft loop on the three ring system shows no wear; Riser fabric has no wear; Line connections on toggles are secured; Toggle keepers are secured to risers; Slinks are attached correctly (know how to route your slinks properly); Slink tabs are tucked inside the riser and if tacked down that the thread is secure; Lower portions of control lines where slides through guide rings is not fuzzy; Stitching has no broken fibers; Toggle keepers are not broken and keep the toggle in place.

4. Canopy

As you run up the lines check that lines are not fuzzy, especially the control line and the A/B lines connected to the front risers; Feel inside of the slider grommets for anything abrasive or any dings; Stabilizer attachment points and slider stoppers show no wear and disks are not cracked, warped, or broken; Outside lines ABCD at attachment points are not frayed; Canopy fabric has no rips or tears, especially the outside middle section.

5. Main Deployment System

Check grommets for anything abrasive; rubber bands are not broken; deployment bag fabric shows no wear and attachment point is secure; bridal is securely attached; kill line has no shrinkage; Colored point of kill line is clear (You can re-mark this with a sharpie if it is fading); Pilot chute fabric has no holes; Pilot chute mesh isn’t rotted out; Stitching on handle isn’t frayed; Knot holding pilot chute is secure; If you have a semi stowless bag, know that they wear differently and make sure to inspect inside the line stow pouch and that the tuck tabs on semi stowless bags are not broken or cracked.

At the end of the day, you are trusting this magic backpack and it’s contents with your life– it is vitally important that you understand what your gear is supposed to look like, regularly inspect it in between cycles, and if something is not correct – get it to a rigger you trust! Doing these quick and simple inspections on your gear can at the least, save you from having a bad day and at the most, save your life.

Remember –You Can Prevent Gear Malfunctions!

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About the Author:  Nicole Richards is an experienced skydiver and aspiring professional skydiver.   Her goals in 2019 include pursuing her AFFIR and Tandem IR.  Her home dropzone is Skydive Chicago.  Nicole is the official Blog Writer for USPACourses.com.

When it comes to skydiving products, buy from the best! Icarus World, Larsen & Brusgaard, and don’t forget about those Sexy Stowz…MEOW!