How to Buy a Parachute

A parachute is one piece of sporting equipment you really don't want to skimp on. In fact, the research and effort you put it into buying a parachute will have a direct effect on your personal safety. It's important to not only buy a quality parachute but also one that suits your skydive experience and specifications. Use these steps as a guide to buying a parachute.

Instructions

1. Learn as much as you can about any parachute you might buy. This is even more crucial if you are considering used parachutes, since many of a parachute's important properties are hard to detect. However, whether new or used, a parachute must conform to FAA standards, known as "TSO."

2. Have the parachute checked out by an independent rigger. Even if the seller of the parachute means well, he or she simply might not know enough to give you the best possible appraisal of the gear. As a rule, have the parachute checked out before you skydive and, ideally, before you buy.

3. Make sure the parachute matches you. Details like your experience, how you skydive and your weight are critical. These factors will dictate whether you buy a round or square parachute (though chances are that it will be square), the kind of canopy material and how many square feet the parachute amounts to.

4. Get all the right gear. Obviously just having a parachute will not enable you to complete a skydive. You also need harnesses, a harness container and automatic activation devices to safely (and, in some cases, legally) skydive with your new parachute. Make sure the parachute you're buying works correctly with all the gear you have or plan to buy.