We take the utmost care to maintain a fleet of modern, well serviced equipment for your use. Please treat the equipment with respect so that we can continue offering high-quality equipment to our future customers.
Looking after the equipment
If you follow best practice for looking after the equipment, you can minimise the chance of wear and damage:
- Keep the equipment away from UV - always pack indoors (even if it's cloudy outside) and never leave the rig in the sun
- Avoid sweating on the canopy - salt crystals in sweat are abrasive to the canopy. If you lay on the canopy during packing, please avoid packing topless
- Remove twigs, stones, straw etc. from inside the canopy and the main tray of the container. Packing with debris will cause wear on the canopy (and might hurt!)
- Don't eat or drink around the equipment
- Do not smoke near the equipment
- Only use the equipment for the intended purpose, in a manner consistent with local regulations
If you find damage
If you find any issues when you first receive the equipment, please get in touch immediately so that we can resolve it. All equipment undergoes a thorough inspection before being sent out, so this is unlikely, however we still advise that you check the kit yourself.
If you find damage or wear to the equipment during the rental, please contact us, so we can arrange for any necessary work. We will either arrange for a courier to collect it from you to bring back to us, or we may be able to arrange for a rigger local to you to undertake the work. We are selective about the people who undertake work on our kit, so please do not have any work done on the equipment without our authorisation.
The following table indicates things which are typically considered wear & tear vs. damage. Wear & tear is covered in the rental fees, however damage may be chargeable.
| Wear & Tear | Damage |
|---|---|
| Leg strap or chest strap bungees requiring replacement Closing loops & main d-bag bungees BOC pocket spandex becoming loose Kill line shrinkage Scuffs on the leg pads Trim change or other general wear on the canopy lines | Localised damage to lines (e.g. a pull, or excess wear from not collapsing the slider) Holes in the canopy Holes in the pilot chute Any damage to the harness webbing Abrasive damage to the container Evidence of smoking around the kit Damage to chest strap from non-cotton elastics |
This list is not exhaustive, and does not preclude any type of issue from being categorised as damage.
We provide free closing loops and bungees with every rental rig. We strongly recommend using the bungees we provide - if you run out while you're renting, just drop us an email, and we'll send you some more. This also applies to chest & leg strap bungees, and closing loops.
Using rubber elastics on the chest strap can cause premature wear and tear, which could be deemed as damage. Only use cotton elastics on the chest strap and leg straps - if you have to use a bungee at short notice, replace it with a cotton elastic before your next day of jumping.
Charges for damage
Under normal circumstances, any chargeable damages will be deducted from the deposit due on return. For extensive damages, we may request that you pay sooner, depending on the circumstances.
We will charge a standard market rate to cover the costs of repairing the equipment. If you believe the price we've deducted for damages is incorrect, we will be happy to review this. Typically, if you can provide a quote for the work from 2 different companies who provide rigging services which are lower than our charge, we will reduce the charge accordingly.
Loss of equipment
Please report any loss to us immediately.
If you lose the equipment on the ground (e.g. it is stolen), you will be responsible for covering the full cost of the replacements. We strongly recommend that you consider insurance to cover the equipment while it is in your care - some home insurance policies have various useful add-ons available.
If you require a figure for insurance purposes, the replacement cost for a rig is £9000 - £10000. The exact figure varies based on exchange rates, but £10000 will generally cover a complete loss. Please see our terms and conditions for more information.
In the event of a cutaway, after you have landed safely, you should aim to find and recover the equipment as soon as possible. In the unfortunate event that it cannot be found, you will be liable for the cost of all required replacements, which will usually be the main canopy, main risers, main d-bag & pilot chute, reserve freebag, and reserve pilot chute.
If you have paid the additional monthly/quarterly fee for the liability reduction on a rig rental, then you will only be responsible for covering £300 of the loss.
For this to apply:
- The rental fee and additional cover must have been paid in full
- Documentation detailing the cutaway (e.g. British Skydiving incident form) must be provided
- All efforts must have been made to recover the equipment
- You must give us full details of where and when the cutaway occurred to ensure the best possible chance of recovery
- The equipment must have been in use for it's intended purpose