Comp Velocity vs Sabre3

Performance Designs Comp Velocity · Performance Designs Sabre3 · Canopy explorer

Manufacturer facts side by side, with the source on every row. Nothing on this page says which canopy to choose or what wing loading to fly — that is a conversation for you, your canopy coach and your drop zone.

What differs — read from the data

Comp Velocity and Sabre3 are both made by Performance Designs.
Planform: Comp Velocity is listed as elliptical; Sabre3 as semi-elliptical.
Comp Velocity has 7 cells; Sabre3 has 9 cells.
Comp Velocity is cross-braced; Sabre3 is not.
Comp Velocity is listed in 71–111 sq ft; Sabre3 in 89–230 sq ft.
The listed size ranges overlap between 89 and 111 sq ft.
Published aspect ratio: Comp Velocity 2.68, Sabre3 2.59.
Both charts list Performance Designs' maximum exit weight per skill category and size — the same size can be read in both tables below.

Structural facts only (manufacturer, planform, cells, bracing, sizes, chart system). How each wing flies is described below in the manufacturer's own words; how it flies for you is a question for a canopy coach.

Side by side

	Comp Velocity	Sabre3
Manufacturer	Performance Designs	Performance Designs
Status	current	current
Cells	7	9
Planform	elliptical	semi-elliptical
Cross-braced	yes	no
Aspect ratio	2.68	2.59
Sizes (sq ft)	71–111 Source: Performance Designs — Comp Velocity product page ↗	89–230 Source: Performance Designs — Sabre3 Flight Characteristics and FAQ (FC-0005 Rev. 0) ↗
Designed for (manufacturer wording)	Highly experienced canopy pilots First-time crossbraced canopy pilots Getting back from long spots Camera flyers Individuals learning high performance canopy piloting under appropriate supervision Individuals looking for a high performance canopy for competition Source: Performance Designs — Comp Velocity product page ↗	Novice to Intermediate skydivers at moderate wing loads Advanced to Expert skydivers at moderate to heavier wing loads Learning or perfecting high performance canopy piloting (under appropriate supervision) Source: Performance Designs — SABRE3 product page (incl. TABLE-0150 Rev.0 footnotes) (TABLE-0150 Rev.0 (chart)) ↗
Characteristics (manufacturer keywords)	Great openings · Long recovery arc · Very steep glide · Great shut down power · Responsive and powerful canopy Source: Performance Designs — Comp Velocity product page ↗	Long recovery arc · Progressive & manageable front risers · Steep glide · Spectacular rear riser performance · Powerful bottom-end flare · Redesigned and refined openings Source: Performance Designs — SABRE3 product page (incl. TABLE-0150 Rev.0 footnotes) (TABLE-0150 Rev.0 (chart)) ↗
Opening	Quite similar to the Velocity, with a bit more refinement; the amount this canopy "searches" or "shakes" during the snivel stages is quite reduced.	Comfortable snivel that doesn't eat up a lot of altitude; smooth, well-staged, on-heading openings across a wide range of wing loadings (FC-0005).
Recovery arc	Long recovery arc (product page); recovery from a front riser dive longer than with a Velocity.	Long recovery arc (product page); natural recovery comparable to the Sabre2, and a higher wing loading generally makes it longer (FC-0005).
Glide	Very steep glide (product page).	Steep glide (product page); 'it glides longer, it swoops farther' than the Sabre2 (FC-0005).
Speed / dive	Flies a bit faster and is, in general, a more efficient wing than the Velocity (qualitative; no figures published).	Carries more speed than the Sabre2; builds speed with less input (qualitative — no airspeed figures published).
Flare	Great shut down power (product page); toggle stroke may be longer and stall point lower; slow speed efficiency exceeds the Velocity.	Powerful bottom-end flare; longer control range; stall point fairly deep for most jumpers (FC-0005).
Front risers	Front riser dive characteristics very similar to the Velocity; pressure about the same, but builds a bit differently.	'A little goes a long way'; pressure similar to the Sabre2 but more uniform (FC-0005).
Rear risers	Most pilots state that it feels more powerful on the rears; flies more efficiently on the rears.	PD: more power and wider range on rears than its other 9-cells, incl. the Sabre2 (FC-0005).
Harness response	not published	A bit more responsive in the harness than its predecessor without being too sensitive during deployment (FC-0005).
Toggle response	Comes standard with three additional inches of brake to toggle line compared to a Velocity; toggle stroke may be longer and stall point lower.	Longer control range, more linear feel, crisp response (FC-0005).
Loading system	Maximum exit weight per PD skill category and size (chart below).	Maximum exit weight per PD skill category and size (chart below).
Manufacturer-stated experience requirements	none stated	none stated
Evidence level	A — Manufacturer technical documentation	A — Manufacturer technical documentation

Flight wording is quoted or closely paraphrased from each manufacturer's own documents; where a manufacturer publishes nothing for a row it says "not published". No airspeed figures are published by either manufacturer.

Your wing loading on each size

Exit weight (you + all gear): kg

Enter an exit weight to see exit weight ÷ size for every listed size of both canopies and where each number sits on the manufacturer's own chart.

Wing loading = exit weight (lb) ÷ size (ft²). PD's chart lists the MAXIMUM exit weight per skill category — the category shown is the lowest one whose maximum covers your weight, by PD's own rule. JYRO's range is a manufacturer envelope, not a target. The two systems are never translated into each other.

The manufacturers' charts

Comp Velocity — Performance Designs chart: maximum exit weight (lb) per category

Size	Student	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Expert	Maximum (never exceed)
71	N/S	N/S	N/S	N/S	149	170
75	N/S	N/S	N/S	N/S	158	180
79	N/S	N/S	N/S	N/S	166	194
84	N/S	N/S	N/S	109	176	206
90	N/S	N/S	N/S	117	193	225
96	N/S	N/S	N/S	125	206	240
103	N/S	N/S	N/S	134	221	252
111	N/S	N/S	N/S	144	238	266

N/S = not suggested by the manufacturer for that category. Weights are maximums, not recommendations.

Source: Performance Designs — Comp Velocity sizing / wing-loading chart (FC-0001 Rev. C (PD Competition Velocity wing load chart)) ↗

Sabre3 — Performance Designs chart: maximum exit weight (lb) per category

Size	Student	Novice	Intermediate	Advanced	Expert	Maximum (never exceed)
89	N/S	N/S	N/S	N/S	160	178
97	N/S	N/S	N/S	136	175	194
107	N/S	N/S	N/S	150	193	214
120	N/S	N/S	120	168	216	240
135	N/S	108	149	203	236	250
150	N/S	127	173	225	240	260
170	127	152	196	238	255	281
190	152	180	209	247	266	285
210	168	210	221	252	273	294
230	184	230	242	253	276	299

N/S = not suggested by the manufacturer for that category. Weights are maximums, not recommendations.

Source: Performance Designs — Sabre3 Wing Loading Chart (product page) (TABLE-0150 Rev.0) ↗

Sources

B Performance Designs — Comp Velocity product page — open ↗
A Performance Designs — Comp Velocity Flight Characteristics (FC-0001 Rev. C) — open ↗
A Performance Designs — Comp Velocity sizing / wing-loading chart (FC-0001 Rev. C (PD Competition Velocity wing load chart)) — open ↗
A Performance Designs — Sabre3 Flight Characteristics and FAQ (FC-0005 Rev. 0) — open ↗
B Performance Designs — SABRE3 product page (incl. TABLE-0150 Rev.0 footnotes) (TABLE-0150 Rev.0 (chart)) — open ↗
B Performance Designs — Sabre3 Wing Loading Chart (product page) (TABLE-0150 Rev.0) — open ↗

Evidence levels: A = manufacturer technical documentation, B = manufacturer product information. Knowledge base version canopy-kb-2026.09.23-r3. All sources used on this site

See it in your own data

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Other comparisons: Comp Velocity vs Valkyrie · Pulse vs Sabre3 · Katana vs Sabre3 · Sabre3 vs Spectre · Sabre3 vs Stiletto · Sabre3 vs Storm · Comp Velocity vs Katana · Comp Velocity vs Spectre

Safety notice: This tool is for data review only. It does not replace canopy coaching, DZ rules, traffic awareness, S&TA guidance, or manufacturer guidance. Everything here is information for learning — not advice or a recommendation about any canopy, wing loading, turn or decision. Your decisions are your own. See the Terms of Service.