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Pulse vs Storm
Performance Designs Pulse · Performance Designs Storm · Canopy explorer
What differs — read from the data
- Pulse and Storm are both made by Performance Designs.
- Planform: both are listed as semi-elliptical.
- Pulse has 9 cells; Storm has 7 cells.
- Neither is cross-braced.
- Pulse is listed in 107–260 sq ft; Storm in 97–230 sq ft.
- The listed size ranges overlap between 107 and 230 sq ft.
- Published aspect ratio: Pulse 2.59, Storm 2.14.
- 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
| Pulse | Storm | |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Performance Designs | Performance Designs |
| Status | current | current |
| Cells | 9 | 7 |
| Planform | semi-elliptical | semi-elliptical |
| Cross-braced | no | no |
| Aspect ratio | 2.59 | 2.14 |
| Sizes (sq ft) | 107–260 Source: Performance Designs — Pulse product page ↗ | 97–230 Source: Performance Designs — Storm product page ↗ |
| Designed for (manufacturer wording) |
|
|
| Characteristics (manufacturer keywords) | Soft, forgiving openings with short snivel · Very flat glide · Short recovery arc · Easy to pack · Easy to time flare · For Novice to Experienced jumpers Source: Performance Designs — Pulse product page ↗ | Soft openings with long snivel · Steep glide · Long recovery arc · Long control range · Powerful bottom-end flare Source: Performance Designs — Storm product page ↗ |
| Opening | Significantly shorter snivel than a Sabre2 or a Spectre, and an inflation that is a bit quicker, without being uncomfortable. Easier to keep on heading; if it opens off heading it will generally stay on that heading rather than continuing the turn. | Soft, on heading and very forgiving to minor inconsistencies in body position during deployment; compared to a Spectre, a slightly shorter snivel and ever so slightly quicker inflation. |
| Recovery arc | The recovery arc is a lot shorter than on a Sabre2; when you stop a turn it will plane out into normal flight much more quickly than a Sabre2. | Long recovery arc (product page); will dive longer and lose more altitude in a turn than a comparable sized Stiletto or Silhouette, but not quite as much as a Sabre2. |
| Glide | Very flat glide when flying at full flight, much like the PD Stiletto. | Steep glide (product page); great slow flight glide when the brakes (or rear risers) are applied. |
| Speed / dive | not published | Flies somewhat similar to the Spectre but has a much larger speed range; in full flight greater speed than the Spectre (qualitative; no figures published). |
| Flare | Approach angle is flatter and rate of descent lower than most other canopies, so the flare is quite easy to time; less tendency for unwanted pop-up or "ballooning" on landing. | Lower flare point than Silhouette or Stiletto; flare point similar to the Spectre, but quite a bit more powerful; powerful bottom-end flare. |
| Front risers | Flies reasonably well on front risers, with a somewhat lower increase in descent rate than a Sabre2; riser pressure is firm and builds as airspeed increases; not designed to achieve steep diving turns. | Front riser pressure slightly higher than the Spectre, but requires less input to receive the same response. |
| Rear risers | Rear riser turns are conventional, though the control range is very short; only a modest improvement in glide with rear risers; flaring with rear risers is not nearly as effective as on a Sabre2. | Very maneuverable using the rear risers as a very useful tool in extending the glide or turning with less tail deflection. |
| Harness response | not published | not published |
| Toggle response | Very responsive in toggle turns; takes less toggle movement to achieve a given turn rate compared to a Sabre2, and descends less quickly in a turn. | First one half of the toggle stroke seems less responsive than a Silhouette or Stiletto; past that you'll see just how sharp it can turn. Extremely agile in deep brakes. |
| 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
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
Pulse — Performance Designs chart: maximum exit weight (lb) per category
| Size | Student | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Expert | Maximum (never exceed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 107 | N/S | N/S | N/S | 114 | 138 | 160 |
| 120 | N/S | N/S | 115 | 129 | 155 | 180 |
| 135 | N/S | 110 | 132 | 146 | 175 | 202 |
| 150 | N/S | 123 | 149 | 169 | 195 | 225 |
| 170 | N/S | 143 | 173 | 193 | 222 | 250 |
| 190 | 140 | 165 | 194 | 218 | 247 | 266 |
| 210 | 157 | 190 | 216 | 230 | 259 | 275 |
| 230 | 172 | 210 | 228 | 245 | 268 | 280 |
| 260 | 195 | 230 | 242 | 262 | 282 | 302 |
N/S = not suggested by the manufacturer for that category. Weights are maximums, not recommendations.
Source: Performance Designs — Pulse sizing / wing-loading chart (FC-0009 Rev. 0 (PD Pulse Wing Loading Chart)) ↗Storm — Performance Designs chart: maximum exit weight (lb) per category
| Size | Student | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Expert | Maximum (never exceed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97 | N/S | N/S | N/S | 116 | 150 | 175 |
| 107 | N/S | N/S | N/S | 128 | 166 | 193 |
| 120 | N/S | N/S | 120 | 144 | 192 | 216 |
| 135 | N/S | 122 | 149 | 169 | 216 | 230 |
| 150 | N/S | 143 | 173 | 188 | 225 | 240 |
| 170 | N/S | 170 | 196 | 213 | 238 | 255 |
| 190 | 133 | 190 | 209 | 228 | 247 | 266 |
| 210 | 158 | 210 | 221 | 242 | 263 | 273 |
| 230 | 173 | 230 | 242 | 253 | 276 | 299 |
N/S = not suggested by the manufacturer for that category. Weights are maximums, not recommendations.
Source: Performance Designs — Storm sizing / wing-loading chart (FC-0014 Rev. 0 (Storm canopy sizing chart)) ↗Sources
- B Performance Designs — Pulse product page — open ↗
- A Performance Designs — Pulse Flight Characteristics (FC-0009 Rev. 0) — open ↗
- A Performance Designs — Pulse sizing / wing-loading chart (FC-0009 Rev. 0 (PD Pulse Wing Loading Chart)) — open ↗
- B Performance Designs — Storm product page — open ↗
- A Performance Designs — Storm Flight Characteristics (FC-0014 Rev. 0) — open ↗
- A Performance Designs — Storm sizing / wing-loading chart (FC-0014 Rev. 0 (Storm canopy sizing chart)) — 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
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Other comparisons: Pulse vs Sabre3 · Spectre vs Storm · Katana vs Pulse · Pulse vs Spectre · Pulse vs Stiletto · Sabre3 vs Storm · Comp Velocity vs Storm · Katana vs Storm