On Tuesday, June 13, 2017 at 2:46:55 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Uli, as it was explained to me round canopies are more forgiving of poor body position when deploying. If you are using a parachute for sport jumping the ram air 'chute is the only way to go, but for an emergency 'chute a novice user will have a better chance of getting a good deployment with the round canopy.
I'd ask your local rigger what they know, don't ask pilots what they "think".

-Doug

Not true. Lots of unstable ram air deployments with student skydivers every day. And in a real ugly deployment that results in a horseshoe malfunction(pilot chute entangled with jumper) a round has a lower chance of opening.. Top of round reserve is restrained by the pilotchute and bridle going back to the jumper. Ram air reserves are packed in a bag that is not attached to the reserve. This allows the pilot chute to separate freeing the reserve to open. The only thing rounds are better for is saving a few bucks and nowadays buying new the difference isn't that much.