Hi guys :) I am student, I've started skydiving 1 month ago and I have 32 jumps :) My home dropzone is in Czech rep, 1 hour from Prague, really like the place, gear and people, safety is always primary, but I would need few tips from outside about what to do:
- we have only An-2 there, doing lot of tandem jumps, so usually my instructor won't allow me to go more than 1500m (5000ft) so it is hard to train freefall (usually I only try to do new exits, then about 10 seconds with with flips and turns) and even to gain A licence (because in Czech rep. you need to do a lot of 2200m exits during student jumps to gain licence)... well actually I have no other option than lobbying before every jump to go higher, at least those 2200m, because any other DZ is far away and switching is no-way for me
- I borrow all gear from the DZ, now I am considering buying gear:
a) goggles for 15$, because those I borrow are quite old
b) helmet - well, here is my problem :D now I use helmet from DZ, but there isn't many of them, so I have to often use helmet which doesn't fit me right... I can buy the same helmet we use as students there - 50$ openface (over ears protection)... but if I pay another 60$ I can get really nice openhelmet kevlar helmet which I would love sooo much more... but if I pay another 60$ I can have lowcost fullface helmet... but if I pay another 150$ I can have the highend Cookie G3 - so simply I don't want to buy new 100$ when I will "have" to buy G3 in year or two; when I asked my instructor he told me something like: "what?! you are student, don't buy G3 when you can buy the same helmet we use"
c) suit - again, I borrow fullbody suit from DZ, but it doesn't fit me - I can try to find some used one for 150$... but if I pay 100$ I can have "bespoke" lowcost suit... but if I pay another 150$ I can have much better one
d) borrowed altimeters and rigs are good :)
what would you do in my position?
the next thing I would like to mention/know - why there is no forum about czech skydiving, where we can share notes/ideas? there is http://www.4000.cz/ but forum is not used and I can't even register there (it looks like there is nobody who could authenticate my acc)
Thanks anyone for reply in advance
