brabzzz

In the market for a new rig at some point and have heard from the vector guys (in Gap..) that they've got some new stuff in the pipeline, both 'conventional' (much thicker foam backpad) and some more 'major' differences too. Not sure if they're standard upgrades to the V3, options or something new altogether. Anyone know any more about any of this? I really don't fancy splashing out just before some evolved version is about to be released...especilly if it's something worth waiting for. Any info appreciated! --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

I recall reading that they use a less slippery kind of ZP, a bit like PISA used to...before it became Aerodyne. I saw some dude out in Gap packing a brand new Sabre2. Brings back 'pleasant' memories of wrestling with mine a few years back... --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

http://www.trackingderby.com/ You can participate at one of their events or use your own gps receiver anywhere. Integrates to google earth and gives you a reakdown of most important details of the freefall and canopy flight. Might be good for optimising your track - tracking dives, whilst fun, are often too steep for that. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Triathlon is 7 cell. Controversial here, but don't bother with the big 7 cells until your a lot closer to actually takign the plunge and considering base. If you 'like' speed, a big 7 cell will bore you rigid. Smaller and faster canopies are fun (as long as you're ready for the downsizes), and topping that off with a couple of dozen big7 jumps before you go seems more fun than doing 300+ jumps on a 200+ sq.ft. teabag. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Freefly, tracking, flocking and 'multiple orientation' dives will be right down your street, as will wingsuiting and that gps tracking derby thing...you just have to get good enough to be on them! In all seriousness, FS skills are also damn useful. It's rare to see base jumpers in headdown...they're nearly always on their belly. It's worth being good at, for both the sake of your skydivign AND base jumping. I don't think you're disillusioned with how skydiving fits into base. I think it's the 'post-AFF-WTF-now?' early skydiving life crisis most pople find themselves in. You gotta plough through it, preferably by getting onto high quality jumps and getting as much coaching as you can afford. Paragliding is cool too. Do both. Chances are, wherever you find an 'E' to jump will probably be prime paraglider territiory too. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Just make sure you get AFF done, do a low signed-off hop'n'pop, do all the consoles and then crack in as many jumps as you can. F*ck it, get some SkydiveU in there as well to really show you're not a student anymore. The BPA mag does make it all sound a bit risky, but that's because it's better for business if you do it in the UK. On the other hand, a half completed foreign AFF+consoles is asking for trouble. Budget at least 10-14 days to make sure you get it all in. As for the turns and 360s, I think the required jump is a dive exit, 2x 360, front loop and backloop followed by a track. I had to do rolls (ie 360 about head/foot axis) too. Get that videod and you shoudl avoid the need for a 'checkout jump'. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

I'll second the pilot rec. Coloured lines and a nice canopy too. And assuming your jump jumbers are current, I'd hope canopy skills are well above average if you're going onto a 1.45 loading. As for doing that downsize and staying with the full on ellipticals, well, . Neither your jumps/year nor total jumps would mark a Stil170 out as 'suitable'. You might have been been absolutely fine on the Heatwave. Don't push the luck further though...some people have been rather less fortunate, even under very conservatively loaded squares... --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

I'm landing in SVG at noon on Friday and hope to be in Lysebotn that evening. I'm taking enough freeze-dried 'hiking' meals, couscus, rice, porridge, tuna etc. to last me a fortnight. And a few bottles of vodka. Realistically i'm hoping for a bad weather day (the Friday or Monday) so I can hop back to SVG and buy some fresh/nice food. I'm not sure i'd survive eating just the shite i'm taking with me! I'm thinking the best 'hike' food are those overpriced energy bars Blacks/Cotswold Outdoor sell. Or Kendall mintcake...which mings. Or some kind of cereal bar. There are all manner of hydration systems. I got a 2L platypus 'bottle/bladder/thing' for £8. Screw-top, no 'hose' and nearly bombproof. Easy to stow and no tube to worry about stowing (...or cleaning). t-4, Mike --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

This is what i got. I'd credit the person that sent it, but as it was received via a PM, I wasn't sure whether they wanted to be credited on the forum. Maybe I'm over analysing? Still... 1) Wasnt for me at all....a few peeps got a few bites /stings but nothing serious. 2)Wasnt that cold on the ground when it was overcast....ie thin fleece cold BUT a few times up on the mountain it got cold waiting around...again not freezing cold...but the weather could change quite rapidly...and I was sure glad I layered up witha couple of fleeces and waterproofs...I'd say make sure you have adequate clothing whilst you are hiking for all weather possibilities 3)The Cafe next to the White House sells basic provisons....but they are not cheap ( nothing is over there) didnt see milk...but saw bread and other similar stuff. If you can....get some provisions for your trip before you get on the ferry to Lysebotn 4) Yip...cutlery plates and stuff is there 5) I dunno if you need a VISA ...if you mant a VISA card...yes they accept those in the Klubband at the Cafe.... Other titbits....you may/maynot find helpful 1) Bring something to do.....it can get a little boring day after day if the weather is crap and there isnt a great deal of 'entertainment' there...create your own 2) They have a fully stocked BASE shop...so if you need stuff you can get it there ( and I mean pretty much everything BASE related) 3)Make sure your hiking boots are broken in.....warm up, wake up and hell hill are not forgiving of broken blisters and unbroken boots.....you'll get away with it a couple of times but If your feet are hurting the prospect of another hike is going to be a very painful one. 4)If you drink beer bring as much as you need from a store...its about £5 a pint at the campsite !!! 5)If the locals are not jumping...question your motives for jumping....if you show the enthusiasm...they will still give you a ride to the hike start point and put a boat in the water......but if they are not jumping....you REALLY should question why you are. The hike down is just as hard as back up....well nearly.... Make the choice to go to the exit point based on the right information/conditions...not just your enthusiasm ! ---------- After a quick look, i answered my own questions: Cab to SVG ferry is 30 min/200NOK and 45min 5/600NOK to the Lauvik one (as per BaseKjerag). The ferry is 100-200NOK depending where you catch it and which one. A tip off another base forum is to fill a shopping trolley with food and take everything, including the trolley, onto the Ferry! --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Cheers for the PM. One more thing, if anyones done it ... getting a cab from the airport to the ferry in SVG, how long does it take (I've got 1hr20min after 'touchdown' to the ferry departure...)? Don't suppose someone has a ballpark figure for what it's gonna cost to get a cab down to Lauvvik to catch the zippier ferry? Ohhhh, and if all the falls through, any tips for cheapass hotels in SVG? --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Off to K at the end of the week. Just a couple of questions if anyone can be arsed to read/anwer 'em! 1) Mosquitoes/midges/other biting stuff - problematic? 2) How cold is it when it ain't baking? Thin fleece cold? Thick fleece? Gloves and bobble hat cold? 3) Is there anywhere to buy bread/milk/food? 4) We've got a cabin hired. Am I right in thinking it'll come with pots, pans n cutlery? 5) Is bringing a VISA out there is kinda pointless? --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

I got stiffed for £75 (inc. £5 admin) on a $600 rig. About 20-25% would be the bite on the declared value then. I suppose giving it some value (ie $600) means the courier is less likely to be careless with it. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

lol, yep. That, and the fact that you're in the market for a $1500 canopy, at the start of your career and have no 'impressions', 'prejudices' or brand loyalty yet, and they'd really like to create some positive ones that might filter down to your 2nd, 3rd, .. 10th rig buy! No bad thing though, it's only gonna help one person - you. Make the most of any and every demo programme you can. You wouldn't buy a car without a test drive... I like my Pilot.

Yeah, that and some freefly skills are really handy for doing hybrids. Only one thing's more annoying than a hybrid that doesn't launch well. Having to all go flat afterwards because the base can't hold a sit. Grrr. Mind you, the same can be said for the reverse situation - freeflyers that can't rise to the occasion and flat fly. That's just damn embarassing - it's all freefly, even the belly! Get a good stable 'FF1' headup level and then go somewhere like the Gap Vector Boogie. Especially if Eli turns up next year. For E3 per jump, you get organised loads where you learn a hell of a lot. Just jumping with 2-3 other people and no dirt dive is fun, granted, but you learn absolutely nothing. Anything you do, every grabby dock you get, is 'right' and makes a 'good' jump. Which is bollocks. A headup VRW/flocking/etc jump will push you to learn SO much more than just a 'fun/zoo' jump. Good luck, it's money well spent. My only regret is not getting more coaching at each and every opportunity i could. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Disclaimer: Piloting skill, packing ability, judgement and impartiality not constant over the years... I jumped a Sabre 2 170 for a few hundred jumps and a Pilot 150 for the last hundred. Loved both. I know they're not comparable as the sizes are different, but both are great. Every jump on the Pilot has been a tip-toe landing with no run-off. Windy as hell, crosswinds and no wind at all - all at a high alti DZ. Front riser it and it'll carry you for a while too. I've had more luck with on heading openings with the pilot and nicer landinds. But, i can't pack for shit (so maybe just luck) and i'm more experienced than i was when on the Sabre 2. For a first canopy, both are great. The retard-proof coloured packing tabs put the Pilot ahead in my book. If you're getting it custom, get a bright, lurid, neon, blindingly bright one. It'll be more visible to the dude in freefall above you and the twat about to tangle their canopy into yours... Stay safe. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

There's tight and there's tight. There were smaller loads building up to it, not everyone ended up on the final load and it was all pretty organised. If you were not safe, you were not on that load... Early sit is spent getting good enough to get on the bigger loads. And once there, you realise that despite being 'safe', you don't actually know shit! You're all 'safe', but there are guys flying 1000% more efficiently and effectively that you. Flying tight is important, but how tight is tight? Tight enough for a 30 way? Depends what you're doing on it. I've had to fly tighter and more precisely on some 3 ways than i have on some jumps several times that number. Might have been a bit misleading - but 'tight' in my previous post i meant really tight as in FF-god tight. I can fly my slot, but there are some people that can really fly head up on another level altogether. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

...but it is! That, however, is no excuse for not being good and capable at it. Same goes for accuracy. Definitely a POPS discipline, but it is pretty damn cool to be able to land within 6 inches of where you want, and it is shomething we should all be able to do and willing to learn. Can't agree more with the fact that knowingly being shite at FS is a bit of a sad attitude. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

http://www.skydivebristoluni.com The drop down video on the front page (well, the first few seconds) has a '4 ways star with two hangers' launch from a Let. We did a similar launch off the ramp of a An72, but that was much easier! From what i remember, just lauch the star as on any other jump with the (preferably petite) hangers squashed in there somewhere too. LOL, maybe someone who can articulate that a bit better (or actually understands what they're talking about) will post! edit: looking at it again, it look like the 2 hangers leglocked each other. The weight off the bottom of the star kinda induces stability, so it's probably a case of deathgrips until it settles. Not sure it's even practicle to lauch anything bigger. It would be easier to teach the freaks to bellyfly... --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

For what it's worth, i think they look w*nk (they resemble a static line!). The only place yellow cable looks cool is wingsuits and helmets... A decent container should almost entirely negate the possibility of knocking a pin out. And it you're worried about a BOC induced premature, switch to pinpull. I know it's extremely unlikely, but with a far-too-short closing loop, i can't help thinking there is potential for cable deformation/higher pull forces using a 'flexpin'. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

It is easily possible to be 'stable and capable of flying relative to others safely' in sit. I've done it on a 30 way sit jump, and my sit has a lot left to improve on. It's safe, but it's not tight/precise and exact. I imagine that what I can get away with in the air would beat me into a pulp against the walls of a tunnel. I looked back at some of my vids from last summer. Eli was on many of the jumps - watching how he flies head-up, the hip and leg position, the control etc is remarkable for a mere mortal like me. If I could do sit half as well as he does, i probably wouldn't even want to learn head down! I can't do head down yet. I'd like to, not just because the chicks dig it, but because it seems easier than really working on the head-up and taking it to the next level of precision and control. Being sh*t hot at head up will get you onto more good loads than being kinda-ok at both head up and down.... It ain't fun and it ain't sexy, but unless you are willing to sink some serious money into it, id's polish the sit up first. (a bit like comparing raps to aff...). --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Yeah my take on the matter is that up until a certain point, blindly carrying out reserve drills is the only and the best approach. After that point has come and gone (maybe it never does for some - better/worse?), if there's time, i'd like to think i'd stop for a second and think about what's happening/not happening. If i find myself under a screwed canopy, then i hope i'd spend every second down to 1500ft trying to deal with it. I've got nothing to lose by doing that, and I'll land closer to my main if i need to chop + might get a cool video from the ground. However much I trust the rigger that packed my reserve, it is still a 100% unknown. It's behind me, under all the flaps and i didn't put it in there and know nothing about it... Too much information isn't a bad thing. Just make sure you have a plan and STICK to it. Disclaimer - I've don't have thousands of jumps/decades in the sport. I've not had a mal yet. When i do have that experience, maybe my opionion will change. --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Nahhh... I initially though that posting 'i just got XXXXX' would be such a n00b thing to do - but the temptation is irrisistable! http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/3407/btoup2jj.jpg --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Package just arrived! Can't wait to get home... Of the two of us that ordered the same thing, which got dispatched at the same time etc etc, he got a call and had to pay tax over the phone, and i didn't get a call. I'm not lucky enough to consider the option of them having 'forgotten', it just seems odd that we got treated differently... --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

You can get a ready to roll rig for £1000 +/- a bit. There are a couple on eBay right now. (That minging blue thing has a Sabre 170 in it that is worth more than the starting price...). Chances are, the main thing you'll be sacrificing is freefly friendliness. Rigs in that price category will probably be dated and therefore come in old teardrops/vectors/talons and the like. No bad thing for someone just starting out that wants to do a few hundred FS jumps before a) deciding what they really want to do with themselves b) stumbing across a 'deal of the century' rig purchase. The other great thing is that when you resell the first one, you won't take much of a hit on it. And if that ~£1k involved spending £400 on the bits and £700 on a cypres, hang onto the cypres when you sell. Even if you get £200 for the bits, that's only £1/pop 'rig hire' over 200 jumps... That said, for 500/800 more, you could have a much better rig. On the other hand, if money is a biggish issue and that meant 40 less jumps this season, then go for the cheaper rig and jump more...imho. I just reckon it would suck to spend [insert vast sum of money] and then jump 15 times that year because you blew it all on a rig... --------------------------------------- Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club www.skydivebristoluni.com

Hi!