skybytch

Which can easily be turned off (RIP Harley).

Seriously? It's inconvenient to check your gear before you put it on? If you do a complete gear check that includes lifting the reserve flap to check the pin (like we teach students to do), it will take what, three seconds longer to check the AAD? Wow, that's asking an awful lot of you. How do you handle the inconvenience and time involved in turning it on in the morning? At least this time the static turns it off instead of making it fire like the Cypres 1 did (who remembers anti static sleeves?). Much rather that it was off when I thought it was on than firing when I don't want it to. When it's off, it can't kill me.

Well, there is the whole "make it easier" thing. If you aren't a rigger, it's way easier to drop your rig off all packed up and then pick it up, ready to jump, when the AAD comes back. $10 or so is a small price to pay for simple and fast.

Nope. Your student jumps will be done on student gear - which is bigger overall and set up a bit differently than what you will end up using as an experienced jumper. If you really just gotta buy something before you even jump, buy a pair of goggles, a basic altimeter and/or a basic helmet (ProTec style). Those you may be able to jump as a student, and they are cheap enough that if you decide skydiving isn't for you after three or four jumps, you aren't sitting on a bunch of expensive gear that you will never use. And in the case of the rig you mentioned, not only will you never use it, you likely won't be able to sell it - except maybe to some other clueless newbie.

My spine is screwed up for different reasons, but I have some of the same issues. Lower back fused 11 years ago, neck will likely need it within next 5-10 if I keep trying to live an active life. I know a few people who have had cervical fusions and jumped again - one even does camera. So it's not unheard of. But only you can decide if the rewards are worth the risks. The key for me and my neck is jumping a slow opening canopy and listening to my body. I fly a Spectre with Dacron lines loaded about 1.0; it opens like melted butter. I don't jump when I'm hurting. And I've accepted that I am putting myself at additional risk by jumping - even my mushy Spectre could whack the crap out of me. Can you be happy making less money? Working in the gear industry is a great way to be involved in the sport (and meet some AMAZING people), but the pay generally sucks.

The one that is in stock and that is priced to fit your budget. They all do the job.

Don't bother. NHL games are WAY more fun for the money. Nice start to the *season* for some of us. Lovin' seeing the Sharks top line en fuego... and the Kings hangover is really making me smile.

Mary Jo Robinson (aka Paulie). He's still jumping.

How about a list of ways pulling the slider down can hurt or kill us? How can we make an educated decision as to whether the risks are worth the rewards if we don't know the risks? If I'm getting a great flare on my 150 loaded at 1.0, have no interest in going any faster and can make it back from a bad spot in deep brakes, why do I need to bring my slider down? Doing so adds one more thing I have to think about - not just when I'm doing it, but also if it comes back up or if I find myself needing to cutaway after bringing it down.

1) You may never decide to downsize. Lots of jumpers are perfectly happy at 1.0 - 1.2 wingloading. 2) Overstuffing a container doesn't just make it less fun to pack. It also puts stress on the closing flaps and grommets. Not to mention the fact that overstuffed containers look like shit. 3) You can safely go down at least one, if not two, main canopy sizes in the same container. By the time you are really ready for a 135, you will be ready for a new container. 4) Any used container sized for a 190 main is going to sell super fast and will retain more resale value than a container sized for say a 135. Why? How hard it is to find one? 5) You're going to be spending a crapload of money for as long as you are in the sport. Get used to it. So said many people who can no longer jump... cuz they weren't acting as safe as they said they'd be...

Me. And peanut.

You always made me smile. Now I'm crying... Fly free, brother.

Yes he will. More to you than to any of us! But that amazing man will never, ever be forgotten by me. Miss you, JP. So many things I'd love to sit and chat with you about.

The guy I lived with and I were getting bored on our days off. He was a pilot and had always wanted to jump. I saw the Navy demo team when I was 14 and thought it looked amazing. Found a dz that had recently opened nearby. He went out one Sunday and did a static line (instead of waiting for me to come up with a reason for my mom to babysit my son). I went the next weekend and did the same. Could have done a tandem but I wanted to do it myself; wasn't going to completely trust my life to some guy I didn't know. He quit jumping after 5 years, 300ish jumps and a broken leg. I'm still at it almost 23 years later.

I've lived in So Cal, the Central Coast (nice but no good dz's for fun jumpers) and NorCal. I think the people are nicer up here. According to recent news reports, California's budget is balanced at the moment. Taxes are higher than in other states, as are general living expenses; up to you to decide if the benefits of living here outweigh paying more for taxes and housing than you might in some other state (with crappy weather). Come check out the Sacramento area. Half a million or so in the city limits, not sure of population in the entire metro area; traveling from one side to the other (rural to rural) takes about 30-40 minutes. Commute off rush hour and there are rarely traffic issues. Housing prices are far less than the LA or San Francisco areas. Two universities (Sac State and UC Davis). Three turbine dz's within 30 minutes or so of downtown (Skydance in Davis west of Sac, Skydive Sacramento in Lincoln east of Sac and Lodi to the south). Mostly flat and very bicycle friendly (Davis is one of the most bicycle friendly cities in the US). Loads of hiking trails within an hour or so drive, including several wilderness areas. Tahoe is less than 2 hours away; excellent skiing and hiking. San Francisco is less than two hours away. It does get warm in the summer - 90F isn't unusual and a week straight of 100F plus is a given in August. But it's a drier heat than Florida; I'll take 100F here over 90F in Florida anytime. It can get a bit cold in the winter, but I don't remember seeing temps under 20F in the 8 years I've lived here.

Northern California - Bay area east to the Sacramento area. Several great dz's within an hour or so, close to all sorts of outdoor activities (snow, water, hiking, air), bicycle friendly, decent weather. And nice people too.

Uh huh. Make sure you do that in no wind conditions so you get a real good idea of just how fast a 190 is going to fly. The harness might be a bit large for you, but in many cases as long as they weren't bowling ball shaped it will likely work for you. You can also have a harness resized for far less than you'd spend on a new container. If you do decide to buy a new one, the fact that you are not finding much used gear in the sizes you are looking for bodes well for future resale - both in value and in speed of sale.

Dave is talking sense. At 195 body weight and 13 jumps, a 175 reserve will not be something you'll have fun landing should you need to use it at sunset on a bad spot on your second jump on the rig. Size your reserve for the worst case - not for what you think you can safely land in perfect conditions on the dz. Unless you're already a paid packer or plan to always use paid packers, guaranteed that you will NOT enjoy packing a main that is one size bigger than what the container manufacturer says will go into it. Putting 190 sq ft of slippery shit into a space designed for it is fun enough when you're learning. Trying to cram it into a space designed for 170 sq ft is going to suck. And your rig will look like shit. And you'll be putting excessive stress on the closing flaps. That said, the best way to order a new container is to tell the manufacturer the canopies and line type you'll be putting in it and then let THEM decide what size container will work best. They've only been building Vector 3's for a few years, they just might know what will and won't fit (safely).

I'm twelve. I called a girl I used to kiss fat. She got mad. Her 13 year old boyfriend threatened to beat me up. Isn't that hilarious?

I used to know several people that an AAD would have saved - including a tandem pair (way back when Bill Booth said that a well trained and current TI was the best AAD for a tandem pair - yes, the TI was well trained and current). A few more that an RSL would have saved - including a camera flier. The comparison isn't really valid, imho. RSL's and AAD's are designed to operate in completely different circumstances. An AAD will save my ass if I forget to pull (or, less likely, someone kicks me in the head) - an RSL won't do that. An RSL will save my ass if I cutaway and forget to (or can't) deploy the reserve in time - an AAD won't do that (assuming of course, that I'm not stupid high when I cutaway).

Never heard that one. I've flown F111 9 cells at 1.1 ish; they flared like shit. If you're looking to save money on a used main, you'll be happier in the long run with an older zp canopy - perfectly airworthy original Sabres and Triathlons can be found for under $500.

No worries there. There's always tandems on the floor that he can pack when she needs cash to do some skydiving.

We get to move today so we'll be having sex at least once in every room of our new house tomorrow.

First thing to do if you want to do it like we did would be to get through AFF, buy gear and get the FS1. I don't know about the UK, but in the US it's easy to get certified to marry people; we asked a jumper friend if he would marry us and he had the paperwork within a week. If it's that easy in the UK, there is likely someone at your local dz who has already done it and could officiate for you.

We got married on a skydive back in April. A four way out of a Cessna - us, our "preacher" and the cameraman. We did part of the ceremony on the ground before loading, part in the plane, the i do's and kiss in freefall and the rings in the landing area. It was awesome.