darrenspooner

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Everything posted by darrenspooner

  1. darrenspooner
    Almost feels like disrespect for a 150 jump weekend warrior to be offering advice on something like this, but I, with my novice packing experience, just got my brand new sabre 2 and then my brand new safire 2 in the bag 50 times. Reverse s-fold, and use a pull up to do the first couple of stows. Other than that, the exercise I get packing is the only chance I get to sweat. Don't mind a bit of that.
  2. darrenspooner
    I've been doing one or two jumps about once every 6 weeks. No problems. I go straight down, open high, play around with my canopy and land straight in. I also jump at a DZ where there's not much to crash into, on the ground or in the air. I don't see why infrequency should be a problem. If you are current in your head about emergency drills, canopy handling, being safe, and being confidence, and as lond as your JM knows what you're doing, I can't see why there should be a problem
  3. darrenspooner
    Try and find yourself a copy of "Freefall" by Tom Read (or could be Reed). Excellent read about an ex-special forces man that was working towards breaking Joe Kittinger's record for highest freefall when he developed a serious psychiatric illness. Sadly, the illness beat him a couple of years ago, but his book is an inspiration.
  4. darrenspooner
    12 weeks? You lucky lucky lucky b...... Mine took 19
  5. darrenspooner
    Getting my new Safire 2 next week, I hope. I see the packing manual says to psycho pack it. Is this common practice out there, or should I just do a normal propack? I also saw that a lot of people who reviewed it says it snivels for 1000 feet, is that right, and is there anything that people do with the packing to speed it up a bit? I've just upsized because I'm a fatty.
  6. darrenspooner
    I got on okay with reverse s-folding it. Plus, if its a new canopy then try to get 30-50 jumps on it, and its should be a bit easier. By the way, you're doing great. I'm glad you've persevered
  7. darrenspooner
    Can anyone tell me where I can see pictures of aerodyne canopies with realistic colour? The aerodyne colour program is not very authentic. I'd like to see the actual colours on a canopy rather than the computer representations
  8. darrenspooner
    He sounds like a crater waiting to happen. He also sounds like he's actually not a friend. Do it in your own time, and be safe. I've done 150 jumps in over 20 years. I just focus in being safe and I don't give a shit about the hotdogs who have more money than sense.
  9. darrenspooner
    Why do you have so many elastic bands?
  10. darrenspooner
    Time to take a break pal, you have habituated. If you had lobster thermidore 3 times a day for 7 years you'd be bored too. You need something different right now. Don't sell your gear, but unless you have a novel experience you may as well sit and wait to die. Skydiving got comfortable.
  11. darrenspooner
    1 in 150 jumps (at jump 122). 12th jump on a new main. High speed spinning mal. Was opening all over the place with diving turns, end cell closure etc. Done 50 jumps on it now and its settled down.
  12. darrenspooner
    I rang them today and successfully booked for next Tuesday
  13. darrenspooner
    I'd be inclined to get one that's hard, fits round your head, and doesn't come off when you jump
  14. darrenspooner
    And do they take the money before they put their dick in your arse or after?
  15. darrenspooner
    I had canopy deflation on a ZP. I was jumping a 170 about about wl 1.1, with 80 jumps. At about 200 feet 3 end cells folded under and it just recovered in time for me to land. Freaked me out. I asked my instructor what to do and he said "chuck it in the bin". I now jump a Sabre 2. I'm just a novice too, but your wl seems a bit high to me. We all say we'll never hook it or turn too low. We all lie about our weight when we're trying to justify having too small a canopy. Be careful. Its just not worth trying to kid yourself. Of course, jump number doesn't equate to ability, but nevertheless, I'd fly that thing like you were driving your car on ice. And in gusting winds, whoa, think twice.
  16. darrenspooner
    You know, I know we need to promote safety and encourage responsibility, but we seem to be obsessed with the relationship between jump numbers and competence. I mean, someone with 100 jumps warning someone with 12 about canopy size. WTF! I've done 150 jumps, but I'm a complete retard. I don't jump regularly enough to ever improve. I accept that and I don't put myself out there and take risks. But I've seen some 30-jump hotdogs that are naturals. Gifted. Like Wayne Rooney's. Should we be shitting on Wayne Rooney because he's trying to do stuff (at 18) that 30 year olds are only supposed to do (especially when he's doing it better than them)? By the way, for the non-english folks, Wayne Rooney is an 18-year old soccer god. 12 jumps, 100 jumps, think about competence, not ratios. That's what I think.
  17. darrenspooner
    N/A
  18. darrenspooner
    I've done 150 jumps (UK jumper), but very infrequently. Have a week off in March or April and would like to jump my arse off. Where should I go to guarantee jumping? - USA, spain, anywhere else? Just want the best chance of jumping all day, every day. Any ideas?
  19. darrenspooner
    I guess I take a Darwinian view of this. If he really is that good he'll survive, if he's not then he's not meant to. As an instructor, I guess you just need to make sure that ou have done what you should do. Then if he goes in he goes in. I'm a psychologist, and its sort of the same for suicidal patients. You can only do so much, but if they are going to kill themselves then they will.
  20. darrenspooner
    Sorry to be a wanker, but this is offensive in some places. You see, when you get anxious (as in, being a newbie) this hormone called cortisol shuts down some bits of your brain. One of the most important is the pre-frontal cortex. This is the bit that helps you to think rationally, solve problems, make judgments, and so on. Its not surprising that students do some fucked up things. They are so anxious they lose the ability to think clearly. I know there's a huge safety issue here, and some people simply shouldn't be cleared to jump, but shitting on people for goofing up just makes it a whole bunch worse. Why don't you help them to feel more confident, rather than making them feel like fuck ups?
  21. darrenspooner
    I fell out of the plane in a 3-way, quickly became a 2-way, then did one point before opening and landing on my face. Hey man, just enjoy the sunshine. 100 is arbitrary.
  22. darrenspooner
    Don't spontaneously bring it up, you'll be seen as a narcissist. But if they ask just add t to your list of hobbies and sports. Their ears will prick up and they'll ask you why. You do it because you want to live, not because you want to die. You are prepared to take a risk to acheive something. You are meticulous. You are not afraid. But you're not stupid. Just don't go to the interview in your jumpsuit, metaphorically speaking
  23. darrenspooner
    Yep, that's normal. What happens is that you get anxious and trigger off the fight or flight response. When you're in that state your brain doesn't want you to think about stuff, it wants you to act. So your amygdala (a part in your brain) starts processing spatial and kinesthetic stuff, and at the same time you release a hormone from the glucocorticoid family called cortisol. This is known as the stress chemical, and one of the things it does is inhibit the function of the pre-frontal cortex. This is the bit of your brain that is responsible for complex thinking, problem solving, decision making, anything complex. So, in simple terms, once you activate the fight or flight response your thinking gets ineffective and chaotic. The trick is, do more jumps so you're not scared any more. Then you don't activate the fight or flight response, then you don't get overloaded during freefall
  24. darrenspooner
    Excellent pic.
  25. darrenspooner
    Hey, you made it back without injury. Good call, damn good call.