ccowden

Can you buy just a removable slider without the full RDS system? For me, it isn't really about getting the extra distance or worrying about the drag so much, but I just hate the slider flapping around and haven't liked any stowing systems totally.

Think I will just concentrate on the one for a bit.

Thanks sweetie! It's all just too cool! WAY cooler than I thought it would be!

Ha ha! But I really wish I COULD make the connection, cuz it sounds cool!

Ok. But I still don't see the connection to me.

Are you confusing me with Chris Spence and the Roaming DZ? I don't have an RV.

Huh? You lost me.

Hope it's a sweet birthday for a sweet girl! Happy Birthday!

Super duper congrats to you both! Mel- you are the second most beautiful bride I have ever seen! Not sure about the dirty guy next to ya, but..... Congrats again!

10 times out of 10.

Ya know, a few months ago, I would have never believed that. But now, I couldn't agree more!

Well, the first night is over. Yes, we both got sleep. No, neither of us really SLEPT. The best sleep I got was from 4:30am to 6:30am when mommy took a break in the other room and Brennan slept soundly on my chest. And I have to say, even though I wasn't getting the best sleep, it was the coolest thing ever!

Thank you again everyone! Brennan and mommy are home and we are all doing great! Here are a couple more pics.

Thank you to all for the nice posts and well wishes! It is awesome to feel the love and support! I will have mommy read through these soon too. We will be coming home today and ready to head into our ne lives with Brennan. We are both thrilled and excited and couldn't be happier! Thanks again everyone! Now I am back to the hospital to go bring home my beautiful wife and boy.

Ok, so he isn't really little, but.... Introducing Brennan Thomas Cowden, born on 11-26-05 at 9:26pm. 8lbs 14oz, 21 inches. All went fantastic and both mommy and baby are doing wonderful. Who cares about me! I feel like the luckiest man alive right now and just wanted to share my news and say thank you for all the love and support. I kept it fairly quiet, so many of you may just now be finding out. My love to all.

Yup. ProTecs are absolutely the best protection you can buy for the money. There is one simple reason why most people won't wear one after student status: They aren't cool. Sad, but true. I am guilty myself. However, I do have a ProTec halfshell that I try to wear when doing hop n pops for swooping. No helmet will protect you from a major swooping accident, but a ProTec will provide a great deal of protection in a pretty good tumble, where as a skydiving helmet will not. If we all picked helmets for protection and cost, we would all be wearing ProTecs.

Skydiving helmets are designed to fit snug and be sleek while offering some protection. But none of the modern skydiving helmets will protect you from much more than a minor mishap. The better ski helmets are designed to offer more protection while trying to keep them sleek, but they are really quite a bit larger and less sleek for skydiving use. Plain and simple, you can't pack too much protection into a sleek form fitting helmet, and the more protection a helmet offers, the larger it will become. It really becomes a trade off. If you want great protection at a good cost, buy a ProTec. If you want good protection at a decent cost and aren't concerned about how it will perform in the air or how big it will be, go with the ski helmet. If you want a little protection in a form fitting sleek helmet that is designed for skydiving, go with a skydiving helmet. It just comes down to what you want most. Protection, design, fit. Skydiving specific helmets try to combine these factors in the best possible designs for our sport. But there certainly are better protective helmets. You just start to sacrafice other things for that protection. It's really your call.

Nice work! Glad I had the chance to jump with you guys so I could make your year end! Thanks for sharing!

nope! I'm smarter than that Yeah, I was much younger and not quite as smart. But if you are gonna be stupid, you have to be tough. I sure as heck wouldn't jump one for fun now!

And you can still walk? All of mine were with a belly mounted reserve. The highest one was from 1100 feet.

Got any T-10 jumps?

What the heck does that make you then?

You don't have to be old. I have 17 T-10 jumps and I am 32. Unless of course you consider 32 to be old. I would check with a Army surplus store. I am sure I can get one here.

What the heck is a tatto?

My plane tickets are booked!