pullhigh

So, if the jump is a tandem or an AFF jump(master) does that mean it wouldn't be covered as well?

I had about 1500 skydives and about 7 years in the sport of skydiving. I had been interested in BASE since I had started skydiving. I even went to Bridge Day as a whuffo just to watch when I was still on AFF. It was later that I really got the bug, just around 500 skydives, but then I lost a friend due to a BASE accident, and that kind of put the fire out for a bit. The thought of BASE had always lingered in the back of my mind, but until some other local friends started talking about it beofre Bridge Day this past year, I hadn't acted on the thoughts. I'm a married guy with two young kids, and needed a way to justify the risks involved. My wife has come to terms with my obsession, and while she isn;t excited about it, she deals with it. The kids, just think it's normal. Doesn't eveyone's dad run out and sneak around in the middle of the night with a parachute n his back? Anyway, I made my first two jumps at Bridge Day last year, and made two more in the 6-8 weeks that followed. As soon as the weather starts warming back up, I plan on making some more jumps. I now have a B, and A, and 2 S's. This spring, I'll get some more jumps in, mostly A's most likely with a random B or S thrown in, but at some point this spring, I'll travel somewhere to get my E. Ganja "BAS_ for now" Rodriguez PS My B and my A were PCA's so according to some posts I've read here, that might not really count... lol

I agree totally. I talked with several whuffo's, and even most of my skydiving friends, and none of them realized that they had come fro inside the building. I kept pointing out that the roof was closed for weather in the area, and they all thought I was full of shit. Ganja "They had no sliders!" Rodriguez

What gives? Looked like 3 people came in from the rafters?

It's not for everyone, but I can pretty much land it straight in and swoop it pretty good. Ganja "I'm no hooker" Rodriguez

My reserve is a Raven 181 DASH MZ, and I have 4 rides on it, 1 terminal, 3 subterminal. My highest loading on it was during a stage of about 295ish, and it landed me just fine. Those canopies have taken a bashing from most of the people who have ridden them, but everyone I talked was loading a smaller lightly. I have'nt talke to anyone else who has ridden one heavily loaded that wasn;t happy with it. I may be wrong, but I am of the opinion that maybe they "needed" top be heavily loaded... Ganja "Stood it up" Rodriguez

I thought I was the worlds largest skydiver. I guess I've been topped. I was about 285 when I started, and peaked out at about 305 last year. I'm doing the low carb thing now and am down to about 260 with a goal of 235 for my birthday. I started out on some old militaryt gutter gear with a 400 square foot 11 cell main, then I quickly went down to a ratted out Manta 288. I then went to a ZP Manta 230, and then into more sporty canopies, a Sabre 190, a Stilletto 170, and to my current, a Vengeance 150, which I was jumping at 305. I'm not reccomending that type of wing loading by any means, I just want you to realize that there is hope for skydiving at your size. Ganja "Atkin's Friendly" Rodriguez

Gee, how am I supposed to think about work now. I am trying to decide how you "happened" upon that picture Jay.... I thought it was just some of those NC boys that were into that sort of thing. Tom, thanks for not killing this thread yet, the laughs have been worth it! Ganja "Got get a costume for my sheeep now!" Rodriguez

Being new to the sport of BASE, I guess htis article helped me to figure out why it's so hard to get many jumps in. I thought it was just to friggin cold too jump this time of year. But now, thanks to Felix, I realize that I just don't drink enough... Thanks Felix for making us look like a bunch of alcoholic lunatics. So, who wants to get hammered and see if you can talk me into jumping off of something? Ganja "Stopping by the liqour store tonight" Rodriguez

Kudos on an excellent post. Being a new jumper, this sort of information is very helpful. I could easily see myself going down a similar road if it were'nt for information like this being spread. Ganja

Pendejo, Where'd you get it from? I haven;t seen them for sale anywhere. Are they going to market them or just hope people come looking for them? Ganja "Are they acid proof?" Rodriguez

Excellent recollection of those jumps. As a new base jumper myslef, I found it very cool to read. Keep em coming! Ganja 1b, 1a, and 2s's

Hmm, not a local, but I'll be in the mid-fla area if anything gets to brewing... I'll be in the Disney vicinity.

Is this a permanent or semi-permanent move, or was he just passing through? Ganja

Tony, I believe they were putting a link on www.bridgeday.info If not, just PM Cajones and he can tell you where to go and what to do. Ganja

Boo... hisss.... It won;t be the same without you guy's there. I'll be aure we each have a beer for you though! Ganja

Problem this year was: We just got the lease on the airport a few weeks back, so planning it this quickly was rough enough, no way it could have happened 3 weeks earlier. Jack is the man for making it happen at all. Congrats Jack! Quatorze, will they be offering recurrency training this weekend? Ganja "Packing tonight!" Rodriguez

Sounds good, and as luck would have it, I'm a TM and a brother....lol You planning on coming on the jump with her? We need to plan something special. Ganja "On look out for the bomb squad" Rodriguez

RevJim, we promise better spots this year. You going to grace us with your presence? I hear Zofo will be there... Ganja

Very new to base, so take it with a grain of salt, but from what I have seen, everyone PRO packs. Not necessarily standing up, but the flat packs I have seen, are more of a modified PRO pack. I believe BR even calls it a PRO pack in there manual, you just start out differently, with the canopy on it's side, but once you start flaking, it rapidly turns into a PRO pack alignement. Remember that PRO is an acronym for Proper Ram air Orientation, or something along those lines, it has nothing to do with being a Pre, or looking cool and standing up to pack. Everyone I've watched pack does something differetn, mostly in the micro reefing or the nose, but all end up with alomost the exact same result. As far as skydiving rigs, do many people even still teach flat packing? That's how I learned, but was quickly re-taught to flat pack. I know our DZ does'nt even mention anything other than PRO packing anymore. Ganja

Trees, what tress? Oh yeah, some people can;t land on an airport big enough to land airplanes on, they think it's "small"... I've got about 1300+ jumps there, and I've never even come close to landing in a tree.... Ganja "Not trying to jinx myself" Rodriguez

Sweet dude, they named a game after me! Ganja Rodriguez

Count Ganja in on all the fun!

You could always come on down to Saint George, SC for the Harvest Moon Boogie the weekend of the 25th. We have a huge RB contigency, most likely tthe second largest in the world, and there will be plenty of RB chicks there looking for fresh initiation meat. Hmm, what is it about a hot chick drinking tequila from your belly that makes it seem so right? Ganja "Who is Zofo Rodriguez?" Rodriguez

I'll be there! Maybe this year we can talk Burke into an in-air incineration! That would be so much cooler then just burning it on the ground.... Ganja "1 weekend at a time" Rodriguez