el_chester

I will spend some time next week demoing both, as well as the pilot. My needs are: -On heading openings (lotsa big ways) -Not too much altitude eaten during opening (big-ways) -A good canopy on which to safely learn to swoop (fun) From previous advise and from what I've read, the nitro is the right canopy for me, but I can't tell you 'till I've jumped and felt them first hand. In 2 weeks I will post back on this thread with my impressions. -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

Who's going to the big-way camp in DeLand (Nov. 24-28) organized by Rob Laidlaw (Skydve University)? (Info here) -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

i had a faster-than-normal opening yesterday. My neck whip-lashed and now it hurts quite a bit. I have limited movement before the pain is too much. What is the recommended course of action to make this better? Massage? Pain killers? I want this to go away fast! -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

One of the jumps where we were joined by the sit-flyers is the centerfold of this month's parachutist! I never appeared on that page (or any other page of parachutist before) I am very proud and happy to be part of that! -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

I work in video doing post-production, and regardless of the official acronym, this is what most of us call it: NTSC - never the same colors NTSC - never twice same color it is an old standard which was developed in the analog tv days, and still is the most used standard even when it is by no means the best standard (kind of like microsft operating systems... ) -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

i'd like to see how and where you guys are placing Harbortronics DigiSnap on your helmets Thanks! -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

Here's the photoshop stitching technique for those interested. Right-button CLICKY to download photoshop file (4mb) -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

Thanks everybody for your replies they are VERY helpful. Keep them coming! -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

Was the winning ticket drawn at the nationals? Who won? I just found my $20 ticket I bought in september and wondered... -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

can my girlfriend watch?

I'm starting to jump with teammates who average 3 times as many jumps as I have. Needless to say, it shows. Why would they chose me? Well, there's not that many jumpers in Mexico, and most people are going straight for freeflying after student status. So, I am learning a lot, profiting a lot from my teammates, but also worried about slowing them down. They say they don't care too much, but it's obvious who's picking the last grips on every point, and who's just not flying as clean as the other 3 team members. I'd like to get up to speed as fast as possible. Short of spending coached time in a windtunnel (something that will happen in a couple of weeks), do you have any tips that, as obvious as they may seem, might help me be a bit faster? -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

I'd love to be out there at the big way camp with you guys. I wish you luck with the weather!

I seem to recall seing someones helmet with a Nikon Coolpix 5400 (or maybe it was another model?) and a Harbortronics DigiSnap 2000 setup. I can't find it as much as I search so if you know how, could you please lead me back to that post? Also, anyone who has had experience with a Coolpix 5400 and buffer speeds, can you please comment? My dry runs on the ground make me think that you have to be conscious/selective of the pics you take or buffer times will ruin your day. I have about 6 seconds between pictures once the 7-shot buffer is full... not really good, since pressing the shutter during these 6 seconds WON'T make the camera take a picture once the buffer has space for a new picture. (Edited to add: Camera settings: 5M 2592x1944pixels, FINE) I will probably not buy another camera, since this one was costly enough (I originally bought it for non-skydiving purposes). BTW, for those interested in photoshop, I've posted an interesting stitched picture in the swooping forum today. -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

That's cause you didn't bother to tell me No, you're amongst the second kind I mentioned in my post... people I met in person and then learnt they posted here. -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

Neither did i. i stopped lurking and started posting right around the Perris september bigways. Ok, I guess it's time to learn the real story about initiation into the Rodriguez Brothers... tequila shots off my bellybutton? Anything else I haven't heard of? -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

I copied the stitching technique from a photo on this thread. The camera was not locked off, the stitching done by hand in photoshop. (PM me if you want a lowdown on the technique - it's easy) This was the first time I took part of a "swoop'n'chug" - very very very fun. Photo depicts last part of a swoop... style is not nice (particularly middle photo), but accuracy for beer wasn't bad. BTW the toggle switch after feet were planted was totally instinctive to get to the beer...

being newish to dz.com, i have not met anyone in person after meeting here, but however, i have had lots contact (and help) here from people i have personally met at dropzones who then saw me here. i am looking forward to meeting more of you in person i will be in deland nov 21-28, (without a car), so it could help to have people to hang out with. pm me. -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

Yeah, sure.... Like... If you had known you didn't have a picture with me you'd have taken it? Hope to see you soon. -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

i am mexican but not yet a RB when will i be inducted????? what are the rules? will i be mexicano rodriguez or is that taken? who choses your nickname rodriguez? i'll be in deland nov 21-28 and... here's another famous rodriguez brother... clicky -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

Hey Markus No, still in Mexico City... moving to Berlin in January, hopefully. I can't attend the camp in Perris next week, but plan to attend the one in DeLand a month later with Rob L. Is anybody going to that? -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

Best of luck with this event everybody - this time I'll miss it - work.... urgh! I really wish I could be with you guys - this camps are not only a great place to improve your skills, they are fun, and one meets tons of people from all around the globe. Oh well... there's always the may camp, isn't it? -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

Check out the otter throughout the winter @ Cabo San Lucas (there'a a thread in the eventa an dplaces to jump forum) Or PM me with your email and I'll tell the DZO to email you with the info -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

didn't the pilot feel anything? did you ask him? i'm no pilot but... sounds to me like a 182 with a person hanging from the step shouldn't fly as smooth as one without... -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

i didn't know at the time, but looking back now - all I can say is I am a very very lucky person to be alive. most of these happened under the "supervision" of the guy running the skydiving school where I originally learnt (I don't know if anybody still jumps at that airport). This guy I understand is now retired (thank god!): - having a 23-jump "aff jumpmaster" on my 3rd jump (after he let go of me i was more stable than he) - doing my first solo on my jump #5 (never did a tandem) - doing a 4-way where no-one had more than 20 jumps (on my 10th jump) - i have the VHS video of that - should digitize! - doing 4 demos into stadiums (2 of them rather tight) at jump numers 50 through 150 - having a horseshoe (caused by misconfiguration of the rig - too long a loop) on jump 72 - the bag came out and i felt it on my legs at 4500ft... so i pulled the pilot chute, had a bag-lock, cut-away, and pulled reserve - a round beauty. The faces on the other guys doing the 4-way were priceless when i look back. Kind of "it was nice to meet you - good luck" expressions as they turned away to track... - premature deployment (once again under those rented from DZ rigs...) - swooping unintentionally when i did a 360 "to lose altitude" at around 100 jumps - now that was MY fault, very very stupid and dangerous. this on a sabre 150. - more recently: dodging the canopies of people who track really steep down on bigways (at least you can anticipate this, mostly by out-tracking them) -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.

from Mexico - heal soon! -- Be careful giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it.