Reginald

Short answer...tandem harness are uncomfortable. Student gear harnesses are less uncomfortable. Custom fit sport gear harnesses are quite comfortable. As a student you are basically jumping "one size fits all" or otherwise known as "one size fits no one very well" gear. Once you get your own it will be MUCH more comfortable. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

If the rig has not been manufactured yet they can change it out on your order now, probably at no cost. have you talked to the dealer that sold you the rig about it? If you do it after you get your rig you have to buy a extra handle at extra cost. Changing it out is easy for any rigger to do though. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Disclaimer: I hate packing and suck at it. Rolling the nose is generally considered a no-no anymore. I'm surprised a canopy rep suggested you do it. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Bad news, you completely misrepresented the figures. First you are calculating the number of driving deaths to the number of accidents. It is only appropriate to calculate deaths relative to the number of people driving in cars, which is virtually the entire population of the US, which is roughly 295,000,000. Second you are calculating a per jump skydiving figure and a per year driving figure. These are not comparable figures. A better comparison is either number of car trips fatalities vs number of fatalities per skydive or an annual death rate of people in cars to the annual death rate of skydivers. Third you are inserting two extra zeros in your figures which because you are showing a % also is incorrect. A better comparison is something like this. Of the 295 million people in the country 90% or drive or ride in cars during the year. 42,815 die or 42,815/(295,000,000*.9)=.016% or 16 people for every 100,000 that drive or ride in a car. This compares to roughly 30,000 USPA members and 27 deaths. Now let’s say 2 of the deaths are tandems and not “regular” skydivers so we have an estimated 25 skydivers die of the 30,000 or .083% or 83 per 100,000. So skydiving is more than 5 times more dangerous than driving on an annual basis. This is at least a fair attempt at making the figures comparable although I will be the first person to say it is probably an UNDERESTIMATION of the risks of skydiving. Anyone that thinks skydiving is less dangerous than driving is fooling themselves. I’m beginning to see a common thread in this incident. The deceased think that “all an AAD would do would allow for an open casket,....” and a second person on the jump and another local skydiver quoted in the press have fooled themselves into thinking skydiving is safer than driving. I am beginning to think this DZ or group of skydivers lacks a culture of safety and this is a contributing cause of this fatality. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Congratulations!

What started as "I have some sore muscles in my neck and shoulder" ended as the attached pictures and six months of being grounded. Take any neck pain as being serious and get it check out properly. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Question: and i cannot believe it hasn't been posed yet, is why in the heck did you cut-away from a stable 2 out configuration? If it was "down planing" i could understand, but you did mention "Stable Configuration" "and found my reserve flying next to my main" Sounds like a side by side to me, there is nothing wrong with choping a side by side as long as it is clear the lines or risers are not tangled. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Did you have the excess reserve cable tucked into the velcro? "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

I think you worry too much. Ten's of thousands of skydivers have managed to figure out standard altimeters when exiting above 12,000. I'm sure you can too. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

I'd go for #2. He can fly any canopy he wants to. He just can't do it wherever he wants to. He can go kill himself somewhere else so the people at this DZ don't have to pick up his pieces, which really sucks if you've ever had to do it. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Hate to say it no one thinks camara is part of any team! I'm gonna get in trouble for this one too... "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

sorry, I didn't realize that we voted for open ranking. Well of course we vote! I thought it might help to post pics of the two teams. Shamelessly stolen from Omniscore and the NSL websites. Christy is hot but I'm gonna have to vote for Mel's team. And remember RON HILL, when we all get in trouble for this YOU started it! . "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

I don't consider my 120 hours a waste because I haven't jumped in a year. It's all about what you are into. I don't think having fun at the tunnel and learning new skills would be a bad thing, even if you never get out of the plane. I've yet to meet a whuffo tourisits who considered their tunnel time moot because they don't jump. For many people, skydiving is not as exciting as tunnel flying. It's a sport of it's own and most skydivers are really humbled and/or pissed by their tunnel experiences because they realize that they sky is very forgiving and you don't have to create lift to fly. You missed his point... "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

You guys hvae always been a rugged and crazy bunch... "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

I think I'm voting for Gravity. It has more hot chicks! Well, it may or may not have more but i do know at least one it it. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

So you spend a little time in LA and all you can think about is stirring the pot between Elsinore and Perris! LOL!

If you don't jump in the winter it's because you don't want to. It may not be jumpable everyday but there will always be jumpable days, maybe few and far between, even thought it maybe 35f. Of you can fly to Florida like everyone else.... "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

People backing out of skydiving! Yep, that's the norm. As for your ear, if you are doing a tandem jump, which is most likely, you don't need to worry about any safty issues, as the tandem instrictor will be in charge. No one on here will be able to tell you if it will be an issue or not. My GUESS is it won't be. In either case you will be in capable hands. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Many DZ's have a 210lb to 220lb weight limit. Call your local DZ and talk to them. A few of the big boyz (270+) doing AFF needed special gear that only a few DZ's had. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

I'm a AFFI not a TI but the TI's at my DZ all go on hold at winds = or > 25 MPH. Your 23 knots = 26.5MPH. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

One my one cutaway I told the packer i was going to deduct the cost of that one pack job (out of 10 that day) from his bill. I still tipped. He was okay with it. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Your tandem instructor will choose an exit based on the type of plane your height and weight, etc. that is appropriate. You won't really have much off an option. He or she is in charge of this skydive. Feel free to talk to him or her and see if there are some different options they might be willing to discuss with you. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

I also enjoy watching Airspeed caliber skydivers in the tunnel. The perfect form and absolute stillness amaze me. The head high body position is simply a good mantis. Isn’t that how everyone flys? "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Sure about that? My King Cobra Irons and Callaway Woods cost as much as my AFF course, and a round of golf is about the same as a day of 5 jumps. You only do 5 jumps a day? That doesn't even get me to lunch! "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Clear. A person's eyes are the best way to communicate in freefall and as a student your instructors will want to see your eyes. In some aspects of the sport 4 way for example tinted visors are a big no, no as it makes eye contact difficult. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP