peregrinerose

My best friend has 3 kidneys, my boss has 1. No problems with either one of them. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Thanks

After the first couple of AFF jumps, I have the students write in their own log books after the debrief. I start out by dictating what they write (which is exactly the same thing I have in the DZs master record of the student), and after a couple of those, I have them do it themselves, I'll read over it and add/change anything that would be important for the next instructor to know. I do this for two reasons... first, I have deplorable handwriting, so the best notes in the world are useless if they are illegable

I disagree about necessarily having to try tandem again.... Tandem harnesses fit completely differently than sport rigs. Some tandem harnesses, depending on the student and how they are adjusted, can snug down on the femoral artery a bit, trapping blood in the legs and away from the brain. Pair that with no food, adrenaline, possibly dehydration, and a couple of good spins under canopy, and of course you're going to pass out If you decide to do another tandem first, let the instructor know what happened, they may adjust the harness slightly differently. If you decide to do AFF next, talk to the instructors at the DZ and see what they say. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Remember that instructors aren't pointing out Mt. Giantsnowything just for shits and giggles... as you progress in your training, you will need to know all of the landmarks so that no matter where in the area the plane is and which direction it's flying you know where the DZ is, where the obstacles to landing are, and eventually how to spot the plane yourself.

Oh, come on 'suck it up cupcake' is a GREAT phrase, useful in a host of scenarios. If anything, it's never used enough... kind of like cowbell, you can always have more

I don't understand that attitude. I've loaned my gear out to lots of people and offered use of it to many more. Always considered that to be the neighborly thing to do... Cyn has less than 100 jumps on her profile, her rig is her baby. In another 100 jumps she'll be as quick to loan it out to qualified jumpers as the rest of us are with our gear, but right now she's in the newlywed phase of gear ownership, and doesn't want her gear cheating on her with another jumper

Glad we could help Talk to the instructor, tell him how you feel. Remember that as a student, no matter the presentation, it is your responsibility to listen to every word your instructors say.... you will lose a LOT of information in tuning people out because your feelings are hurt. Check your emotions at the door in this sport. Aaaahhh, but you didn't perform as trained on this particular jump, did you? You hesitated, had poor body position on the step, and de-arched... I doubt that's how you were trained You learned first hand why we teach the way we do, go with it next time. Bulldoze your way out the door, you need to exert some effort and be assertive, but it's just wind, it won't hurt you

I've made over $300 in a weekend as a packer at a mid-sided DZ (the most I've made in a weekend was $650ish). Think about it... you make money, get to be around skydiving... talk to your DZO and see if it's an option. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Irresponsiblity like this is exactly why there are so many issues in the housing market to begin with If you are this immature in personal decisions, I'd question the wisdom of your in-air and jumping decision making processes as well. Take a step back, grow up a little, make more prudent money management decisions, and then skydive... the sky will be there when you're financially ready. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

It's a nice discussion for on here, but really, shouldn't your NEICE be making this kind of ethical call and resulting essay, not you? Let the kid learn a thing or two and think for herself

You are very wrong on this one. According to your profile, you are roughly 200 lbs out the door, and unless you are insanely out of shape, you're probably at least 5'6". The OP is a small framed girl. Student gear is sized to fit 'most' jumpers, and 'most' jumpers are male, 5'6" or taller, and 150 lbs or heavier. She has a MUCH smaller frame, so the rig will fit her very differently, and will cause bruising. YOU didn't get bruises because the fit of student gear is very different for you than her. Trust me, I've worked with a hundred students now, and was a smaller framed student myself.... I see how gear fits different people differently and who gets bruises where. There is no prejudace against student gear.. it is what it is.... starter gear for first jumps. Buying your own gear somewhere around an A license (USED, not NEW!!) makes sense for several reasons.... 1. Consistency... you learn much more much more quickly when you are on the same rig every single skydive. With student gear, depending on student loads that day, you may not have the same gear two loads in a row much less 2 days in a row. 2. Fit. Very large students, skinny students, short students etc, simply don't fit as well in generically sized student gear. Small students get bruised, that's just how it is. Skinny students may find the rig shifting slightly on their backs, so hackey in a slightly different spot each jump. 3. Learning gear. Students learn, trust, and appreciate gear more when it's their own... when they can take it home and pack it themselves, ask questions about it, work with their riggers to maintain it, actually look at it at home on their own time and really get to know their equipment. 4. Money. You can get a decent starter rig for $2000, sometimes less, then when ready for newer gear or upgrades, sell it and make most of that money back... it's a good investment, better than renting gear. It has nothing to do with looking cool/being a cool guy.. there are sound reasons for buying one's own gear. Broaden your views a LOT.... your experience is not the same as every experience. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

That sucks If I was picking for you, I'd pick Sabre2.... definitely sporty, fun, great openings, versitile. A good friend of mine can swoop the living shit out of his, so you really can get a lot out of it as you learn to fly it very well. Mine is too small for you or I'd ship it up and let you play with it for a while (I jump a 150 spectre and 135 Sabre 2, love 'em both, but the Sabre2 would give you the more zippy response that it sounds like you want) Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Pops summed this up really well... it sounds like nerves. AKA you're normal

What I'd strongly suggest doing is take advantage of PDs demo program before buying anything. It's like $50 and you get whatever canopy for 2 weekends to play with. Try a 170 Sabre2 (just as much fun as a stilletto but more reliable opens), Spectre (and it's possible to have a blast on a Spectre... I have one), Storm (and let me know what you think, I want to try that one myself!). See if you can get a Safire2 demo, and a Pilot to demo. These are all great canopies. If you want to dabble in CRW training at some point, lean toward the Spectre or Storm. If you want to fly camera, think Sabre2, Pilot, or Spectre (maybe Storm? I don't know much about that one) You have lots of options, try a lot of different 170s out, write down everything you like/don't like about each one, and compare at the end. Make sure you play with getting back from a long spot on all of them, and with accuracy. Have fun!

For what it's worth, if this is true, you can guarantee Steve a genuine Peregrinerose-hug if/when we ever run across each other at a DZ. He would have earned major respect from me if he actually does upsize to a less aggressive canopy, and THAT is the kind of skydiver I'd like to call a friend. Humility is a tough pill to swallow in this sport (I know, had to take some healthy doses of it myself, and probably will again in the future), but it's the mark of a truly wise mind that can learn and adapt and change. He'll be a better role model for it as well. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

This weekend, KSC is having our bi-annual accuracy scrambles. Winners get CASH! At the last scramble, each member of the winning team took home over $100

The very fact that he can't get excited or thrilled flying larger canopies is the very reason he should be on them. Right now, he's doing conservative box patterns and learning very little on a 136 in the effort to stay alive. On a larger more forgiving canopy, he would be able to learn how to fly the living crap out of them, and THAT is exciting. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Have you considered picking up some extra work to pay both the skydiving and the mortgage? I have my 'real' income to pay for 'real life bills' and my skydiving income (started as packer and worked my way to aff instructor) is purely for skydiving. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Thanks. I'm glad you found it practical advice. I can also tell you that every hypothetical scenario I gave you happened to me, more than once. Add into it a bad case of target fixation (my totally hot husband who landed before me). My fairly prudent choice of canopies, taking 2 canopy courses so far (#3 to happen the first weekend in Oct), and a damn fine PLF in every situation let me walk away. If any one of those three things was different, I would not have walked away in those scenarios. It would be great if you took those words to heart. Put your smaller canopy in a closet for another few hundred jumps, go with a 150 or 170, gain experience, and then jump your canopy. The sky will always be there.... it would be great to see you always able bodied and able to play in it instead of sitting on the ground broken and full of what ifs. Please don't underestimate the effect you have on younger jumpers. To them, 200 jumps is a LOT. They see you succeed on a small elliptical and think they can too. Give a moment of thought to the example you are leading for young jumpers. Your words and actions really do matter. Best wishes to you, no matter what you decide. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Do you really think you'll never get yourself in a corner on a standard, straight in approach? No one will ever be spacing out and walk in front of you as you are 30 feet off the ground, you'll never need to land out at at the last moment notice that post sticking out of the ground immediately between you and your landing point, the winds will never change as you are making your final approach and startle you, another canopy will never cut you off in your standard box pattern? These are all things you have no control over and may require judgement calls and responses based on experience. Experience you don't have yet, so your judgements may not be ideal and infallable. A bigger canopy will be infinitely more forgiving for those lapses in judgement than a smaller one. I do care about posters on here, and I will shake my head in sorrow if you get hurt. I'll also get a knot in my stomach if you end up as an instructor, leading by example, and someone else gets hurt by showing the same rash judgment you are thinking that you got away with it so they can too. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Wrong... take everything you read on dz.com with a whole freaking tablespoon of salt... even my posts!

LOL!!!!

I used the underwear analogy with an old guy once... he promptly informed me that he didn't ever wear any underwear Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

First, take out your contacts as often as you change underwear (hopefully, that's a daily occurrence ) Spending several days in contacts is the same as spending several days in undies... actually worse. Your ass can handle more dirt than your eyeballs can. Next, if you're not rubbing your lenses, you aren't really cleaning the lenses... just like washing dishes. If you soaked them overnight in a sink and pulled them out, would you REALLY want to eat off of them?? Probably not. You need friction to clean anything well, including contacts. Oasys is a great lens when cared for properly... it is definitely NOT the lens to sleep in though. Yes, it's approved for it, but I've seen more cases of infiltrative conjunctivitis with extended wear in than lens than any other one. Also make sure you are anal about throwing it out every 2 weeks, not stretching them. That lens gets surface buildup pretty quick. So, take care of them better, and they shouldn't fall out. If they are still a problem, switch to Clear Care solution instead of Optifree, that one is hydrogen peroxide based, so no preservative in it. It's also the best of the cleaners. Drawback is that it costs a little mroe, you need the neutralizing disk, and it MUST sit in their case for a minimum of 6 hours, otherwise you will burn the crap out of your corneas (trust me, I've done that, it sucks