RyanofOZ

I am a newbie thats 250 out the door and fly a 210 spectre as of now. My instructors said that is what I should buy so I did, and love it. I jumped a nav 280 for my first 8 then a 240 for 3 then the 210. I am loaing mine more than you obviously and have no issues thus far. You will be under 1.1:1 so I dont see why you cant get a 210, and jump it after renting a 260-240-then your 210. Ask your instructors though.... Mine all suggested a 210 for my ability and it fit. Mayke sure they are aware of what you are thinking of and see what they say! They are human and can make mistakes too, but they are the best thing to use for advice this early on in your skydiving career. Oz

Mine went to Visa, Rig Repair (new right harness) and Cypres 4 year / battery. After all that i had 18.45 left to just blow on what ever I want! Sweet! Oz

I am going with not getting too rule restriction happy and let natural selection take care of it. I can go buy a 1200 cc street bike with no experiance and a table saw, wood chipper, gun, fireworks etc... The list goes on and on. Let the idiots learn from their own mistakes and dont punish people that are having a good time safely. Oz

It can be done as stated above. When I did AFF I did it pretty fast. I did Level 1 & 2 on day one Level 3 & 4 the next day Level 5, 6, 7, and 8 the next day. It was fast and as stated above, very exhausting. Everyone moves at their own pace though so there is no way to tell if you will be good at that pace of need to move a little slower. Just remember not to rush things and make sure you feel good about going up each time. I am sure you will do well so be safe and have fun! Oz

Glad the issue was tossed. The people that started that lawsuit need to get off their asses and work. Also they need to look to the future and not dwell on something from hundreds of years ago. Give it a f-ing break already. Besides, it was legal when it happened. Not that it was right, but legal just the samew Oz

Well I am a Melbourne Skydiver and I stick to Vodka ans Crown. Is that any better? Oz

Dont worry brutha! I just finished AFF and on my level 5 got a scare when I went into a spin I could not recover from. I was nervous all the way up because I had done level 2, 3, and 4 already that morning and was a little overwhelmed. After the spin I took the next 2 days off to return to a picture perfect 5, 6, 7, and 8. I felt great and confident. I did not feel anywhere close to that two days before when I was spinning wondering if I was ever going to stop! I still puled and landed fine, but I was freaked out. Keep jumping, it will all be so much fun very soon! I think almost everybody gets a little freaked out at some point during AFF. For gods sake your jumping out of a plane for the first few times in your life. Keep up the good work and I am sure you will do great! Ryan Oz

I hear ya! I am going to pick mine up Sunday. I figured it out and will be loading at 1.18 I do not think that is too aggressive IMHO. I am going with my gut and my instructors suggestions. Hopefully the rig is what I am looking for! Best of luck with you new rig too! Blue Skys! Ryan Oz

DF, I will need a big rig seeing as I am a big guy. I will be loading a 210 at 1.2.... Oz

I have got a lot of good info from all of you about my Sabre vs. Spectre decision. I had one more question about the wing loading that I am not confused about, but rather would like to be sure I do the right thing. The Spectre is a 210 and I weigh about 220-225. That would put my exit weight at about 250 with about 1.2 wing loading. MY instructor said I should be fine on a 210 and then maybe downsize to a 190 in a year or so. The Sabre is a 230 which would put my wing load at about 1.08 and from what I read is a better starting point. My question is what are your opinions on the loading for my first main? If my instructor thinks I will be good on a 210 should I go for it? Or play safety on a 230? He said I have excellent canopy control but seeing as I have been learning on a 285 (tour bus) I am not sure how much I would be safe on yet enjoy for a while. I have read PD's web site and they recommend the 210 wing load I will have as expert. I am no expert but 1.2 is not that high of a wing load either. Any input would be great from all you guys and gals with more experiance! Thanks! Ryan Oz

Great Job! I am on my way to getting my A also. Best of luck to you and be safe! Oz

I think I will go for the rig with the older container and the spectre vs. the newer container and sabre 1. Thanks for all the info! I will let you know how it turns out. Ryan Oz

1994 Chevy S-10 4 banger, ext cab Oz

Sounds like you get the weekly Democratic finger pointing topics sheet. Not that all dems are bad, but you sound like a little girl that lost her binky. Open your eyes for gods sake! I am not even going to waste the time to counter all those points. Someone like you has no grasp on reality, and what it takes to get things done. I am sure you think Al Gore would have done a much better job haha. I bet you think Clinton had nothing to do with any of the current issues either? Grow up and look at the whole picture instead of twisting one side of a piece of information to suit your BS arguements. Bush may not be the best, but he actually has the balls to get things done, and doesnt take other countries crap. Oz

Great looking container! I love the cut away pillow! Oz

I Just finished AFF at Sebastian (FL) a couple days ago. Like stated above, I was told pulling is something I need to do. I was also told on every jump before level 7 that "I may be away to the side but will be next to you at pull time in case". I have no doubt that my JM would have done all he could to pull for me in the event something happened. In the end, you should have the sense enough to pull your own pilot, its your life. The JM is there in the event you totally f-up and dont realize the ground is waiting for you if you dont pull. If I had any doubts about my safety, I would not have jumped with the JM. I got all out of wack on my L5 and was spinning all over. I still made the pull but the jm was right next to me when the time came so I was still calm and remembered to PULL! If you dont pull on your own, I dont think you belong in the sport. Maybe thats harsh, but bad thigns happen, and if you cant think to do that one thing in an emergency, well....you know the result. Ryan Oz

Thanks for all the info and opinions guys and gals! Oz

I weigh about 220-225 so my exit will be near 240 with all the "gear" as far as I can figure. So far from what I have read here and on the web, the spectre seems like a better choice. I am not fond of rough openings after having a few going through aff. So what do you think? Ryan Oz

Hello all, I am trying to decide on my first rig and have found 2 that I am interested in. The part in question is the main on each rig. The rest is all similar. One has a Spectre 210 the other a Sabre 230. My instructor said I can handle a 210 fine but if the Sabre is a better canopy, I would opt for that. Any imput from you all? Thanks! Ryan Oz

I just finished my AFF there 1/16/04 and had a great time. The instructors were all great and very safety orientated. I went straight through and loved every minute of it. The bar and restaurant are great to get some quick food between jumps. The packers are all very quick and friendly. The landing area is very large and there are a lot of good outs if you get dumped off in the wrong area. I would recommend it to anyone thinking of getting into the sport, or looking for a great DZ to jump at.

The weight thing was a slight issue for me when I started AFF. I am not fat at all, but am a weight lifter and about 6'1 - 6'2 - 225. Try getting in a random rig with a 34 inch waist and 50 inch chest, not pretty. Not to mention never being able to find a used container that will fit you. If I knew I would have done this years ago, I would have put the protein down! I had to go out of my way to find a DZ that went over 225. I was not going to be at the very max weight. Just didnt give me a warm fuzzy. Oz

Stiletto 150 For a first main? How many jumps had you made? I thought those were for way down the road.... Oz

Eyes for me. If I use audible, it is a secondary device. Oz

Thanks for all the great info guys and gals. You all have helped open my eyes and give me a lot of options. To all you big guys here, I feel ya... Im 6'1 220 so I will be flying a big ole canopy too. Years contact sports tends to pack on the meat. I am sure I am going to have a hard time finding a used container because of my measurements. Thanks! Oz

Thanks for all the info, its a big help. There are so many out there, it is tough to figure this all out. I also dont want to screw up and get something too fast or drive a bus. Oz