mattjw916

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Everything posted by mattjw916

  1. mattjw916
    2 tandems on first day at Eloy since it was recommended to make AFF go smoothly, which it did. At the time the progression was a tandem, training tandem (floating exit!), and then AFF so that's what I did. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  2. mattjw916
    That's a little optimistic. A long snivel on deployment or a malfunction can easily put two canopies very close on a night jump. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  3. mattjw916
    rubber bands work fine for sport rigs plus you can basically just find them laying around along with forgotten pull-up cords... NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  4. mattjw916
    "Slocks" prevent the slider from creeping up... but they wear out eventually, I used to have them on my old rig and they did work though. You can also have some webbing sewn on to the risers similar to what you see here: http://youtu.be/NSLUW7mOlO0?t=37s that's my current setup on a couple sets of my risers and don't have any issues with creep or rearward visibility NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  5. mattjw916
    open your chest-strap all the way and the slider is taught when it's behind your head and won't flap NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  6. mattjw916
    These are quite popular as a substitute for disposable chem-lights http://www.rei.com/product/840952/life-gear-glow-stick-with-whistle. I also use tiny LED bicycle lights and gaffers-tape them to my helmet to illuminate my canopy after deployment. Additionally I use a stick-type strobe clipped to my hip ring to meet FAA requirements. Sky-ties are a great place to attach rear-facing lights as well. Each DZ has their own method for conducting night jumps (and all think their way is the best I might add) so make sure you pay attention during any briefings so everyone is on the same sheet of music. Personally, I love night jumps and have done quite a few now... once everyone is done bouncing off the walls of the plane trying to look out windows to find the DZ they are quite peaceful. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  7. mattjw916

    Wings

    mattjw916 replied to freefly30's topic in Gear and Rigging

    I know one person in particular that jumps their Wings rig relentlessly. And by that I mean someone who puts more jumps on it in a year than most do in a lifetime. I was never a big fan of Wings but after watching that tiny rig get punished day in and day out I would have no qualms about buying one and certainly no concerns about its durability. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  8. mattjw916
    On exit the relative wind comes from the front of the plane, not from below, so you need to point your hips toward the front of the plane, not the ground like you did on jump 1 in the video. In the screen-cap you can see that you are presenting your side to the wind which is why you aren't very stable on the hill. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  9. mattjw916
    Real men shoot Todd-AO format in freefall... NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  10. mattjw916
    Regardless of other people's experiences make sure you follow the recovery procedures to the letter is all I would add... I still use drops occasionally for dryness a couple years later but far less than I ever did with contacts or even glasses. I blame computers for this though since they cause eye-strain and screw with the rate you blink. No problems whatsoever in freefall or tunnel whether in a full-face, sunglasses, or goggles. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  11. mattjw916
    Nope, I'm going with my first impression, which is "lame". I'll file this under the "obnoxious things" category along with people who jump with multiple gopros, fuck with their phone the entire climb to altitude, can't sit still on the plane, or need 20 minute dirt-dives to remember a 3 point skydive... NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  12. mattjw916
    I bet a bigger container is cheaper than your annual medical insurance deductible... NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  13. mattjw916
    Precision has gone through a number of different bridle attachment styles based on what I've seen/owned over the years. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  14. mattjw916
    Not really. They open very consistently but I would never characterize them as "soft" openings. Brisk and predictable in my experience but never close to "hard". NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  15. mattjw916
    I don't have any problems to fix with my openings though so to me a stowless bag is just a solution searching for a problem. Even my dislike of the old Mirage split d-bag can't motivate me to replace it since it just works so well. Plus the layout of the stows on the bag would seem to minimize any oscillations since the last stow is dead center and the next six are quite narrow compared to the first three. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  16. mattjw916
    never had an issue with regular d-bags... don't see any reason to change NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  17. mattjw916
    No experience with the rig you're talking about but I had a Mirage G3 with hip rings only and a G4 with full articulation/cut-in laterals. Personally I think the sizing/design of the harness is what really determines how comfortable it is more than anything else. The G4 was custom made so everything about it is more comfortable. I haven't done a back-to-back comparison or anything but I will say that my G4 isn't really very sensitive to harness input unless I'm already in a turn. To a certain extent that's probably a function of my moderate wing-load though. I do like a firm harness that doesn't move around in free-fall and find that the fully-articulated Mirage exceeds all my expectations in that regard even when getting tackled or being used as a human jungle-gym in freefall. Hip and chest rings could also simplify harness repairs/resizing. Just my 2 cents... NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  18. mattjw916
    human error, we all are susceptible... never think you're too good to fuck up "learn from other's mistakes because you don't have time to make them all yourself" humility is a breath of fresh air in a sport that generally only rewards dick waving and risk taking now hold my beer and watch this! NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  19. mattjw916
    I had a Caravan door slammed on my head when I was the last diver on an RW jump. Lots of bruises and muscle strains from being banged against the back of Otters on big-ways and from launching chunks with new jumpers that can never seem to grasp the concept of presenting to the relative wind. My thigh has been purple and yellow for a couple weeks from some recent combat RW as well. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  20. mattjw916
    Off student status it went something like this: Sabre 2, Spectre, PD 9-cell - 210 (a little under 1:1, didn't like the light loading at all plus they were all rentals and lol F111) Sabre 2, Spectre, Silhouette 190 (only the Sabre 2 was a keeper IMO, still getting molested by light breezes) Safire 1 189 (first canopy I owned, it was more like a 175 due to measuring variations, lots of jumps on this) Stiletto 150 (didn't like it at the time, only a handful) Nitron 170 (probably around 1.2 loading, tons of jumps, loved it!) Nitron, Nitro, Jedei 150 (tried some other stuff, went back to Nitron, lost weight, lots of jumps) Pulse 170 (got recurrent, dozens of jumps, didn't really like it but I can see how some people would love it) Nitron 150 (back to work!) Nitron 135 (still newish, love it) I probably jumped some other stuff that I don't remember at boogies and such but based on what I read here I should order a Velo 96 immediately! NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  21. mattjw916
    Motor falls on your head? Probably not a concern with the modern tunnels really. I'd wager the odds of a mechanical failure injuring someone are miniscule compared to the odds of bashing yourself against the wall, the door, another person, getting run over by a car in the parking lot, crocodiles, a brain aneurysm, etc... NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  22. mattjw916
    Holy wall of text Batman! TLDR NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  23. mattjw916
    Sorry but that analogy is just absurd regardless of who said it. Sounds more like hyperbole to me. A Buick is still a Buick even if Schumacher is behind the wheel. Same goes for canopies. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  24. mattjw916
    Uh, he said his exit weight was 190 which makes his wingload 0.79 under a 240. And what the hell does "fly that 240 to its limit" even mean? It's a school bus, not a Comp Velocity. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  25. mattjw916
    Just pile on a weight belt to get an idea of what the next quicker canopy will roughly feel like... If you aren't doing an apples to apples comparison I see little reason to go that far out of your way for ~10% less fabric And how much are you going to really learn in a handful of jumps at an unfamiliar DZ anyway? I'd rather just jump what was readily available a bunch more times then pick a quiet day with some light winds to do a H&P to try out something a lot more "exciting". NSCR-2376, SCR-15080