NWFlyer

The person who taught me to pack (thanks karenmeal) also let me borrow her tiny little canopy a few times to practice packing. I found things made a lot more sense and were easier to manage when the lines were shorter and the canopy was smaller. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Old thread that might help. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1663957 You could get a copy of the USPA Instructional Rating Manual (IRM). Like most USPA publications it reads like it was written by committee (wonder why? ) but there's some good material in there on teaching theory. Since you're already a teacher, it may not be that new to you, though. But really, if you reflect on what you liked/disliked about coaches & organizers you have worked with, I bet you'll find a lot to use (and avoid) in your own coaching/organizing. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Try the Bonehead Mamba (comes up to an XXL) or the Havok (also to an XXL, with a different style visor than most full-face helmets so it might be more accommodating to an unusually-shaped head). Other helmets that work for those of us in the Freakishly Large Head Club are the Paratec FreeZR2 (up to an XXL, though I've found they tend to run a bit bigger than Bonehead's helmets). I've also heard the Cookie Gas XXL is pretty big but haven't tried it myself. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Smart ass answer: one covers your face, the other doesn't. Serious answer: here's some things to consider. I jumped an open-face helmet exclusively (5 years) till I got a FreeZR2 full-face this spring; now I jump the full-face almost exclusively. When it's colder (as it was here last weekend) the full-face wins for keeping you comfortable at altitude - not having wind whipping your face is a big bonus in staying warm. Conversely, when it's really hot, the full-face is more uncomfortable in the plane (typically I only wear my helmet till 1,000 feet, then put it back on just before jump run). For coach jumps I sometimes choose the open face helmet because it allows my expressions to be more readily "seen" by students. Other things to consider - field of vision - depending on the full-face helmet your field of vision may be somewhat restricted. Definitely try them on to see what feels comfortable for you. Visor style - does it open or is it fixed? Personally I want one that opens so I can open it under canopy; others want one that doesn't open at all. Fit - getting fit right can be more of a challenge with a full-face as there are more points that it needs to fit (side to side, front to back, top of head to chin, etc.). I'd highly recommend trying several styles/sizes to see what feels/fits right for your face and not just relying on sizing charts. I have a freakishly large head and have found that only the Mamba and FreeZR2 fit comfortably, and for me, the FreeZR2's fit is more to my liking (nothing against Mamba, I just didn't find it the right style for me). I like having both as an option; one thing you could consider is getting a cheap open-face like the ProTec and a full-face so you have options. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Northern California's a decent option, though the skydiving weather may be somewhat unreliable in the winter, Tahoe's within an easy drive. One thing to consider though is that if you want to skydive every day, your options are more limited in Northern California than in Southern California (or other warm climates). I think there is some skiing within driving distance of Southern California, too, but I don't know enough about it to know how good the options aer. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Where's the option for "rarely"? Occasionally while traveling, but even then it's pretty rare that I'll opt for fast food, and if so it's usually an Egg McMuffin to get a little quick & cheap protein for breakfast. Living in CA I'm lucky enough to have In N Out Burger available (which is a much higher quality product than most fast food), but even that's a once every few months indulgence. I prefer as much as possible to prepare my own food b/c I know what's in it. Cooking's not rocket science - any yahoo should be able to follow directions ... and that's all following a recipe is for the most part. I've started traveling a lot for work again which limits my ability to prepare my own food, but fortunately there's a cafeteria at my work site with lots of healthy choices (salad bar, soups, oatmeal, fruit, etc.) for breakfast and lunch. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I have health insurance through my employer, which does not exclude injuries from skydiving. For travel (I'm going to the Belize Boogie next year) I found two possible options that don't exclude skydiving. I'm probably going to go with the first one since it has more generous coverage (includes medical care, medical evacuation if necessary, costs related to travel disruption, etc.). These insurers may provide a longer-term option that would work for you. https://global.ihi.com Seems to be available to pretty much anyone worldwide. http://www.imglobal.com/about/ (might only be available to US citizens / foreign nationals) "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Here's my "little" guy (just over 2 years old, 16 lbs of long, tall, lean kitty) hanging out in the sink in my old place in Seattle. Big bruiser of a cat with the wimpiest little voice ever (he still hasn't figured out how to meow). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Gawd I hope there's enough room in the sig line for that. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I think the Sturgis DZ is a temporary thing only during the rally. http://sturgisskydive.com/ "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Will be there from the 24th to the 28th. Looking forward to some great jumps! "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Yeah, it's from summer of '05 ... my hair hasn't been that long in quite a while! http://farm1.static.flickr.com/15/20549139_9fcfa6dec2.jpg "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I'm thinking you're the only one. And, damn, that was a *long* time ago! "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Actual police blotter report, FWIW. http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2009/12/01/officer-involved-shooting-in-south-seattle/ "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

What will they accuse Obama of next? Nice subtle investigative work, CNN. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/28/pres-obama-cheers-on-brother-in-law-at-basketball-game/ "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Some of us still read them, too! Michael Lewis is one of my favorite writers - I think I've read everything he's written. I saw the movie on T'giving and thought it was very well done. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Shouldn't have a big impact... "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

wait, did I read that right? you shave your pussy w/o cream or water? *golfclap* "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I have an older model of these (looks pretty much the same though the color pattern is a bit different). Love 'em. http://www.rei.com/product/787063 "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Go jump a balloon. Probably the same cost when you factor in the repack after the Mr. Bill when things go to shit. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I absolutely loved the book. I'm glad to hear people are liking the movie, too. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Don't have any kids myself, so I don't have any advice from experience, but this post came up on a blog I read regularly and it seems appropriate for the topic: http://www.wisebread.com/college/college-resources "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Enough time to comprehend all the ways in which they can possibly go wrong and make an informed assessment of the risk. Which, IMHO, is usually well after 200 jumps. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

True, true. But the passport that got me the most double-takes was the one I got when I was 15. US Passports are good for 5 years if they're issued when you're a minor. So it was good till I was 20. At 15 I had very, very short hair. The lighting in the photo made my hair look much darker (almost brown). I was sick that day so I probably looked paler than normal. By the time I was 20 my hair was down past my shoulders and permed (hey, it was 1990, what can I say?), and died blonder than my normal blonde. Using the passport then was funny. "yes, it really is me." "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Yeah, I did get a new driver's license/photo when I dropped weight, but since the driver's license replacement is cheaper and I use it a lot more often, I could justify it. For the once a year (or less) that I use the passport, I'm just being a cheapskate and sucking it up. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke