NWFlyer

I had a sketchy two-out situation that was mostly my own fault when I had about 200 jumps. It happened in May, and it took me a few weeks to get my gear back together, and that first jump back was terrifying. It took me most of that summer to get back into the groove I was in before that. It took some friends with way more experience than me taking me up on some really goofy fun no-pressure skydives in August to really help me feel the joy again. At just under 800 jumps I had a bad landing with a serious sprain in my left ankle and a torn MCL on my right knee. It was winter, so it was easy to decide to be very conservative with my healing on the knee. Physically, I had cleared myself to jump after about 4 months, but then I managed to make all kinds of excuses for not jumping for another month, even going out to the dropzone and deciding not to jump despite perfect conditions. When I finally did get back on the horse, of course it was great, but getting over that first hump was not easy, especially when you tend to overthink like 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

After finishing up the 2001 season, the NCSL went dark ... but it's back!! We were just featured in the NSL news and are excited to be part of the NSL and bring 4-way competition back to Northern California. http://ww1.skyleague.com/pages/news/showArticles.php?story=13215 We have some great 4-way events coming up this year in anticipation of starting competition in 2014. You can get all the details and sign up on the NCSL Facebook Page. "Like" the page to keep up with everything the NCSL is doing. https://www.facebook.com/NorthernCaliforniaSkydivingLeague https://www.facebook.com/NorthernCaliforniaSkydivingLeague/events August 13, 8-11 p.m. Tunnel Kicker at iFly SF Bay August 24, 8 a.m., Skills Camp at SkyDance September 17, 8-11 p.m. Tunnel Kicker at iFly SF Bay September 28, Skills Camp at Lodi Parachute Center October 8, 8-11 p.m. Tunnel Kicker at iFly SF Bay November 12, 8-11 p.m. Tunnel Kicker at iFly SF Bay December 10, 8-11 p.m. Tunnel Kicker at iFly SF Bay If you have any questions, or if you would like to help out the NCSL with event planning, coaching, video, or anything else, please email norcalskydivingleague@gmail.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

Yes. There is a huge difference. The one in New Hampshire will be a much better tool for skydiving training. The other style of tunnel (in Niagara Falls) may be fun but it is not nearly as realistic a freefall simulation. "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

Hmmm, I feel like I just addressed this yesterday. I'm too lazy to retype, here's the link. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4517403#4517403 "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

It's just soooo uncomfortable to wear clothes. I was sharing a room with my teammates at 8-way training this past weekend and every time I woke up I had to rearrange clothing (and I was just wearing shorts & a cami). Much happier in my birthday suit! You really should give it a try. It's pretty awesome. "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

Nothing... unless I'm sharing a room with someone other than my SO, or I'm camping somewhere ridiculously cold. "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

The problem comes when you use "I don't remember" as a way to absolve yourself of responsibility for anything you might have done when that drunk. Even as a college student at a party school I always took accountability for my actions, disappointing or regrettable as they may have been. Not everyone does that, and can use "I don't remember" as an excuse because they genuinely don't remember, or they do and regret it. Either way, it shows a lack of responsibility for their own actions. "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, very possible. Been a long time since I've had that much to drink, and when I did, I usually didn't lose 7 hours (at least not while still standing - if I'd had that much to drink I'd usually be in bed within a couple hours), but there have definitely been some significant memory gaps. Not somewhere I like to go anymore (not that I ever really liked being THAT drunk anyway). "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 do you live? Is that your closest tunnel? Sure there's not something closer than 3000 km away? There can also be a benefit to uncoached time ... to work on the stuff that your coach taught you. But really, you'll get a ton of value out of working with a coach. (And no, I don't work for the tunnel... I just throw a lot of money at my local tunnel on a regular basis) "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

Something to think about. If you buy a new rig for somewhere in the $4500 range (which is a pretty reasonable budget for a decent used rig that will likely have good resale value) you'll be able to get the majority of that value out of the rig when/if you sell it. That won't be the case with a new rig. You can also pull the AAD out and put it in your next rig if you decide to downsize. You might decide not to downsize your reserve (because bigger reserves are a nice thing - few people look up at their reserve and say "wish that sucker was smaller!") so you might be able to use that in the next rig as well. Meanwhile you've got an extra $2K that you can use for a well-fitting custom jumpsuit (a really nice tool to have in your toolkit), skydives, coaching, or canopy courses, or all the other things that will make you a better and safer skydiver. Think of new gear like new cars - the guy that drives it off the lot takes the biggest hit in depreciation. (Just to give you two examples from my own experience. First canopy, a Spectre: purchased with 400 jumps and a brand new lineset for $850. Put 200 jumps on it and sold it two years later for $800. Second canopy, a Pilot: purchased with 200 jumps for $900. Put 300 jumps on it, put a new $300 lineset on it right before I sold it, and sold it for $1150 3 years later.) "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

It probably comes as no surprise then to know that I taught myself how to play guitar haha. Yeah, but it cost you way less. My theory on tunnel time is that the marginal cost of adding good coaching on top of the time you're paying for the tunnel is worth every penny since you get so much more value out of that tunnel time. Also, depending on how you're booking your tunnel time, you can often get as good a rate from a coach that includes the coaching than you could buying it at "street prices" since the coaches are able to get more favorable rates for the tunnel time itself. "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 is pencil packing a reserve? Updating the reserve data card to show a repack without actually inspecting and repacking the rig. "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

Says the man who mostly (exclusively?) does solo canopy flight. For those of us who regularly fly with other people, and who sometimes do so in large groups, 3K to 2.5K (or even 2K) might mean the difference between clear air for deployment and a canopy collision on opening. Of course, that puts the onus on jumpers who *do* regularly jump in groups (and especially those who do bigger-ways) to have an appropriate tool for the job in a canopy that opens reliably (which tends to mean a non-high-performance wing). "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

Whatever makes them comfortable and happy and is appropriate and respectful of context/location. Anything more than that just perpetuates the idea that women (more so than men) must conform to a very specific societal expectation of how they should look. "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

There's a whole "Security & Scams" section on the front page of the classifieds, and the latest "scam and security alerts" shows up on the top of the classifieds page as well. I'm always sorry when people get scammed, but I do feel like the folks that run this site are doin a pretty good job of keeping up with scammers and disabling accounts, as well as educating users on how to avoid being caught in a scam. Ultimately, you HAVE to do your due diligence before you get into any transaction; there's only so much the site management can do for you. I've bought and sold several times using this site and have NEVER had a problem, but I keep my scam radar on high alert and check out people I don't already know before I get into a transaction with them. "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

So what? Why does it matter to you if people are into it "for life" or "for a few months"? Are you only allowed to do more than a tandem if you can commit to at least 10 years of jumping no less than 100 times / year? That would suck if those were the rules because I would have missed out on meeting some super cool folks that were only part of the sport for a short(er) time. (Or I might have missed out altogether because there have been a couple years that, for various reasons that probably aren't on your list of "valid" ones that I didn't hit that magical minimum number of jumps that made me a "real" skydiver.) "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

You have 14 jumps - surely you can continue using the dropzone's student helmets for another week or two? As an aside - have you had a chance to try on a G3 to confirm fit and comfort and the appropriate size? Helmets (and in particular full face helmets) are tricky to fit and fit depends a lot on the shape of your head/face. Hopefully you've been able to get your hands on one for a fitting. "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

You mean "his" wife. Cuz you know, it's 'twardo's friend. "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

Or could it maybe, possibly, be 3) that all single guys on the DZ are acting like horny douchebags and/or the women are just not interested? Nah, couldn't be 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

Hey, Mad John.... just want to say again how cool it was to meet Sheila (WSCR 3) and Betty (WSCR ?? but also a low number) on Saturday! Thanks for bringing them out - it was an honor to meet them and get their signatures on #1100 (which, fittingly, was an 8-way!). "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

There's some caterers that come in - looks like they have lunch and dinner every day; not sure if anyone's doing breakfasts. There's info on the Facebook page about who's there and menus. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Meadow-Peak-Skydiving/157204727667449 Anything you do want food-wise, bring it in. Depending on which direction you're coming from, your closest places to get decent size grocery stores are Kalispell or Libby. There's a small convenience store type market in Marion, but you won't really be able to stock up there. If you're camping, you should be able to buy ice on-site to refill your cooler as needed. "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

https://www.facebook.com/pages/High-But-Dry-Balloons/169426373074855 Here's the guy that does balloons at SDAZ. I know they stop for some portion of the summer, but they might be able to hook you up in September. Be prepared for your balloon jump to be cancelled based on wind conditions. In other words, don't fly down and give yourself exactly one day to do your jump... it might take multiple tries. "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

Y'know, we bumped this thread when you posted about your 15 year old cousin, but if you haven't read it for yourself, please do. You're 19. You seem to like attention. You want to date a guy at the DZ. That's all cool... but just be prepared for potential fallout. And listen to what others have said about being "allowed" to freefly early. That's a big ol' red flag. "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

Beer light goes on when wheels are up for the last load. However, while jump operations are ongoing, we can drink in the patio area of the bar/cafe (which is licensed to sell beer, and does). If we drink around the main DZ area from our personal stash or the DZ beer fine fridge while jump operations are still ongoing, we're asked to pour it into a cup. And of course, the expectation is that we're grown ups and won't drink while jumping. "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

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=search_results&search_forum=all&search_string=charles%20mack&sb=score&mh=25 That subject has come up a few times before... mixed bag of experiences. "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