NWFlyer

There's also been a known issue with certain visors that take on a "crackled" appearance (for lack of a better way to describe it). I've had that issue and seen others who have had it; it seems to start from the top and bottom of the visor and gradually make its way towards the center (slowly - mine never got more than a half inch from the top and hadn't started on the bottom when I got my replacement visor). Cookie acknowledges this is a known defect with certain visors and is replacing them at no cost (through their dealer network). I was happy with that resolution. I've had limited fogging issues and no issues with the locking mechanism. "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

Breaking my self-imposed ban from Speakers' Corner to share this article because I think it's a pretty powerful personal statement about the human cost of war. I first came across it because the author and I were high school classmates, but he could be a stranger to me and this article would resonate just as strongly. http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/09/wounded-in-iraq-a-marines-story/244592/ "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 length do you have now? Is that length working for you? That would seem like one easy way to make the decision. That's kind of how I ended up with 20" risers - my rig had 22" risers when I bought it (used) and I always had to really reach to get to my slider (but to be honest, I was a noob and had no idea there were riser length options). I wanted to demo a canopy that was for sale without taking my other canopy off risers, so I borrowed a set of 20" risers. Realized by using them that 20" was exactly right for me (gave me the right reach to get my slider easily but still gave me a full, comfortable flare stroke), so I bought a set for my 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

From my neighborhood about a year ago (see attached). "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

*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 dunno. Smells a lil' funky to 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

Funny thing, that. My times eating alone are most often when I'm on business trips. Business trips = expense account. I am more likely to tip generously when the tab is going to my employer. That said, I don't think I've noticed a difference between the service I get when I'm alone or when I'm with others. Fortunately, I think the decent-to-excellent service experiences I've had far outweigh the bad ones. Like others have said, I don't penalize the server for something that's going on that's out of his/her control, particularly if the server acknowledges what's going on. Case in point: smallish restaurant, my bf and I went out for dinner and happened to arrive right after a group of 22. The bar was slammed getting that group's drinks poured and served, and we had our appetizers before our drinks arrived. However, the server let us know what was going on and apologized for the delay, and the bartender sent over two shots of top-shelf tequila along with our drinks when they did arrive. "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 love how at the bottom the cat's all "Where am I? How did I get here?" "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

All other things being equal ... people. Who do you think you'll enjoy working with more for the next 2-3 years? Who do you think will make better long-term friends and mentors? "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

Might I suggest you check out Skydive Atlanta or Skydive Monroe as other alternatives to The Farm instead of Skydive Georgia. I'm sure there will be plenty of people along soon to tell you why to not bother with Skydive Georgia . Or you could do a forum search on the term "Skyride" or "Atlanta Skydiving Center" (another name for Skydive Georgia). http://www.uspa.org/FindaDZ/GroupMemberListbyState/Georgia/tabid/366/Default.aspx "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

As you stated later in your post, if you buy used and don't overpay, money's not even the issue. My experience: Canopy #1: put 200 jumps on it, sold for $50 less than I put into it (canopy purchase price only) Canopy #2: put 300 jumps on it, sold for $100 less than I put into it (canopy purchase price + new lineset) Now jumping Canopy #3, which I've had for two years, which is the first and only canopy I've bought new (and that's only because at the time it was a brand-new design and there was nothing on the used market). I've just purchased Canopy #4 (same canopy as #3, but a used one). If I ever sell #3 I expect it to cost me more on a per-jump basis because I took the new canopy hit. I expect #4 to hold its value pretty well. A canopy of a popular/common/modern design that is in good shape when you buy it and good shape when you sell it will hold its value well, assuming you don't overpay to begin with. Where you lose a lot of money is when you are the one who buys the canopy brand-new. You're taking the "new car" depreciation hit. "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

This isn't a statement on The Farm one way or another (I like the place. I've jumped there as an experienced jumper but have no real knowledge of their student program other than what's been stated here, and in that I know some of their instructors). But, since you indicate The Farm is local to you, this next point becomes relevant. IMHO, your "best" DZ for instruction is one in your region that you're most likely to make your home DZ. Getting your A license is but a tiny, tiny part of becoming a good skydiver and but a tiny tiny part of getting to your stated goal of BASE jumping - it's just a license to really start learning. Learning involves jumping with other people, hanging out with them during the down times during the day and after hours and absorbing their knowledge and experience, and improving your skills as you gain more experience and advanced licenses. Although the Farm folks are pretty friendly either way, you'll still be better off if you're the guy that's been around the dropzone for a while as a student, getting to know not only the instructional staff but also the other licensed skydivers (and maybe some BASE jumpers, too), because those are the people you're going to jump with once you're licensed. Those are the folks you're going to hang out with after hours. Those are the folks who are going to be around when you show up on a random Friday afternoon trying to get in a couple jumps after work and before the sun sets. Trust me when I say that you'd rather be the guy they already know (assuming, of course, you're not a total jackass) rather than "that guy who got his A license across the country and is a total stranger to us." Since you're close, check out The Farm. Ask the folks there a bunch of questions. Hang out for a day. So that you have a basis of comparison, check out the other dropzones in your area, too. Ask them the same questions, Hang out for a day. See what feels right to you. "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 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

Bruce. "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

This, plus the odds of finding yourself under a reserve by itself are much higher than finding yourself under both canopies at the same time. "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

7 weeks? That seems awfully quick, especially with surgery. Here's a suggestion. Instead of saying "When can I jump again?" say "When can I jump off of a chair onto bumpy ground and land stable and without pain?" Say "When can I run on bumpy ground again and be stable and without pain?" Presenting these questions to your surgeon and your physical therapist will help them to help you evaluate your readiness for jumping. That's exactly what I said to my physical therapist early this year when I was recovering from a knee injury, and it helped him to understand the types of movements I needed to be able to make to land safely. "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 had to share so you guys would know that I missed LFL to cross a big one off my "bucket list." "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

Thought that first sentence was pretty clear, John. Or did you just look at the pictures? "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 was over 100 most days there, too. But, the river supplied natural air conditioning and refrigeration. "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

Okay, so that's a pretty bizarre way to describe my experience rafting the lower portion of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon last week, but it's Bonfire... I needed a catchy headline. How do you describe the trip of a lifetime? I don't really know, but since I have millions of thoughts but can only come up with a few words, I'll let my pictures do the talking. Each set of photos linked above has the day's itinerary included so you can see what we did each day. Highlights attached, but the full set of photos (with better resolution) is linked above. Edited to add based on a PM question I received - yes, there was PLENTY of whitewater, I just had my camera secured for the ride through the rapids; I hope to get rapid footage from some folks who had GoPros (I didn't end up bringing mine). Within about a day of being on the river I was making plans in my head to come back and do the full trip (and make sure my SO saves up his vacation to join me this time), which includes the first 89 river miles that I missed. I'm thinking that'll be 2013's big trip. "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

Same age as you; grew up with a mix of clocks, but I believe that every watch I've ever owned (other than my heart rate monitor watch that I only wear to exercise) has been analog. I like analog altimeters; maybe that's because I'm used to looking at my wrist and processing analog. "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

A few years back a friend had just completed an Ironman triathlon. I'd just started skydiving. We were both huge fans of The Amazing Race. We joked about how we should apply - they'd love us! The Ironman and the skydiver! But then we figured the producers would try to drum up some bogus sexual tension because we were longtime friends of the opposite sex who had never dated. But no, we never did actually apply. "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 $100 is conservative; I think you could argue that the first owner takes a bigger depreciation than $100 just by taking ownership of the canopy, even if he /she only puts a handful of jumps on it. It's one of the many reasons I encourage people to buy used, so you're not the one taking that initial depreciation (plus they're easier to pack!) My own examples, both of which were

For a relatively new (say last 10 years or so DOM) main canopy that is still in active production, take the price to buy it new, knock off $100, then knock off $1/jump. That'll give you a rough estimate of the MAX price. Anything less than that is in the fair price range. Adjustments may be made depending on where the canopy has been jumped. Heavy duty wear and tear in desert/dusty environments ... lower the price. If it's older but has been sitting unpacked in a climate-controlled closet, it would be in better condition than one that's been packed in a rig for 8 years in a backyard shed in a hot climate. Whether it has/needs a new lineset is also a consideration. If it's due for a new lineset soon, the price should reflect that. If there's a fresh lineset on it, the price should go up (as mentioned above, those run $300ish installed). JohnRich said 700 jumps on a lineset above; personally, I'd use 500 jumps as my estimate, as that's about where I've started to see my own canopies needing replacement. Of course, once you get a ballpark number, then it all comes down to supply & demand. Certain canopy types/sizes are more/less available. Someone who needs the cash to finance their next purchase may be more willing to move on price than someone who can afford to wait. "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've got the canopies already, but I need a container and AAD to make Rig #2 complete. So, can you put my name on the 50% off Infinity or 30% of V3 or Vigil? Thanks! Nah, that Vigil is mine already. It's okay. If I don't win that one, I'll just win the free one in the Feet For Fener raffle on Labor Day weekend. "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