tdog

Last I heard - Tony suits has "stock" pants already made in stock ready to ship. Finding color + size = you might be difficult. Quicker than that.... Goto the fabric store and find someone that sews.

I am babysitting my parents dogs... That means I have 4 dogs (instead of my one) roaming around my 1200 sqft downtown loft... They are not city dogs, so they thought jumping on the main was fun.... My dog, being the urban dude he is, sat and watched me with worried look. Does 3 dogs jumping count for taking a broom to it??? (just kidding - I locked them up in the bathroom.) I assume you are joking, although I really thought about it, along with throwing some grass and dirt at it too, just so it would have the authentic used look. T.

... to get a brand new ZP main. Tried to pack that thing. My dog was watching. He hid in the corner with his paw covering his eyes. Anyone want to jump it for, say, 50 jumps to break it in??? Just kidding... The packers are gonna hate me because my next day at the DZ is a team training day and I can't pack... Darn.

Dave, I have about 3900 jumps less than you, but I agree. I know a lot of high jump individuals who praise the RSL as either the only RSL they would jump or as the RSL of their next rig. I am not a big Javelin fan after jumping one for about 10 jumps. It just did not fit me (even though it was sized right for me.) That I think is completely body size/shape, like I can’t wear Reebok but can wear Nikes. After jumping a bunch of rentals/demos, I narrowed it down to Infinity and Vector (I never had the opportunity to jump a Wings) I also found the Infinity staff to be exceptional, and the demo unit I jumped for a weekend was awesome… In retrospect, I think I would have gotten an Infinity over the Vector because of all the hassles I had on the ordering of the Vector… For an example, my new Vector was shipped late AND without the freebag and reserve PC… Kind of a major oversight in my opinion that I find hard to explain. Add that to the fact they added weeks to the estimated delivery after they had my money, I lost faith in the company’s customer support… Not to say I lost faith in the technology.

1st time in.... 30 minutes in 2 15 minute sessions. I was the only customer booked, so I was in for 2.5 minutes, out for .5 while my coach gave me the next learning objective. The VHS tape shows 36 minutes of time, I flew 31, the rat 5. That means I had a total of 5 minutes rest, or 2.5 minutes rest per 15 minute session... Kicked my butt - but I learned very quickly.... When you are out for 30 seconds - your body does not have time to forget what it just learned... But at the same time, it is hard to hear what your coach is saying when you are still on information overload... I wish I had 1 minute off, not 30 seconds, for that first time in... Not for my body, but for my brain. So - first day - 30 minutes was the max I would even think about telling a friend to do. But - the next time I went to the tunnel - I flew 45 minutes a day, half in the morning, half in the evening, with 6 skydives between... Did that 4 days in a row... Was not sore or tired... Wanted much more, but the $ + bookings by others kept me grounded... Next time I would have no problem with 1 hour in the morning, 1 hour in the evening if my wallet would cooperate.

I am doing the exact same thing in Colorado. PM me if you are interested. (Sorry Phree to share a thread)

You don't have any plans on becoming a rigger I hope. Sparky Is there a difference between being a rigger and playing one on TV??? If I did become a rigger, I would only stick with plan A... (Actually I am a "Rigger", just not a parachute rigger. I rig lighting trusses above stages and keep with plan A always because I have had everyone from President Bush and Clinton to Cypres Hill under my trusses. Killing a president I hear is a bad thing.) Plan B - Z are only good when fixing toilets and old cars (and from what I have seen at some DZ's - the planes.) Sorry to take this thread off topic a bit... Now back to the previous scheduled programming.

Unless it spun up with such Gforces you pass out and.... http://www.dropzone.com/fatalities/Detailed/71.shtml Sorry to be the first to be so negative. I wish you the best of luck, even the PD designers and Brian Germain had to make their first canopy some point in their path to success.

Seeing improvement in my own skills so quickly. I did a few hours of tunnel at Perris and stayed at the IHOP (the DZ house near the tunnel.) At 6AM hearing it was enough to wake me up, jump out of bed, and be ready to skydive... And I am not a morning person. I normally do my first jump at noon. I so want a tunnel closer to home. For anyone who goes to Perris, be sure to check out the Saturday Evening League. Dominic invited me. Wow... Fast action, hard core. You will learn so much just from watching… I actually want to take a camera and video the league from the perspective of the benches. The in-tunnel camera from above does not give good perspective to the legs and torso in the high energy fast moving stuff. You can see great skydivers do awesome things and be just a few inches away. Seeing it from below or right in line with their bodies is awesome for learning. When they hit the glass it is just like watching hockey from an on-the-ice seat. (Hey Dominic, if I send ya a DV tape, will ya record the league from the perspective of where you were playing referee last Saturday. )

Question 145: If a can of beer is to an otter, then a _____ of beer is to a DC9. a) Case b) Keg c) Delivery truck d) Warehouse This is coming from someone who got a 3.5 GPA in high school but so flunked my SATs that I needed a "waiver" to get into college, but I choose answer "B" - Keg.

I just purchased my own gear... I have posted this before - I got new, but wanted used… I am 6’3” and 200 pounds jumping at higher elevations… Not that I need something as large as the typical student rig, but I was unable to find something used that was the right fit. I did try, I had want ads everywhere. So when the end of year clearance sales hit in December, I whipped out my calculator and realized sale pricing on new was not that much more than used. Take into consideration some perks the dealer gave on free rentals, and it was a good investment for me. BTW – Dominic at Square One really went out of his way to make me knowledgeable, safe and happy…. I would recommend him for a second opinion if you are already dealing with someone. Problem... It takes forever to make a new container (8-20 weeks depending on brand. Next time I will look at the Infinity more closely because lots of people love it, it was my most comfy demo, which I realized only after I ordered something else, and they have a quicker turn.)… It also may take forever to find something used… So, to answer your question, my feeling is - start shopping right away - because it could take some time before you buy/get something - so by planning ahead you can have it in time for when you want it and are ready for it. It might be that you are looking at the classifieds for three months, or it might be that you are waiting for something to be made for four months.

Don't ja know, marketing, not product quality, is what makes something sell. If it was not for vicegrips, ducttape and WD40, where would we be as a culture? I used to make a living fixing things, and those three tools were always in my toolbox as plan B, C and D. The problem is that ducttape does not stick to surfaces that WD40 has been applied to, so there has been a long world wide debate on which to use first.... I choose ducttape, because you can always cut it away and goto the WD40.

I admire your excitement - every time I see a post I think, "there he goes again" - but with a smile on my face because I had just as many questions as you, and now that I have 75ish jumps, the questions are still commn'. But, I think it is time you go out and get jumping and post some replies to how much fun you had, along with 50 more questions!!! Whatcha doing this weekend, because if the sky is blue, you gotta tell us how the jumps went. I just say that because 5 years ago I lurked on some skydiving forums and got overwhelmed and never jumped... Then one day I snapped and went to the DZ and did my first jump and got hooked... Sometimes jumping is eaiser than talking about jumpn'.

I suppose it could be argued that the most novice canopy pilot should be capable of not landing in off limit areas… But, I am surprised that anyone would make this a groundable offense… Reason… I believe (and it is published on the walls of more than one DZ) that it is better to land safe than to land into the wind in the designated landing area. Why motivate someone to have “get back itus” or “can’t land there itus”. Just my two cents. I am hoping that rule is for people who intentionally land in the off limits areas, as opposed to those who are trying to save their lives from a prior poor decision, possibly rooted in poor education…

Take a ball, make it heavy enough to fall at the same rate of speed as you, then go play catch with your friends in freefall... The problem is, when the game over buzzer sounds, if you have not caught it - something on the ground is gonna feel some pain.

You probably won't be doing the BASE stuff until AFF2...

It seems from your post that you have a fear of flipping. You mentioned it twice, like it is a big deal. If you are not 100% confident that you can get back over, I say, work with your instructors. If you know you can get over but need practice, spend a solo dive just doing flips... It is a lot of fun. One of my most fun skydives was dedicated to flipping all over, every way I could find to flip, starting with a flip out of the door of the plane. For levity, and so you can laugh at me, I have attached a photo of me flipping at the WRONG time. Yes, that is me in a head down with a 4way team. Anyway - go have some fun.

My first tunnel session went like this @ 35 skydives... 30 minutes pre-brief, 15 minutes tunnel, 15 minutes brief, 15 minutes tunnel, 15 minutes brief... Total 30 minutes in the tunnel... Catch - there were no other people sharing the time so the coach and I would spend 20 seconds talking while the rat played, and I was right back in. I looked at the VHS tape. 36 minues lapsed on the tape, I was in for 31 minutes... That means I was "resting" for, on average, 24 seconds per 2.5 minute session... Resting was not even resting but practicing the next move, never turning my brain off or taking a moment to recoup. I might as well have just stayed in if the instructor could have told me the next drill. Was this the wrong way to learn... No, because I had only one day to do it on my business trip. If the time was more spread out, I would have done 20 minutes in the AM and 20 minutes after dinner... I was SORE as hell as my body learned how to fly in the tunnel for the first time. You are fighting a lot of things until you learn to fall straight down, which takes 15 minutes of drills to get into the grove. Note - of the 12 2.5 minute sessions in a row, I stopped learning on the 11th... I was lucky. One month latter I went back for a camp... 30-45 minutes of tunnel plus 6 skydives a day - for a week... No soreness, just dehydration. Could have done more. Wanted to do more. The reason - my body muscles relaxed and fell into place. I was no longer pushing the air but flying in it. You will be sore the first time you go in! Go slow the first day then speed up, I say. How much tunnel time do you "NEED"... I am thinking somewhere between 250 and 500 hours would be a good base to work off of... Then add a few more hundred hours a year... Seriously, get as much as your $$$ will allow. I learn 10X more in the tunnel than in the sky because the coach can stand up, manipulate one body part, then go back to doing the drill with ya.

{Wendy looks down, checks in pants} Damn -- where'd those come from Wendy W. Thanks for making me laugh. Every once in a while a troll keeps this place interesting.

I don't think you will find a DZ then Ah, that takes all the fun out of it. Dude, honestly I think you are overworking this list. I would call the DZO and just start talking. Don’t have a list, just ask, “why is your DZ an awesome place?” You will pick up a lot and the conversation will tell you his attitude. Perhaps in person ask a question about aircraft maintenance. His facial expression will tell a lot... Is he proud to show you the maintenance book, or does he ask why you are asking? If you walk around the DZ and see people that look experienced and you walk up to them and say, “Hey, I am thinking about learning to skydive, my name is XXXX. I just thought I would say hi.” Does the person say, “Hi, I’m XXXX. Let me introduce you to my friends.” – or – “Hi” and walks away… But more importantly... Talk to the instructors. If they are gonna give you the time you are paying for, you are gonna probably do all right regardless of the DZ - especially if you choose a DZ that has a larger customer base... Just my opinion…

I have been to 4 dropzones in 70 skydives. San Diego is an awesome place... I wish it was my home DZ, but I can't move. Skydive San Diego is an awesome DZ. Small enough they WILL know your name and jump with you. Big enough to support an Otter and Caravan - so no waiting around for a slot. I got some great coaching there too. But nothing beats a windtunnel for learning how to fly your body. I love watching people fly because you can SEE what YOU need to do, then you can do it... So spend some time in Perris too. Pat is a great tunnel coach, worth every penny. PM me if you need his e-mail address.

First... My experience... I only have 75 ish jumps now... All on rental gear - because my Vector has yet to arrive. (I am crossing my fingers for this week.) I have jumped and packed the main on an Infinity, a Mirage, a Vector, a Talon, A Javelin and an Icon - all in the last two months. The skyhook was valuable to me so I got a Vector. But the Infinity was the most comfy rig and I have talked with Kelly on the phone and know his customer service would be awesome, something I have not experienced at some other brands... I would only buy an Infinity or Vector. I would keep a Mirage if given to me... If any other container was given to me, I likely would trade for one of the above. But - it is all about fit and the reserve skyhook system for me... But guess what dude... I asked the same question as you and got 100 different answers, so good luck making a decision.

BIG BUMP! I just got back from a 4way camp and the guys were talking about this product... The reviews on this thread are a bit old. Any new info out there?

If you motorcycle with enough friends you will know someone who dies. If you scuba with enough friends you will know someone who dies. If you make friends, you will know someone who dies. We just all have a tight knit community here - and that makes it more personal, doesn't it...

I learned to fly a paraglider off a mountain before this skydiving thing. I am no expert, but I know the basics. 1st, there are great books on paragliding that really do apply 100% to ground launching canopies. 2nd, a paraglider instructor or even a 1st flight course would really do ya some good… But, the basics are – winds are so unpredictable you need to have wind indicators at the bottom and top of the hill. The one on the top should be as close to the peak of the hill as possible. You know NOTHING until you know what the winds are actually proven to do, because chaos does exist in this world. You want both the top and bottom windsock pointing nearly the exact same direction, and uphill, preferably not flopping around left to right as if the air is unstable, but solid and in the same direction. The reason is, it is very common for the winds to rotor around the top of the mountain and see the winds appear to be going uphill at the bottom and mid point, but really have a downhill wind instead at the top. This will kill you. The only way to fly up there safe is to know the winds are truly going uphill and over the top. You always fly on the uphill wind side of the mountain with the winds on the ground, the winds at the peak, and the winds a thousand feet above the peak all going the same way uphill. Yes, there are huge rotors on mountains. You never want to be over the top of the mountain, and especially never behind the leeward side – because the rotors will be more intense than you can imagine. Take the rotor off a hangar on flat ground and make it much worse. The rotor could run the whole back side of the hill. If you get blown back over the top and have to pass over the top to get back, be hundreds if not thousands of feet over the top, or fly with the wind and land somewhere far away. The area on the “down hill” wind side of the mountain, near the top, is very deadly. The fact the winds are forced up as they push against the mountain gives canopies lift. It is common for a paraglider to run sideways real close to the mountain hoping to get the lift they need to find a thermal. Some places never get thermals, but the mountain/cliff is so good at changing the winds to make them go up that you never have to land until you want to… Check out Dixon White’s info on http://www.paraglide.com/DixonsNotes06.html and the other pages too on that site in addition to the books mentioned. Dixon While was the Brian Germain of paragliding until he died of natural causes at a young age.