Stumpy

I could do with a laugh today.... Edited to add mine.... FROM BRITISH NEWSPAPERS! 1) Commenting on a complaint from a Mr Arthur Purdey about a large gasbill, a spokesman for North West Gas said, "We agree it was rather high for the time of year. It's possible Mr Purdey has been charged for the gas used up during the explosion that destroyed his house." (The Daily Telegraph) 2) Police reveal that a woman arrested for shoplifting had a whole salami in her underwear. When asked why, she said it was because she was missing her Italian boyfriend. (The Manchester Evening News) 3) Irish police are being handicapped in a search for a stolen van, because they cannot issue a description. It's a Special Branch vehicle and they don't want the public to know what it looks like. (The Guardian) 4) A young girl who was blown out to sea on a set of inflatable teeth was rescued by a man on an inflatable lobster. A coast guard spokesman commented, "This sort of thing is all too common". (The Times) 5) At the height of the gale, the harbourmaster radioed a coastguard and asked him to estimate the wind speed. He replied he was sorry, but he didn't have a gauge. However, if it was any help, the wind had just blown his Land Rover off the cliff. (Aberdeen Evening Express) 6) Mrs Irene Graham of Thorpe Avenue, Boscombe, delighted the audience with her reminiscence of the German prisoner of war who was sent each week to do her garden. He was repatriated at the end of 1945, she recalled. "He'd always seemed a nice friendly chap, but when the crocuses came up in the middle of our lawn in February 1946, they spelt out 'Heil Hitler.'" (Bournemouth Evening Echo) Never try to eat more than you can lift

Damn. Its mid afternoon and you are making me hungry. Not good. Never try to eat more than you can lift

Friend of mine jumped with a magazine for a PR shot. It had her all over the sky until she worked out how to get control. Hate to think what a surfboard is going to do to ya.... Never try to eat more than you can lift

Thats my teammate hoboman - and he normally isn't that scary at all! Big teddy bear Never try to eat more than you can lift

that reminds me of another one actually - again layered, kahlua at the bottom, baileys in the middle, cointreau or grand marnier (essentially the same) on top - tastes like chocolate orange..... Or Chartreuse neat. If you are a masochist........ Never try to eat more than you can lift

C*&%sucking Cowboy - Butterscotch Schnapps with a baileys float - chicks love it! Never try to eat more than you can lift

I'm doing the same (but i had to buy a house to put em in first!) Never try to eat more than you can lift

What i am saving up for...... Have had a fazer and an SV, but after something with a bit more soul..... Never try to eat more than you can lift

Ok - once you are off and running, a 16 would be a good choice. I would still recommend your first couple of days you use a bigger board and a slightly smaller kite - maybe 12-14m. There is nothing more frustrating and likely to put you off than learning on low wind days, so try and initially do it when you are up to 15kts or so. It does depend on temperature too - here in mid winter in the uk a 12kts breeze is made of rocks but in midsummer in texas? 12kts may feel like only just enough to keep the kite flying. I think if you are looking at 5-10 kts, you are going to struggle, but YMMV Just for info, my ranges are (very) approximately: 16m - 10-16kts 12m - 15-25kts 8m - 23 - the point where i need the brown wetsuit. That is just an idea as i very rarely knew what the number was, it was more done by feel. Is your trainer kite LEI or foil? i am guessing foil So cross the lake??!! Never try to eat more than you can lift

Thats pretty good - covers a lot of the points. Can't stress this enough. These things are very dangerous and CAN kill you. A few small points and safety lessons will make the world of difference. There is (unfortunately) nothing to stop you going out and buying the highest performance high AR kite on the market. The other thing i will mention is that the people who learnt quickest could (a) fly a kite and (b) wakeboard. These days the boards aren't generally exactly the same as wakeboards any more but the principle is similar. hmmmmm yes and no. First kite size depends on weight more than anything else generally. I have 8, 12 and 16m kites. I would generally, (except for very small people) recommend around a 12m, medium aspect kite as a first kite after a lesson. The smaller kites are horrendously twitchy - i have on occasion been halfway through a backloop on my 8 to suddenly find it disappearing off in the opposite direction and giving me the smackdown , and the bigger kites need some degree of anticipation to fly properly, so are a little harder for the newbie. As for board, again it depends on weight but current thinking is moving a little smaller than in the past - 160 sounds around the right region - but then again i learnt on a 148 and i'm not the lightest guy around. Talk to your instructor on this one. and.... GET A HELMET!!! If you are using a board leash when you are learning, it needs to be mandatory because you fall off and the board comes after you at 300mph. I try and wean people off leashes as soon as they can body drag competently upwind, but initially they save a lot of swimming after the board. The body armour vests and stuff are good, as well, but your costs are mounting and i would stress a decent suit (if its cold) and a helmet more. The other handy hint is if you can find a friend to learn with you, so much the better. you can split your first set of kit (its like anything, you will probably want to upgrade once you know what you are doing) and you can take turns in that first bit of trying to get up on the board. Any other questions, post again, or feel free to PM and i'll do my best. Hell, if you pay my flight costs i'll come and teach you myself!!! Never try to eat more than you can lift

I teach it. (well i did before skydiving took over my life!! ) What do ya wanna know?? Never try to eat more than you can lift

Reps = repetitions - number of times yu do each exercise. Sets - repetitions are grouped into sets so if you have 3 sets of 12 reps, you would do 12, then have a rest, then another 12, then have a rest, then another 12. Never try to eat more than you can lift

:6:0 One of note, 3 way 21 point non repeating skydive - we got 19 of the points and it was the last one of the weekend. Pretty happy!! Never try to eat more than you can lift

some answers here.... http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=868573;search_string=double%20stow;#868573 hope this helps.... Never try to eat more than you can lift

Hey vicki - you are sounding old with questions like that!!!! (i agree though ) nothing but radio 2 for me....... Never try to eat more than you can lift

you competing against divewerx? they look to be going pretty well too! Never try to eat more than you can lift

Saw a review of this in a motorcycle mag. General concensus was it was pretty rubbish. i think the point is that in 3 dimensions the field of view is simply going to be too narrow, and it is probably better to have a fliptop head anyway! Never try to eat more than you can lift

I live in Brighton 2 - but i go to North London Parachute Club - which is near Cambridge!!! On the plus side, they are running 2 Nomads this summer...... and the tickets are getting cheaper the more jumps you do!!! Never try to eat more than you can lift

Ever read "the Diceman"? thats where that thinking will get ya!!!! Never try to eat more than you can lift

Yup - what you said! Edit: Why? Surfing, skydiving and snowboarding. Need i say more? Never try to eat more than you can lift

£35?! As for facilities, have they built a new bunkhouse/showers yet or do we still have to share with the wildlife? Never try to eat more than you can lift

Nigel - how much is Membership at Weston this year? Thanks Never try to eat more than you can lift

This should give some answers http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=805354;search_string=half%20brakes;#805354 Never try to eat more than you can lift

weird - ie seems to open instantly on mine whereas mozilla takes a while to sort all the icons and sizing out. maybe i need to check my versions or something Never try to eat more than you can lift