Jumpah

Wish I could make it! Looking forward to the PD weekend at SNE's tiki bar tho! Bring me a katana!

x2! This is wretched...

I'm sure there is a minimum fine that goes along with it.

Sure is...for someone with $30 million in wealth, a few thousand in fines means very little. A $100k fine means something. Time in prison is fantastic especially for drunk driving.

Consider having one or two of your teammates get setup with camera gear. Sony HC-46 + Kenko .43 wide angle fish eye and a step-up ring will run you less than $400 new, or find a camera online for cheaper. Be sure to follow recommendations on jumping camera and get some training in their use. You won't get the whole jump since it'll be on someone's head so the POV will be skewed to wherever they are, but you'll have some great memories to look back on years from now!

Agreed...they've been amazing to work with...and I keep buying their products as a result

No offense, but reading this I kept thinking "so this ONE time...at band camp..."

RADIX is a great one

They all should be adults. Semantics shouldn't be an issue. I do prefer "repeat" vs. "fail". More important is the delivery of the debrief of the jump and there are some great examples in this thread. Be kind, be honest, be non-judgmental, be encouraging, be helpful. With that the use of "fail" versus "repeat" won't have much of an impact. I think your point is about the larger scope of teaching skills and maximizing the understanding. Myself and a few other experienced skydivers/coaches/instructors learned a better way to work with a student this past summer. We had a 50 jump person barely clear the trees coming back from a long spot. There was an excellent out for her 1 mile away (and I think we already had a car going there). She knew it was there but she didn't take it for whatever reason. When she landed (in the swoop course just beyond the trees), about four people talked to her about it as soon as she was in earshot of the peanut gallery. No one yelled, but no one was going to let that one go. We really like her...she's great people and a great addition to the dropzone and friend to all of us. Boy did that upset her. She teared, got quiet, and wandering off to go be alone. We knew we kinda messed that one up and sat in our chairs feeling bad. Was there a better way to give her that info? YES. Should folks have gone to her right away like that? Probably not. Better to have one person do it. Around that time we were feeling bad, one of the jumper's girlfriend came over and told us the jumper was really upset. We could see her over the other side of the landing area. She was smoking a cigarette and visibly upset, talking with another girl. We looked at each other and all felt terrible. We felt that we had to get the message across, but we knew that we messed up the delivery. I walked over to her and said 'come with me' and picked her up off the ground. I carried her back to the peanut gallery. I think I told her that we felt bad, that we liked her, and we want to make sure she understands why that was dangerous. I sat in my flimsy chair with her on my lap, five or six other skydivers around also seated. We had the beers out as that had been last load. She continued smoking her cigarette. A veteran instructor started, talking to her and us, and we all listened. Everyone was quiet except for him. He calmly explaining the situation as he saw it, using facts, data, logic. As he went along the underlying message, he told her, is that we really like you and we don't want you to get hurt...and she and we couldn't risk her doing something like that again. She had to do her part by taking criticism/advice/groundings in stride and use them to improve her as a skydiver. As the conversation went on, it became a mini-seminar in canopy control, front and rear riser inputs, etc. Most people learned something. Anyway, this isn't swimming. This isn't bike riding. Other people's lives are at stake. Be kind, be respectful, be intelligent. Just don't be meek when talking to someone about a problem, but consider the delivery, and be sure to try to find the best time to have the talk.

The "bowling speech" means "you're not cut out for this sport, don't come back". Virtually all students make poor decisions. Virtually all skydivers will get make mistakes after licensing. Some of them will get hurt, most of them by making mistakes. Some people surely shouldn't be skydiving and instructors can't use the bowling speech lightly. If someone isn't cut out to jump it'll be obvious to a lot of people, not just one, so in those situations bring it to the attention of other instructors and talk about it with them first.

I know the person in that video...he is quite skilled and not stupid. It was a planned stunt that didn't go to plan

Agreed...with your dz.com post loading you could have written up the responses for most of the people here yourself!

Yes, most certainly a joke

You know what is good for you, you've been around long enough. To post here is just gunning for controversy

Deland tower being built. This really sucks...for $12/year its a steal...I'd pay double that easy.

In one post you say you'll never misroute your chest strap. In another you say you are confident you will do it right. In a third you say if you misroute your chest strap you hope you fall out and die. I'm confused... Edited for clarity

Any statutes expire lately???

Any step...first, fifth, 100th...has a chance of being missed. Never say impossible.

Completely agree!

It seems to me that if Red Bull really wanted this they could go about it and get it classified as a stunt or whatnot and get the approvals that way. They don't want to pay for all that, deal with the FAA, and they certainly, most POSITIVELY do not want to be on the hook if something goes wrong. Better for them if the USPA takes the fall for that.

A BSR is a Basic Safety Requirement, not a "recommendation".

Scoop, try this... Extend the leg straps so that they are as wide and long as possible. Make sure they aren't twisted. Throw the rig over one shoulder and onto your back. Take your other arm and guide your elbow under that side's shoulder strap, then center the rig on your back. At this point the rig is on your back, centered, and the leg straps are not around your legs. Now drop the rig to your elbows. Reach down with your left hand and grasp the leg strap and slip your left foot through it and onto the ground. You can use your right hand to hold onto another jumper or something for stability. Repeat this with the right hand and right foot (turn 180 degrees and use your left hand on that same stability). Once the legs are through, stand up straight and give the rig a quick thrust to send it from your elbows up to your shoulders. Tighten chest and leg straps and there you are. Note...getting the legs straps extended all the way is key.

I'm psyched to see that your enthusiasm from a year or so ago hasn't faded from when you first started posting about this. Congrats!

Paying for the whole dinner ($100+) after she breaks up with you.

Anyone else laughing hard about this story? Brilliant!