DougH

The winds over Hawaii are trade winds right? So you are concerned with penetration and not turbulence right? Higher wingloading is ultimately what will get you increased airspeed, and as a result increased ground speed and penetration when flying into the wind. I don't think you are going to find a situation where flying a 9 cell and a 7 cell at the same wingloading are going to result in significatly different outcomes. If on any given day the winds are strong enough to make under a 7 cell marginal, then you should stay on the ground with your 9 cell canopy too. At 60 jumps you shouldn't be making a trade off between saftey and penetration by jumping a loading you aren't ready to handle. Concentrate on learning how to spot well, and flying your canopy actively to keep yourself out of trouble. You should know where you want to open and the cone that you need to stay in if you wish to make it back to your LZ with that days wind conditions. Most importantly learn when the winds are too great and when to sit down.

We didn't ask you. But since you decided to share, exactly what *information* are you using the determine that your Cookie helmet will offer more protection. Just maybe you shouldn't offer opinions on saftey gear that aren't backed up with actual information. The plastic "crap" pro-tec will do a much better job protecting your brain than your carbon fiber Cookie will because of the padding and its over all design. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Wow. I was watching the slide show and I thought to my self damn who is that dirt bag with my x-girlfriend... and then I realized it was me. Thanks Nick, that was pretty cool.

Your car example doesn't hold up here... An Audi S4 performs and handles better than the less expensive Honda Civik. In this case if you are using impact protection as your measure of performance your cheaper product, the Pro-tec, has far superior performance compared to your 250 dollar bonehead helmet. This doesn't really enforce your point, if you even have one at all. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Thanks for sharing your expert opinion. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

People are allways going to try things they aren't ready for resulting in a bitch slap from terra firma... and that is going to happen with or without people reading Brian's book. I would be suprised if his straight forward approach about the dangers of swooping didn't convince a lot of new jumpers to slow down and take their time. I think the point of those sections in the book is to help teach those who ARE ready to swoop to do so in a safey more efficient manner. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

It depends for me. Lately I have been sliding out the end of some landings like a baseball slide and then using the end of the flare to pop up nicely onto my feet. I have been too lazy to run I guess. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

So wacha makin'? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Where in this thread was any one advocating the purchase of a used pro-tec? The new ones are already super cheap. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Why did you have to mention those? There is no KFC in the city I work in, and now I have a wicked craving for them.... Damn you LisaH "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I think I need help... When I first saw this thread I thought, what a strange question, but I guess a good cab. would work ok. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I like this logic, UN peace keeping units should be fired at on a daily basis, and it would be jusitified. I don't know why we are arguing this point any way. It doesn't matter what you call them as long as them end up with a large diameter smoking hole in their chest after firing on US soldiers. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

It's significantly more useful for making appropriate comparisons. It's just not convenient to your stance here. Sure. If you wanted to compare Exxon to BP it's very useful. If you want to compare Exxon to Microsoft, however, it's useless without other important information. Please, tell me, what is my stance (other than the fact that profit margin is nearly useless without other information)? What exactly is your point? There is little to no point in comparing microsoft to exxon, they deal in different products, in different markets, with different market conditions. When you start heating your house with copies of XP and it is traded on an exchange... "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Come on dude. All the info on the material is on their website. And they have a phone number to ask a real live human being questions deals with jumpsuits all day every day. If the phone call is to much bling bling they anwser email too!!! What would you people do without the internet? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Hell, they are probably going to save that for some celebrity. I have been waiting, but I agree some president or something is going to get 30,000. I want to get 29999... but I guess it would be cool to also get my B license number if it isn't already gone. Then I would have two of the same number. B-29576. & D-29576 "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Why bother with the notarized form if it has no legal weight in court? I guess at least it may deter the parents, but it won't do anything if the jumper decides to sue. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

They are a publicly traded company with audited financials. You can go right to their income statement and see what revenue gasoline sales had. It isn't top secret stuff. Get off you ass and look the information up. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I am going to be using it for swooping, and yeah for the most part I don't give a shit what people think of my gear. I have a purple container, a worn out cranberry colored jumpsuit... this can only help the look. I need something since I have been swooping with no head gear for some time now. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I thought they were recalled due to high levels of lead?!!? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

If there are no snag points there would be nothing wrong with it. AggieDave on here was talking about getting a full faced Protech for swooping after a crash, I am going to do the same too I just have to get around to ordering it. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I hate it when it is like 100 degrees, 200 degrees in the plane, and some one is meowing about not wanting to open the door after the belts are off. Please don't do that. If you don't like sitting next to an open door please strap yourself to a TI, they sit far away from the door. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Yes they do. Mads already has one in the mail headed my way. All they asked was that I confirm that it works well, and then send the old one back. Another example of their excellent customer service. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Wow! Harsh! This is a good lesson kids, think before you act! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

New episode I think? He must have taken a canopy course because his landing was much less painful looking this time. =P !! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

We have done that. By the time you climb the rest of the way to 13.5k and get on jump run the tandems are landing in most instances. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P