SkymonkeyONE

If you plan on doing sequential RW, booties make it possible to do much quicker turns and give you more control with your legs. This becomes important when you want to leave your lower arms free for taking grips without "flying" with them. Some people don't like booties for big, single-point skydives because they have a harder time "putting on the brakes" with booties after swooping down to the formation, but truthfully, I don't notice them anymore since I have used them for so long, so I have them on everything but my demo suits. Do you really "need" them? Not really; especially at your stage, but you will want them eventually, so you might as well get them. If you want to save a few dollars now, you can get a suit without them now and have them retrofitted later. I know at least two places that will do that for you. Chuck

I have some some very big tattoos on my legs and on my right arm. My legs look like I am standing in the ocean to just below my knees and are covered with sea life and other SCUBA related stuff; they are truly bad-ass. Greg Eppy at Paradise Tattoo in Key West did them. My right upper arm is covered with a bio-mechanical shark and bunches of other odd Aaron Cain stuff. Those in the know will recognize that name. I have a club-related band around my left bicep and another small insignia on the inside of my left forearm (club related). I didn't get my first tattoo until I was 30 years old. I don't have any piercings at all and don't want any. Too easy to get yanked out in a brawl. Chuck

Yeah, Tony Mouzon does a lot of tandems up at CSS. Mike Elliot is on the GK tandem team and also used to teach at my Dad's DZ before he made the team. James (can't remember his last name) is an army JSOC guy who works as an AFF-I (he is also a designated examiner) and tandem guy at CSS. Alsee Richardson was the first black guy on the Golden Knights "back in the day". He still maintains his SL-I and does PRO rated demos with the GB team. Actually, there are a lot of black skydivers at Raeford. Mostly military guys/gals and their spouses. Color doesn't get you a second glance on our DZ. It's all good. Chuck

I have jumped, even competed at ASC and have not recieved any of this spam. I regularly get flyers from dropzones I have never been to, so I don't see their promo as any different. I would gladly trade all my porn and refinancing spam for more skydiving-related stuff. Chuck

I have ridden motorcycles since I was six years old. I raced motocross for two years, then later in life raced a an ATC 250R ATV. I was riding skateboards as soon as urethane wheels were invented and rode on three sponsored teams when in junior high and high school. I surf with some degree of expertise and have a 6'4" Charlie Baldwin thruster (comp weight) in my toy room. Also in that toy room are my Gnu Pharoah snowboard which I rip on, my H.O. VTX slalom with double high-wraps which I competed for some time on, and my Hyperlite Dean Lavelle signature wakeboard that I can throw three different flips on. I have a 96 Sea Doo XP with a Solas prop and an R&D scoop grate and ride plate. It's fast enough to barefoot behind (with my masterline toe-handle) while wearing my SkiWarm Violator barefoot suit. I can do flips, one-foot toe-holds, and tumble turn my ass off; not to mention the jump starts off 20 foot tall boat docks. Bottom line is that I have always been into serious "type A" recreation and have always pushed the limits in each and every one of the sports I have chose to commit to. I don't half ass anything; never have. My only regret is that I don't have enough free time to give to each and every one of these fantastically fun endeavours. It is because of these other things that it took me 21 and a half years to reach 3000 skydives. I really wanted to try EVERYTHING and get good at each of them while I was young and fit. I don't regret any of it for a second, as I am still, as a 38 year old man, able to get out when I can and throw down some mad tricks in those other things I learned during my breaks from skydiving. Sure, I don't have the stamina I did when I was in peak form for whatever it was I was doing, but I CAN still do all the "tricks" given a short warm-up. I guess the difference there, if there is one, is that I did indeed take the proper time to learn the right way to do things. I just didn't strap on a snowboard and go huck off jump and try to do a flip. I knew that was a quick way to break my neck. Likewise, it is very stupid to think you are going to be able to get away with swooping a VX right off of student status. There is a serious "I want it now" mentality in skydiving; this is evident. People are led to believe that for the right price, time in sport means nothing. "Gimme a dollar and I'll make you holler!" Just try that in surfing and see what happens. Show up at some pristine break in your smacky-booty wetsuit and your new stick and just TRY to break into the lineup. You will more than likely get run over, beat up, or both. Until you have the required skill set and have established yourself with the locals, you are fucked; at least at popular breaks. Sorry for rambling, but I had a lot to say. Chuck

years ago, I jumped a J1 with a PD-143 reserve. It was the "standard" size reserve for that rig. Chuck

Yes, back in the day, Rixter Powell, Jack Jeffries and those guys were doing "360 circle of deaths". That all started when we were jumping Excalliburs. Nowadays, I don't see anyone throwing anything bigger than a 180. Anyway, when I throw a carve, I fly myself in a front riser nearly into the ground and then flare when I am still in the turn. The pendulum effect keeps you spinning around and you stab the opposite toggle when you know you are about to run out of juice. It's not really that tough to get your end cell VERY close to the ground and still get the main back over your head, but you can seriously biff on entry if you are not on your game. You can start learning the landingn carve with a straight-in swoop, but you will not get nearly as far around. On those, once you get your main "around the corner", simply stab a left or right toggle for a bit, then flare with both toggles once you are out beside your main. To stick it, simply stab the other toggle for a bit, then complete your flare. Chuck

Don't you mean boozehag? As you shall be addressed from now on......

WHAT version?

Mirc ,but none of it works behind my firewall at work. At home, I just use the Happy hour link.

Simply put, we keep the bullshit factor to a minimum in the specified forums. While there are a lot of people who post here with varying degrees of competence in each discipline, there are not really too many wo regulary lurk and post with a great amount of expertise. Case in point; myself. While I used to do a ton of CRW over a decade ago, I have never jumped a "proper" CRW canopy, nor been in any formation other than a vertical stack. This means I would be a poor choice of moderator for this forum. While I don't know you personally, I have known what you are into (as far as skydiving goes...)for several years, from checking out your website to seeing your name in Parachutist, etc, as being involved in CRW record attempts. Generally, in these specified forums we act as resident experts to the jumpers who are interested in getting involved in something new or wanting to hone their technique. It is certainly better that we have experienced people answering those questions. It is also important that we have oversite over the forums so that some 100 jump chump isn't on here spouting "so-and-so told me that THIS is how you really do it!" It is the moderators job to then raise the BS flag and put a stop to erroneous poop being spread as gospel. Truthfully, as a moderator of two specified forums, I have very rarely had to lock threads or delete posts; but it does happen. Another thing we do is participate in special projects with Sangiro. We test new features before they are put into use on the forums and we brainstorm ways to make the site a better, more useful source. Anyway, that's what we do. Chuck

My middle name is Wayne.

You know i'm right there with you for the costume jumps!! I just hope we'll be able to find a camera person.

Dude, I barely remember my OWN birthday, much less anyone elses. Get a grip. Expecting random skydiving cowboys with Bert and Ernie haircuts to remember your birthday is over the top.

a guess as to what is in that PM: "Clay, you ignorant motherfucker"

Agreed. The stock brake length setup is definitely not "one length fits all". I have only owned two canopies that I didn't have to lengthen the brake lines considerably from the "stock" setting. What flies great for one person's style will suck completely for others. Chuck swoop monkey

I would not waste it on a joy ride, that's for sure.

That's not really the point. The point is that he is using a poor technique. Toggle whipping is not the answer to longer swoops, period; especially on a canopy with a fairly short recovery arc. Would he get a longer swoop under a more "high tech" canopy using the same technique? Maybe so, but I would definitely NOT recommend trying to lengthen swoop distance in solely that manner. His swoops will grow exponentially with a better technique, then if he still wants to go with that VX (or whatever else he chooses), he will be better equipped to fly it to it's intended performance envelope. Chuck Blue Team Atair Swoop

Uh..Yes, you have to ride on front to get your rating. I have also ridden front for several buddies getting their ratings. I don't like it up front, even with chicken handles. Chuck "meat hauler"

I, on the other hand, never stopped listening to that stuff. I am fascinated that you have Camoflage in your collection. Right on. Every Smiths album, as well as every Morrisey album are present in my car. What about the Timelords? I never replaced most of my old stuff from Cassette to CD, but I still listen to tapes on road trips. It asses me up when I lose stuff and I am far too lazy to get my a record store nowadays. If I won the lottery I could spend a LOT of money in one whack at an indie record store. Chuck

Yes, avoid jumping by yourself and do some easy two-ways instead. I have ALWAYS found that jumping solo leads to unwarranted anxiety. Being in the air with other people is "comforting" to me and it's the reason we skydive in the first place. Chuck

Dave and Weid are both right on the money. I very rarely brake tube stows and rubber bands because I push the flap all the way to the grommet. If your main looks like a beach ball in the bag, then you need to work on your technique. too wide is better than too tall; it will squash down better in the bag. Chuck "been packing for quite a while"

Actually, Joan Lunden was two Septembers ago. They just play the piece over and over. Bo Derek was about a month ago.

I strongly recommend trying to set up in a common location. The dropzone.com tent will be set up on dropzone row in spot 8 unless I am mistaken. Last year, people were camping in and around those tents and brought furniture to put in them. That being said, we have a tent, but that's all, so bring an old couch if you live local and some tables, etc. Use the tent as a rally point. Someone bring a white board and some dry erase markers. First person there with it, hang it up and "sign in" so people know who is there. also, you may want to leave a slot on the board after the names so you can write what you are currently doing; "doing a raft dive with the Muff Brothers", for example. Last year there were plenty of dropzone.commers there, but never any real group link-ups. Pammi, Merrick and Sis tried to find me, but I didn't know it until late in the game. I met several people sort of by accident (like Lew and Kreg), but even when I had an announcement made, nobody gathered. Let's not let that happen again. All that being said, I am fairly sure I will be able to make it from about the 3rd until the 8th or 9th. My dad and the rest of the Alabama Gang will be there from the 1st until at least the 9th. Chuck

He is also a fairly avid BASE jumper and wingsuit pilot. He is fairly nutty about testing stuff and will talk your ear off on a lot of subjects. All this besides the original point of the post, though. Parachutes open differently depending on what speed you deploy. I seriously doubt the average person is going to change to a larger PC just to do a hop and pop. BASE, sure, but that really ought to be done with task-specific gear. I try to find a happy medium to meet all my purposes. In the end, I settled with a little 22 inch ZP with a long, nine-foot bridle (to aid in BirdMan deployments). Anyway, the PC that the original poster is using is perfectly suited to his main in my opinion. Of course everyone has their opinion. Chuck