pantablo

well I have some new info- it would appear its not skydiving at all, it sounds like BASE jumping. He jumps off cliffs with a round parachute-open already- and then floats down or flys around a bit using the cord/tethers for control (dont know the rigth terminology. definitely round parachute (round instead of elliptical possibly a result of lower incomes in his area? dunno), definitely no plane involved and parachute does not have any armature (I suspected hang gliding upon hearing this)...thats BASE jumping, right? He has done it but there isnt any schooling involved, or at least he hasnt gone to any schooling for this. where to go from here? pablo- www.pma-architect.com

Thanks again everyone for all the onfo and advice. All good info and apparently I have much more homework to do for my nephew. pablo- www.pma-architect.com

thanks for the info bob.dino. Any info on what school entails? or links to such info, would be greatly appreciated. How long are the schools, etc. In the motorcycling world there is a safety course you can take (here in the US) called MSF course but it hardly prepares you to ride. I dont have a sense of how the school relates to everyday jumping. After passing the school, one is certified? His asking me for help obtaining gear makes me suspect he might have done a school already-something to verify. He might be looking for better pricing through me (in the US)...I dont know. I'll follow up with the dropzone info you provided. Again, I apologize for what must be incredibly ignorant questions but I appreciate the help. Regards- pablo- www.pma-architect.com

Hello. Second post, first was in Introductions. My nephew, in Argentina, asked me to help him start jumping. He first asked about getting rigs and equipment here in the US (I'm in santa monica CA-los angeles area). I know, from the motorcycling world, how important it is to start with the right equipment for a beginner, and to do whatever procedures or classes need to be done to be a safe jumper. So I have some questions for you all. I realize I should probably ask these in the Int'l forum since its related to starting jumping in Argentina...but my spanish sucks. My nephew is 17 yo., 190lbs, 6ft 3 in. What should he do if he wants to start jumping? How does one go about learning to jump and amassing the equipment inexpensively? What equipment should he get, as a minimum, to start and what should he consider getting later? Is used equipment a viable alternative and if so, is the DOM significant, and how? How can he find out what size(s) he should be looking at? And more importantly, what questions should I ask HIM so that I can get better/more info about his quest? I know thats a ton of info I'm asking for...and, yes, I've done a rudimentary search but to be honest I was overwhelmed by all the numbers, terminology and information, so any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Regards- pablo- www.pma-architect.com

hello. I'm new here and found this site through a google search for "skydiving discussion forum". I jumped once tandem but otherwise havent had time to do further jumps-too many other hobbies take my time... I'm here to get some info for my nephew who wants to start jumping so I'll post up some questions in the appropriate forum. Otherwise, I just wanted to say hi. pablo- www.pma-architect.com