Kynan1

Yes, I clicked reply, then copied and pasted the quote. My fault.

It's plenty dangerous, I was just saying how I slide more on a sit than a head down. Plus, it's easier to feel yourself sliding on a head down.

She was staying in the bunkhouse with only one other girl there. Tampon wrapper in garbage can. I'm no detective, but I'm guessing this was part of her cut throat advice giving...ahha Funny thing is, if I were doing a sit fly, most people wouldn't say much, but a "head down", look out. I have been back sliding a ton on a sit fly, but it's very hard to feel. Doing a head down, while sliding, is much easier to feel. So, you could argue a head down is safer than a sit...for drifting purposes. No doubt, it's faster and easier to lose altitude awareness, just a little important as well.

Perhaps if people heard this girl on her period yapping at me, you'd all understand where I was coming from. I'm usually pretty mellow and take advice well, but its how someone comes across more than anything. Ok, I'm spent on this topic. Thanks for all your advice on this topic.

The old guy I passed on the highway has probably driven 4x the number of miles than me, but I'm 4x the driver. Experience to some extent is overrated. I'll take a skilled driver over some 55mph left lane lover any day. 31 It probably took 20 jumps to fall somewhat straight and I'm still working on it of course, but doing a solo head down wasn't that hard for me. Standing probably only took 10 jumps. Sit, stand, head down are pretty simple to get in now, but try flying them relative to people and moving sideways, front, back, adjusting fall rate...will take many, many, many, jumps, this I know.

I misspoke. And I agree to some extent. It's the way advice is given that rubs me the wrong way. Some people are tactful and genuinely care about another skydiver, others get off on blasting someone with fewer jumps. I don't have a big ego, especially in skydiving. I feel like other peoples egos get crushed when they have 500 jumps and can't do a simple head down.

The point of the post was simply, don't give advice, unless asked for it. The sport places too much emphasis on jump numbers and not individuals. I can't imagine asking someone, "How many miles have you driven in your car?" Then take their advice based on the miles driven. The funny thing is, I jumped with the load organizer the next day and while doing a sit dive, I mirrored him and went to a head down later in the dive. He was laughing and said, "Nice head down. Very straight." That is coming with someone with years and years in the sport and thousands of jumps. Point being, you have these relatively new people who go around blowing advice and it is merely opinion, not fact. Moral of the story, never judge a jumper by a jump number, it's a litte naive.

This past weekend, this person first told me how I should do a sitfly exit, then proceeded to say how she didn't try a head down yet and she's at 400 jumps..and said she is a "good skydiver". Fortunately, I had just jumped when she freaked on me about doing a head down with only 100 jumps, so I just shut up and agreed with her. The next time a stranger gives me advice I don't ask for, I'm going to have to keep it real on them. It's getting a little old. Or, maybe I'll walk around dropzones telling people that smoking can kill them, then proceed to rip apart their high fat diet, then recommend they don't go above 55mph on the ride home. This isolated story aside, Perris has some awesome people there, staff and skydivers alike.

I just got the camera mount in the mail. I'll probably start mocking it up this week, then go to my dropzone and have the owner tell me I can't jump it...haha For the most part though, I won't be relative enough to get any great footage, so why bother. It shouldn't be very long before I'm at 200 jumps and appreciate everyones opinion on this topic.

I like the reflection off the glasses. You should photoshop a nice reflection there and blend it in with your hand. Or use your face as the reflection, even better.

That's what I plan on doing. I only worry about tape flutter, hence the cutting edge idea of Saran Wrap. Man, I really want to post a smart assed remark here about toilet seat pranks. Yeah, if the Saran on the camera doesn't work, I'll have a full roll for the stalls. Should be fun either way.

I'm afraid all the body position in the world won't help you reach 500+ mph between cutaway and RSL activation Alphons Joke. It is impossible to reach that speed, unless you are strapped to a rocket.

Crazy stuff! I've only gotten up to 217mph on a head down. Maybe I need to work on better body position?

That's what I plan on doing. I only worry about tape flutter, hence the cutting edge idea of Saran Wrap.

Great idea. Thanks I had the camera before I began skydiving. Using an Optix camera helmet. The reason for the post was an idea on how to wrap the camera to make it fly safe. Any ideas other than Saran Wrap? That was the basic questions, until I got a barrage of off the topic chatter. I've been down the 200 jumps road before on this site, but it's good to know people still feel the same.

What a foolish comment. I know, after 100 more jumps, I'll be invincible and have so much more skill to cutaway from a camera mal. Have a little more common sense, before making outlandish statements. You'd think I said I want to jump a 87 Velocity. If you look at skydiving statistics, swooping is 50x more dangerous than flying a camera with 100 jumps. That's ok though because a ton of people do it? Forget that it causes many unnecessary deaths every year, I can't recall one from someone flying a camera too soon. Reality check bro. A camera changes nothing about your dive, if you're not trying to film a group or get a perfect shot. It affects your chance of a malfunction and a line getting caught...that's all. Agreed on that. There is a difference in filming people, and taking a camera along for the ride. I will not be trying to get "the money shot", just trying to fly relative to people, nothing more for now.

I don't think I'd be feeling much of anything then. Yes, point taken, I think I'll start flying a camera on jump 197, due to my accelerated learning. I do appreciate the comments though and respect the sport and dangers in it.

Another 100 jumps will make me no better in dealing with a camera malfunction. I'm comfortable in the air and realize jumping with a camera is an added danger. I don't plan on trying to film people now, but just to have the camera along for the ride. Someone also told me to wait 200 jumps before even trying to sit fly. All these are just that, opinions. It's good to respect the sport of skydiving and never be a "know it all", but on this one, I think downsizing to a 210 (a common thing) would be far more risky, than jumping a camera, not trying to film a group, etc. Plus, people progress at different rates and some are more collected in the air than others and in life in general. Point being, you could have some spastic freak with 300 jumps and someone who is calm and together in the air at 50 jumps. It's good to know the recommendations of people who have jumped for a while. I do respect opinions, but make my own choices. Lastly, it's odd in the sport of skydiving that so much emphasis is put on a jump number vs. skill. Don't get me wrong, I have A LOT of improvement to make in every area, but feel together in the air. It's almost like asking someone how long they have played an instrument for. Some guys can play the drums for 20 years, have no feel, concept of time, or ear for music...but because he's "playing" for 20 years, does that make a great knowledgeable drummer?

With using just a plate mount on the top of a helmet, I'm going to try to use my Panasonic DV camera. Nobody makes a cover for this particular camera, so any ideas on how to cover it? My best thought is Saran Wrap, with a hint of tape..haha I think it will work.

Thanks for the insight. Alway open to learning.

I would agree that 200 jumps is a good number, before actually trying to film someone. I would wait more to do that, but a camera on my head after 100 sounds good for me. 1/3CCD looks better than 3 1/6CCD's. I need to read up more on CMOS sensors, etc before evaluating that one. I would have to say that processing colors separately should give you the better image. Plus, it looks kind of neat.

If Sony made a 3ccd compact camera for @$600, they would have had my business. Sony's are good cameras, but don't buy on brand alone. It is hell easier to find a case for one though in the skydiving world.

Definitely not cool, but kind of neat.

I have the Optix camera helmet. If I want some kind of enclosure for this camera, what company should I go through? Also, couldn't I just use some heavy duty epoxy, instead of drilling holes? Thanks in advance.

I would download Limewire, then download Premiere Pro 2. I just saved you $600.