ryan_d_sucks

Igor is totally right. It is imperative that people be willing to jump with new skydivers in order for them to learn-- Hell, I wouldn't be half the fast falling, flailing incompetent skydiver that I am today if it weren't for his and others' help!

yarak! what is wrong with you. you heartless bastard! show some sensitivity. skydiving is full of "things beyond our control" that's the danger, not the fact that we jumped out of a plane. geez..... And you're full of shit too. I sense the sarcasm. Get fucked.

Is it possible to launch a tube from a 182? I could see _maybe_ getting a 2-way tube, but has anyone ever done a 3-way tube? If so, how? If you got a 2-way, how? I'm talking the "narrow body" 182, not the widebody (that extra few inches counts). Thanks

hell yea! either skydiving is getting more dangerous or more jumps were made. Either way is fine with me. All those tandems that whacked in didnt help the number stay low. A tandem is often two fatalities for the price of one. Had quite a few no pulls and terminal impacts this year too. At least the extra fatalities were in dramatic fasion. Thats Style points for the 2008 fatalities. 2009 has started with a bang too. Already some one fell out of a rig. Style points!Thats going to be hard to beat. Oh well I guess thats why skydiving is cool. Lets be honest if it were safe it would be nothing more than a game of checkers, you wouldnt brag to your friends about it, your family wouldnt think you were the "wild"one, and guys wouldnt be able to use it to pick up girls. Now ask yourself. "Do I want to live in a world where skydiving is safe?" or do you want to say " thirty dudes whacked in skydiving this year and I wasnt one of them"? And hey if you are one of them, then you didnt die for nothing. You helped carry on the tradition of skydiving being dangerous and badass. Therefore making the rest of us look awesome. Rest in peace knowing that some guy is getting sweet loving because of your sacrifice. Man, after reading a few recent posts from you, this tops it off. You make a real ass out of yourself on here.

Sorry, that is; 1) The Tandem Op's job. 2) None of my business. I'm on the airplane to neither help nor hinder the tandem op. That's their business, not mine and frankly interactions with the tandem passengers beyond a "welcome to skydiving" handshake is inappropriate and even that is pushing it sometimes. WHAT? A handshake is pushing it? Come on, that is a bit far, I think. I always try to make it a point to talk to tandems when I'm at the DZ. I want them to feel included and invited to come back and make a real jump. I think just talking with them is a hell of a lot different than trying to offer them advice/instruction on what to do during their tandem jump, or telling them bounce jokes! Those two things I could see being inappropriate. Edit to add: Also I jump at a 2 182 DZ-- 1 of the 182's is dedicated for funjumpers and the other for tandems. 1 Tandem goes up at a time. Therefore they may have to spend a while on the ground on busier days. I know if I were there for a tandem and didn't know anyone I'd rather spend my 2hour wait-time with someone to talk to, rather than stand in the corner awkwardly by myself.

Actually I think the more correct way of saying that is "Most jumpers who remove themselves from the sport made mistakes." There are a lot of close-calls and learning experiences (mistakes) in this sport. I've had a few already in my very limited time. Its back to filling up those buckets-- one of luck and one of experience..

Is this type of thread why people refer to this site as "Dramazone?"

I met someone this weekend who had a mod done to their bridle... Its a collapsible PC, so it must be cocked before every jump. A rigger moved the closing pin to the inside of the bridle, and created a window (much like the window that lets you view your kill line color). The pin would only be visible through the window (and therefore able to be inserted in the closing loop) if the pilot chute had been cocked. I couldn't tell you how to make this mod yourself, but the theory seemed sound.

Yeah thanks everyone for making that boogie an awesome time! I was worried that traveling down there solo and not knowing anyone at the boogie might suck, but I had an awesome time. Made 11 great jumps and met a ton of people. See you guys at spring break hopefully!!

Becauase you're talking to skydivers. Also I believe the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory comes into effect on this website quite often. (see attachment, ignore the top line).

I understand how the RSL works. I didn't fight to get belly to earth, at least not to my knowledge. I actually went ahead and punched silver immediately after cutting away since I knew I had an RSL. "The RSL has no direct connection to your reserve parachute, or freebag at all. None. It pulls your reserve cable only" I understand that. Would you agree that spinning in freefall and pulling a main ripcord would likely result in linetwists? Why is that principal any different when on an RSL and spinning under a main? Or am I misunderstanding something? Ryan

Any word on how much jump tix are? See you guys there either the 1st or 2nd.

I think based on "a sample" and based on "an experience" are two different things. It only takes one "experience" to kill you. Comfortable is subjective. By the time I was untwisted under my reserve I was around 1000 feet at a DZ I'd never been to before. That was not comfortable. In regards to RSL's I've heard instructors say "wait until you've actually had a cutaway before you disconnect it." Well now I have. I'm by no means an expert on cutting away, as opposed to those of you in the double digit cutaway numbers, but I feel comfortable pulling both handles on my own. In my situation the RSL produced some, to me, undesirable side effects. I chopped around 3000, thus negating the need for an instant reserve deployment. I'm not saying that RSL's are frequently killers, but my experience made me rethink using one. I would be much more willing to use one of the MARD systems, if my container were compatable. Respectfully, Ryan

That's just not true. I cut away from a spinning malfunction this summer and had about 8 or 9 linetwists in my reserve because of the RSL. I now jump without one, because watching my reserve twist up like that scared the shit out ofme. A few more twists and I'm not sure it would have been flying straight. My "solution" is to try prevention. I want to never be in need of cutting away when I'm low. That means not going low first of all, having a hard deck and sticking to it, and not doing especially aggressive flying down low. Does prevention always work? No. But this is skydiving, not bowling. The risks can be managed in different ways, but never eliminated.

I agree, but on the almost half hour ride up to 10,000 in the Cessna my mind does eventually wander away from the dive progression and gear checks. Do them a few times, but I find my performace decreases once I overthink it to a point, and I end up second guessing my equipment that I've already checked 3 or 4 times. So I usually have a tune playing in my head. I think theres room for both intense focus and relaxation on the way up.

I can't fit my pro-dytter in there because the previous owner cut a hole in the ear-piece to fit one of the original style dytters. The original and pro are slightly different shapes, with the orinal being shorter and fatter, and the pro being longer and more slender. However, the large chunk of helmet missing over the ear made it so loud that I couldn't even hear the original dytter in freefall when I still had it in there. I could hear it on the ride up, but not down. But yeah, no matter what route I go I will def. keep my protec to have around, especially if I go full face. Its not a bad helmet by any means, but I'm just looking for something a little nicer.

Hrmmm.. Pic 4 may have just sold me on the full face, granted I still have a good view of handles. Pic 1 is interesting-- No goggles, and a full face without a lense? I wonder if she can see anything.

I'm asking for a new helmet for Christmas. I'm tired of my student-looking old beat up Pro-Tec. I want something that will hold the ProDytter I bought 6 months ago. I was thinking about full face, partly for the added protection, and also I've found a pretty good deal on one. But do they impair your communication with other jumpers while in the air? Not that you can hear each other in freefall, but I find myself often mouthing simple words/phrases (ie: "fuck it" when a jump is FUBAR, and other simple things). Also, I think facial expression can say a lot to the other people on your jump (like the look of "somethings wrong" when you see that their closing loop broke and their D-bad is coming out with the PC still in the BOC. Am I overthinking it, or are my concerns legit?

Jump # 103. I had some type of spinning malfunction. I reached up and both brakes were still stowed, so not a brake fire. After about 8 revolutions I cutaway. I immediately pulled silver since I had an RSL anyways. I had about 9 linetwists in the reserve. Watching the reserve spin up like that scared the christ out of me. By the time I got myself untwisted I was at around 1200 feet. Incidentally it was my FIRST jump, at my FIRST boogie, the FIRST time away from my home DZ. Never recovered the main or freebag. I believe someone at the boogie swiped it. I wish I had that cutaway at my home DZ. Edit: I did stand up the landing though.

Anyone have any experience with this? I have the "newer" model which has tuck tabs on the risers and added bridle protection. It still has a velcro reserve and main flap though. I have been tentative to try anything other than belly flying with it. The closest I've come to anything else is a horny gorilla. I'd like to start trying to freefly soon, but I can't afford a new container for a while.. But I can't really afford a premie and a broken back either. So anyone with experience?

Hahaha, well I'm glad to see that my question at the very least resulted in someone getting called out and burned on here. Hahaha... Learning about the gear I use is a close second though!

Well count me in I guess... I'm flyin solo, so I hope to meet some people to jump with!

Gotcha. Much appreciated.

OK I see what you are saying, and I don't doubt that you're right. I'll change it back to pic2 and let my rigger take a look at it next week when I go see him. But can you tell me what the eye in the loading tape is for? Is the 'eye' just coincidental because aerodyne didn't reinforce it?

Would you please elaborate as to why? It seemed most logical to me. But I have only hooked my bridle up to PD canopies before this, which have the attachment point shown in pic 1. Setting it up the way it is in pic 3 seemed the most similar-- rapide link on cloth.. If the rapide link isn't supposed to pass through that cloth, why is there an eye in the cloth?