chrismgtis

Well, this is the second time I've had a problem with pressure on the descent. I was sick Wednesday and Thursday and the glands in my neck were swollen. I think they weren't completely healed Saturday so I am going to assume this had something to do with it, though I'm not sure why. Right after the pull I feel the pressure on my ear drums and try to equalize the pressure. Doesn't work. I get to about 3000 and I'm starting to get pretty worried hoping my ear drums don't implode. When I got on the ground I stood there for several minutes trying to equalize the pressure and I had a lot of pressure on my ears which was freaking me out. After a few minutes I finally got my right ear to pop and it made a really freaky noise when the air escaped and it hurt a bit. The left ear equalized after a few minutes fine and the pain left the right ear, but I couldn't hear normally out of the right for hours and still felt sort of an air pocket in that ear. I tried for hours to valsalva and swallow, stretch my jaw, whatever I could think of. About 6 hours later it finally started to let off. This was Saturday and today my ear feels fine, but I can tell it's still a little funky. I think there may be some fluid on my ear drum, but I can't really tell for sure. This weekend I am going snowboarding so I will have two weeks to let my ears rest. Moral of this... if your glands are even slightly swollen, it may not be a good idea to skydive? Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

The first jump (a tandem) I wasn't all that nervous. I had faith that my instructor knew what he was doing and considering he had thousands of jumps I figured why in the hell would this one happen to be the one that someone gets killed on. That pretty much got rid of the fear mostly for me. On AFF levels 1-4 I was nervous sitting on the plane. It seemed to get worse until about my 6th jump when I was thinking to myself "Why the fuck am I doing this?". I didn't hesitate to do what I came to do though. After that I pretty much just learned to relax and have faith in the gear and what I had learned. Now at 22 jumps I don't really get nervous. I'm 99% calm all the way. Stepping up to the door is the only thing that really bothers me at all. The adrenaline starts hitting me, but it's more about stepping up to the edge of a 14,500 drop that takes getting used to. Your body is still worried about falling out. As an instructor told me, thats what your here for so... It's all about learning to trust your gear, what you have learned and just looking at things a different way. Yes, it's unnatural to jump out of an airplane, but with some practice you can train yourself to get over the fear. Although, I was never really afraid of heights all that much, but when standing on the edge of a large drop (on a tower for example) I felt like I had to grab ahold of something. It's the same way now when I step up to the door. I've learned to relax so it's no big deal. I think what it takes to learn to calm yourself down and think positively requires a different thought process for everyone and more work for others. I never thought I would ever do something like this or that it would come so easily to me to step out out and drop 10,000 feet, but thats the thing about this sport you have no idea how your body is going to react until you do it and it's probably a entirely different experience/feeling than you ever imagined. Actually I can guarantee it is. I get a little nervous when I jump with someone though. Not really sure why. When I jump alone it's no big deal at all. Personally, I would rather not be nervous at all. I screw up when I am nervous not the opposite. The more calm I am the more I pay attention to what I am doing, make sure I get gear checks and everything is the way it should be. I've been nervous before and forgot to do some of these things. So I like it this way. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

Trying to stop the world from committing genocide, hate, terrorism and other selfish acts is not imposing our beliefs on others. Beleiving that evil is bad is not a belief it's truth. Anyone that thinks otherwise is an asshat. At least someone is trying to stop it. Although we should do more of that on our own soil first. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

Guess you don't believe much physics from the last few hundred years then? Lets say I believe in gravity because I can feel it in action every weekend. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

You don't see marijuana smokers killing anyone and then blaming it on their habit either. Name one. You can't. I didn't lose anyone to death related to alcohol, but I have a father that has had about 18 DUIs and never been to jail for more than a few nights. That sure proves how worthless our system is. I've seen first hand how immature, irresponsible and uncaring alcohol abusers are. So many have this view that it's their right to drink and it isn't. It's a priviledge that should be taken away when it is abused and it isn't. Don't think that I'm saying that alcohol makes anyone do anything, because it doesn't. Alcohol only brings out the true person in us. If you beat your wife while your drinking, it only proofs that the real you is a peice of shit and that goes for whatever you do while drunk. We hide who we are every single day of our lives and alcohol brings out a lot of our true self. Ultimately, you are in control of your actions and whatever you do while intoxicated on any substance is your responsiblity and we blame alcohol for this. I know we all can agree that marijuana smokers are pretty mellow people that don't bother anyone (unless they do those things when they aren't smoking). Point is the marijuana doesn't make them more likely to do something stupid. Either way, they are still in control and responsible and ultimately their fucks for doing whatever they do to hurt anyone. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

I think scientists are full of shit 99.9% of the time. No, actually I know they are. Personally, I don't believe anything unless I physically can see it for myself and prove it to myself as 100% fact. It's one thing to listen to an expert and take their word for it, but you should ALWAYS believe that anyone could be wrong. Do I believe we went to the moon? Yes. Do I believe it is possible that we didn't? Of course, because I didn't physically see them step foot on the moon. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

At least "cannabis" only effects the user for the most part. Now, you take an alcoholic, even a first time drinker or coke user for example and they screw up their lives and everyone around them constantly. If they aren't killing someone on purpose or accidently, they are killing their families and friends because of all the emotional heartache they are causing them. I'm not all that against drinking, but I am for damn sure against 95% of drinkers because they think they are above everyone else, don't care who they hurt and will swear to God what their doing doesn't and will never hurt anyone. And I can promise you there are plenty of those people here posting on these boards. Sooner or later most of these assholes end up in an automobile accident and guess who ends up dead? Not the alcoholic, but the innocent who got his face ripped off in the front seat and the child who go thrown through a wind shield and bounced off the asphalt 5 times. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

I can't see Tandems hurting the sport one bit. It has to do more for the sport than any other type of skydiving. If there were not tandems, a lot of people would not consider skydiving. Personally, I didn't know it was possible to do AFF and jump unattached to another jumper until I did a lot of research and most people will not take the time to research what they are thinking about doing. I'm not really sure if I would have even considered it. I think in a lot of ways I really needed that assurance that there was an experienced jumper in control on my first dive. It makes the decision to skydive a whole lot easier. One issue I know we have is that the only exposure skydiving does get is the negative exposure. You don't see commercials on TV about local drop zones. You don't see television shows about how exciting and safe skydiving really is and can be. You don't hear about all the fun skydivers have at boogies and the great community that skydiving has that you just can't get in many places. I think we really need to take the step to televise the good things about skydiving. The public has no way to know about how safe the sport can be and the fun we have. When most people think about freefalling they imagine a gut wrenching fall from the sky that they can only really compare to a really insane rollercoaster ride and it's nothing like that. Sometimes I am amazed at how many tandems I do see every day at the DZ, even in the winter. I find myself wondering how so many people know about this sport in driving distance of the DZ to fill up slots every single day, because I never heard a thing whatsoever in my entire life about this sport except what I saw on TV. Which leads me to believe it's all nothing but word of mouth. That's it. If I never heard anything about the sport whatsoever except the negative news and the skydives I saw at a few airshows, I know most people have the same exposure or even less than I did. The responsibility pretty much lies with the jumpers. Tell people about the sport and make sure they know it is safe (and that their is a risk, but not as much as the media leads us to believe). As for drop zones, I think those that can afford to need to really put together some great videos, not only of skydives but of the community and information about what the REAL risk is when skydiving and televise it. This is also the Internet age. It can be a huge tool, as much or more so than television. Television is expensive, the Internet is virtually free in lots of ways. We need to take advantage of that. I believe that if DZOs really want to bring in more tandems, they need to get some exposure on the radio, television and Internet. I know it can be expensive, but the return it would generate (if done correctly) should be more than enough to compensate. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

It seems to me that if someone only wants to do a tandem they aren't really into the thrill of the sport enough to go through AFF, finish and continue jumping through an A-license or further. You're probably not serious or ever will be serious enough if that's all your wanting to do. Who knows though. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

huh? I learned to keep mine loose or else your hanging under canopy feeling like somone has ahold of your nuts for 4 minutes which isnt fun. whoever said something about the chest strap coming to their chin. you probably have a strap adjustment on the side of the rig. you will want to tighten that. that is what lengthens the rig for taller people. i jumped once not knowing that was there and the chest strap came up to my chin. i check that strap on the side from now on. i almost shit myself under canopy thinking i might fall out not knowing what had happened. (if this makes no sense im drunk, so undestant i tthe best you can) Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

Repeated 2, 4 and 6 all once. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

Haha. Yea really, wtF is up with these polls? Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

Holy snikees. Get your ass out to the DZ and lick your own ass in freefall. Fuck sakes. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

It's always a bad time to buy a Mac. Sorry I had to. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

I keep wondering what would happen if I left my Z1 open when I jump out. I guess it would either get ripped off in freefall or I'd get lucky and be able to look towards my feet and push it down. I bet your eyes would water like hell with all that cold air hitting it at 120mph. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

WTF!? This is DropZone.com not FreakingWeirdAssBoredSkydivers.com... And I put I don't have a penis just in case you're wondering. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

My bet is a lot of the advice will be something like.... Listen to your instructors! Best advice possible right there. Only accidents that I've seen in my time at the DZ are from those that didn't listen to what they were told. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

www.good-tutorials.com is a good one. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

That's what I was going to say. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

Removing guns from society as much as possible works. Truth. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

No one creates a dictator. No one creates a killer. No one creates a homosexual. A person creates himself and is responsible for every single action he does. Period. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

500 F wouldn't even broil a steak. I've seen large bonfires at the DZ that were hot enough to melt beer bottles, which melt at about 1000C (1832F) . Do you think a passenger plane full of fuel burning in an enormous building full of flammables wouldn't burn as hot a bonfire set up by some drunk skydivers? The end of a cigarette burns at over twice that temperature. That's enough proof in itself in my opinion as far as making that 500'F temp sound pretty ridiculous. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

I was hoping you would say "Global Warming is pretty... fake". I don't believe in global warming created by man all that much. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

why is it that every time someone says they have a problem with thier computer theres always the guy that proclaims that his mac is the greatest thing since sliced bread, macs are crap. and so is thier customer support, but i love my ipod I'm with you there. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

Just build your own. There is pretty much nothing to it and a computer you build can last you 2-3 times longer than anything from Dell, HP, etc, will actually have high quality stable hardware and everything a computer SHOULD be for not much more than what Dell would charge you. The extra cost is more than worth it. I hate customer service anywhere. Period. Also, tell them to kiss your ass and that you're calling HP/Compaq, then do it. You may (possibly) have better luck or Dell might get off their ass and do their job when they hear that. Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan