damion75

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content

    992

  • Joined

  • Last visited

    Never

  • Feedback

    0%

Everything posted by damion75

  1. damion75
    hmmm, I would have to think twice about whether people with that level of tracking ability / attention to safety should be on a dive big enough for this to be a risk... ideally before leaving the canteen let alone the aircraft... *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  2. damion75
    And if you read what I have written then basically you are agreeing with me. Behind you is not the place to look - people going the opposite way are not a threat. When you start doing bigger stuff with staggered breakoffs you will need to be looking for the guys either side (who will start off tracking next to you) and possibly dead ahead for the guys who broke off ahead of you. I still see no reason to start looking between my legs... *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  3. damion75
    Hmmm. Perhaps this is a good coaching technique? Not sure... personally I prefer to look where I am going whe tracking - forward, left, right, down, and (towards the end) up to make sure that there is no-one else near me. People from my group going in the opposite direction are not something that I am concerned about! *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  4. damion75
    Knowing him, you wouldn't want him servicing you. Even if he asks nicely... *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  5. damion75
    doesn't this count as advertising?! *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  6. damion75
    Any experienced jumper will have made up their own minds - mine says BOTH!
  7. damion75
    I have a Vision 150 - loaded about 1.4. Got about 200 jumps on it now and loving it. I did hear that they had brought out a sort of mk2 with a slightly different trim but can't tell you about that. Can only compare it to a Springo and a Heatwave though, sweeter than both. I get really nice openings out of it most of the time.
  8. damion75
    Well as far as I am concerned, its up to qualified skydivers to make that decision for themselves - hopefully they will be smart enough to listen to the good advice and not go for the 'cool' approach. Not always the case and then someone should bring that to the attention of the DZO/CCI since it is probably syptomatic of something else which could be even more dangerous. But I think what Squirrel is trying to say (and I agree) is that the standards which an instructor should maintain, while acting as an instructor, should definitely be as high as possible, regardless of the standards that same individual applies when it is just them and they are not influencing the next generation. Set a good example is actually one of the qualities listed in the BPA instructor manual.
  9. damion75
    So much wisdom, so few words! Its like watching the Dalai Lama teach Skydiving!
  10. damion75
    Can't help you with the pud as I got a hackey, but as for the brake line stowage, I got a rigger to put a small bit of elastic on the other side of the rear risers from the toggles, and I tuck the brake excess into that. It took about 2 mins and works a treat. *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  11. damion75
    Hey Mike - I'm hoping that the Navigator allowed you to turn too! *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  12. damion75
    I think it probably refers to the Boyd Loop - the action, thought, reaction cycle that some guy came up with during WWII for predicting how battles are fought. If your Boyd Loop was shorter/quicker than your enemies, you got 'inside' his loop and you would probably beat him because you could react faster to his attacks than he could to yours (in short!) Speak for yourself! Mine do the morning after a curry and several beers... A sign of the supermarket generation! Potatoes come out of the ground - not out of the packet! Whether they can be cooked instantly... they do, of course, take time to grown, just like pixies *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  13. damion75
    Yet another quick story... Friend of mine at the UK nationals took her helmet (factory diver) off on landing and promptly lost it in a wheat field... it ended up being returned by the farmer after it had been through a combine harvester... it was not completely undamaged! *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  14. damion75
    On the first Oxygn I bought the visor flipped open and ripped off twice in four jumps - but I think the helmet mould was wrong because it never really looked like a good fit around the nose section between the visor and the helmet. What did I do? demanded a replacement! It was only two days old! And all credit to Square 2 I got one too - straight away. Never had a problem since. You see a few people with gaffer tape holding the visor down though. *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  15. damion75
    I spent ages concentrating on 4-way instead, but always wanted to be a coach, which I got last month. It doesnt pay anything but that's not why I do it anyway (I have a day job!) its all about satisfaction. Anyway I figured if I got my coach rating now, then with a bit of practice by the time I hit 1000 jumps I might be a 'good' coach! *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  16. damion75
    Dude!!! You FORGOT boogies?!! They make most of my year worth living through... *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  17. damion75
    You want no risk at all... give up being alive! Life is risk... some calculated, some not. When people ask me, I point out that more people die while not skydiving than die skydiving... so it must me safer to jump than not then walk away while they try to figure that one out! I like to try and confuse people (not people who are interested in starting, just casual whuffos at parties and stuff!) *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  18. damion75
    Everyone seems to have missed out the best skydiving movie of them all... Cutaway! Can't think why... Alec Baldwin... what an actor! *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  19. damion75
    I have jumped both... and the Oddessy and I would choose to buy another Wings! Just to throw the field right open... From everything I have read and seen, most (yes most, not all!) containers are pretty solid, pretty safe etc so a lot of it is down to aesthetics and the individual fit. Is this second hand or new? *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  20. damion75
    Sure, I am happy with that one, but as I was taught it the pad peeling is not to check cable freedom - which you can do as you describe - but specifically to make sure that the velcro has not 'frozen' - it is specifically to break the velcro. Is this not a standard thing? Are there any reasons NOT to do it? *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  21. damion75
    But surely since everyone is 'peeling their pads' first thing in the morning during the comprehensive gear check that every skydiver makes daily, to confirm the condition of the rig (3 ring, bits of string, yellow thing, bungees in place around legs and chest straps, pins in place, cypres on... etc!) the velcro will only get 'more and more' set during the course of maybe 5-10 jumps? and then be loosened a bit the next day?! Or do some skydivers not check their kit over fully each morning? *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  22. damion75
    I would add Ritz to the easy launches, although again it is not a random and not one of the easiest blocks IMHO. As for easy blocks, I would go with the Zig/mar and sidebuddies. Not sure that stardian/stardian would make the easy list - most people I have seen trying it the first few times end up a long way apart having screwed up the vertical move. Donut sidebody/sideflake is also pretty sweet and not that tough...
  23. damion75
    I was going to say something else, but I reckon that this is the best bit of advice I have seen! Two reasons, firstly that the social side of the sport is something I enjoy second only to the jumping, but secondly (and mainly) because while people here can give you ideas and thoughts, the guys at your DZ are the ones who are going to help you put them into action! Definitely make the effort and take the time to get to know as many people as possible, along the way you will find out who are the straight talkers and who just talks a good game... but also if they are your friends (and they will be!) then they will definitely help you progress in every aspect of the sport better and safer than anything you can find on the internet!
  24. damion75
    I won't say too much since GJHolder is posting on this and he is way more of a guru, but two key differences for me are the covered poptop (can't easily be kicked and get reserve deployment accidentally, as does happen occasionally with exposed poptops) and the Wings RSL, which like most is connected to the reserve pin, unlike the TSE rigs in which I think the RSL is connected to the reserve handle... I always feel my teeth when I think about THAT deploying! But there are lots of other differences - like the position of the three ring attachment and the way the leg straps are attached for a more comfortable canopy ride. Ask Sunrise - I'm sure they'll tell you! *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.
  25. damion75
    Hey Mo'Fo! It was a beautiful May morning and I did a 120 carve to final, and went from 20ft short of one side of the pit, clear across and out about 10ft the other side, low enough to hit the mattress with my foot as I went past... and no... I didn't stand it up! I was too busy being pleased with it!! *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.