freeatlast

I'm very jealous - that's a nice set of wheels Just be careful in the snow this week ...

My Bad! I was too busy having a beer and smiling

Sorry to hear about this It would be worth posting the SN's here and on the BASE boards - that way we will all keep an eye out for your gear ... PS don't forget the tar and feathers if you find those responsible !!!

Fantastic to see that 'Good' taste prevailed and that RATM made it to number one in the UK Xmas chart with "Killing in the name of" !!! Merry Xmas everyone

IHI - used to be one of the few companies that covered BASE as well ... I have insured with them several times and they have always been efficient and happy to answer any specific questions that i've had. It's worth noting that i haven't had to make a claim but it is my understanding from people that have, that IHI handled their claim efficiently. Also worth noting that unless the cover has changed they cover you for medical bills and repatriation but that's about it - For instance even with their travel insurance added they only cover you for a total of $2000 worth of clothing / gear etc - which is very low considering the value of rigs etc and means that you would be advised to either increase the total value of goods insured (if possible) or have a separate travel policy which is more comprehensive and use the IHI policy to cover your medical bills which your standard policy will probably not cover if they occur whilst doing extreme sports... Best story i have heard was about the guy who had to go to hospital after breaking his leg on a jumping holiday. When the insurance company asked how it happened (extreme sports were excluded from cover on his policy) - he simply explained that he fell off the steps of a Caravan. The insurance didn't ask any more except for the address of where it occurred and he didn't volunteer any other info - so they paid in full!!!

Happy Birthday Fucker Does it mean that we can all wait until you're drunk / hung over and then phone you at about 4am tomorrow???

Your wingloading is higher than mine ... I do not fly a canopy that is as responsive as a stiletto - even though i have almost 6 times the number of jumps that you have. I have approx 500 jumps including BASE jumps and i would seriously suggest that you listen to the others and consider UPSIZING for at least 100+ jumps - keep your triathlon in the cupboard and get something nice in the 190 - 210 range that is fun but will not punish you when you make a mistake ... I realise that this may present problems if your container is already a tight fit for your current canopy but it's worth listening to everyone that has already posted here. Jumping within your limits can and will be challenging enough - consider your first off DZ landing with powerlines / roads / cars / low light etc etc - it will be difficult enough on a canopy that you can handle and that gives you more time to assess the situation and make your decision - on a highly loaded, responsive canopy that is BEYOND your current capability it is a recipe for disaster ... Seriously find an instructor who knows you and who is considered 'responsible' speak with them and LISTEN to their answers ... A stiletto would be madness - and is certainly not recommended below 500 jumps - especially at a 1.5+ wingloading ...

Excellent - once you've got your A the doors will open to a whole new world of sub-disciplines - RW, FreeFly, Wing Suit, CRW and FUN

Welcome to the skies - i'm glad that you've found your wings

I'm worried about you VB - no GF and all this talk of ASS SUCKING?

Joey I would contact customer services at Sunpath to see what they say ...

As has already been explained - it would be best to speak to your instructors about your kit requirements. But bearing in mind that your exit weight would appear to be in the region of 280+lbs you are going to need a reserve that is TSO'd to 300lbs. As far as i am aware this includes a Smart 250 which is rated to 300lbs (for Advanced users though - so it would not be suitable if you are new to jumping) and a PD Reserve 281 which is rated for student / novice as well as Advanced. But it would really be good to reduce your overall weight if possible as this has been shown to reduce your chance of injury as your BMI reduces - there was a similar thread to this on a UK board and i'm pretty sure that they have a discretionary ruling based around BMI - perhaps someone who is more familiar with the BPA rules could elaborate?

I have also been involved in a similar scenario and in actual fact have been contacted after the original deal was agreed and then encouraged to offer more - my policy is not to negotiate once a deal has been agreed. In fairness i understand that the seller wishes to obtain the best price and that they may be negotiating with several parties at once but also assume that they would be very unhappy if i did the same - i can see the sort of post that would be on the forums if i came back to someone and said 'you know that you agreed to pay X for a cypres2 - well the price has now gone up $50 as i've had a better bid'!!! I now assume that until the payment is made that the deal is not done!!

Gory Did you raise this with your rigger? What did they say?

Hi There - sorry to hear about your issues ... I was over in Deland last week and two of the skysystems guys were away on a trip - have you tried speaking to Ben in the office directly? Obviously with Thanksgiving and the Kaleidescope big way things were pretty busy in Deland so they might be a bit behind with their emails - especially if they are two men down. Give them a call and i'm sure that they will help you out ...

Hi Guys I absolutely agree with all that you have said - but if you take all of my posts in context rather than just the last one, you will see that the first thing that i advised the OP to do was contact the manufacturer directly to confirm sizing for THEIR SPECIFIC GEAR... As we all know there are so many factors that affect the measurements quoted by various companies as well as so many variables that affect packing volumes - and i totally agree that some quoted sizes really do not appear to correlate with reality at all. But in fairness if the measurements quoted by Paratec are in any way relevant to the real world and they seem to indicate that they could fit a 220 in there as a tight fit - then a 170 / 190 SHOULD fit the gear, but the caveat - as always is contact the manufacturer first! By the way - i'm currently jet-lagged and freezing - so i hope that this makes sense!

According to Paragear - PD 143 Reserve has a pack volume of 343 cubic inches. Paratec lists the volume of their 220 as 344 cubic inches. Alternatively a 190 should fit in there with plenty of room! Even allowing for the 'different sizing methods' that was mentioned previously you should find the 190 or the 220 plenty big enough when compared to your current 143 reserve!! If you're interested in one pm me

Well according to Paratec's website (www.paratec.de) you could fit a 220 into a container that will take up to 350 cu in. Even allowing for the different methods of measuring a canopy this a significant increase!! Obviously many factors affect packing volumes and you might want to check with them first. - And yes Paratec have been using this type of canopy for 8 years - EVEN IN THE LARGE SIZES !!! They are very popular in Europe ...

The modern skydiving is more and more about the fashion.If somebody is waiting 1 year for a bigger Optimum,he will wait another year or two.Even though they are other good reserves on the market available NOW. They are just not build by PD P - Who?

I would definately go for the biggest reserve that you can (sensibly) get in there. The larger Optimum is not available at the moment but there are still a couple of other low volume reserves out there on the market. Speak to Paratec (www.paratec.de) or Basik (www.basik.fr) and they will be able to give you the details of your local dealer. Regards James

There are a lot of great products out there which do not have a review and it seems difficult to get them reviewed. I have written asking several times about how i get a product reviewed and have yet to find out how it's done! Maybe there should be a sticky or FAQ section that explains the process?

Hi Mike that's really cool - you're right it has been far too - I will definately get my ass in gear and head over to see you guys

I'm in Deland at the moment on a short trip and was thinking of running over to the Hills to try and get a jump in. As i've had a 2 year lay off from jumping in general i've not got a wingsuit with me! What are the odds of there being a loaner suit in the birdhouse to fit a 6'0 210lb guy? BTW - i have done 5 normal jumps this week - so i'm happy i can do the canopy bit still - but i would like to get my nylon fix again if possible

As has already been said - i would suggest a Speed Reserve from Paratec or an X-Fast Reserve from Basik or the PD reserve. Any of these three should be better than the Tempo and all of them have small pack volumes. The X-Fast is cheaper than the Speed Reserve usually. If you want to check what size X-Fast will fit your container you can always check with Basik in France!

Ok - i'll bite I'll take it for $1 million and Angelina has to deliver the canopy personally You can send the $1 million to my bank account ...