emmiwy

+1 In re: to you having an expectation that you'll quit if you don't fly a certain way after said 7 hours of time, I think it may help to see tunnel flying as a process. I agree with all posters who say that it's an invaluable learning tool, but I have run into many many instances where I let goal of sitflying or flying head down discourage/frustrate me. I have discovered that what you may physically be doing with your body is not a reflection of what you are mentally building in terms of skill/concept that you are learning. It is much more than you think. You may be not flying at a level where you want to be, but everything you do in the tunnel is helping you learn. I think if it were to come so easy then it wouldn't be such a valuable experience. :) Expecting to be able to fly head down in X number of hours for example is, a good goal in theory, but I think not as important as just learning the fundamentals you need to be a stronger flier. So don't ever give up please! All this said I'm sure the 7 hours will be monumental to your learning and by the end you'll have found you learned a lot and fly a lot more confidently than when you started. Have fun! :)

Hi Grant, I can't speak from personal experience of wearing one but can tell you what it looks like seeing someone wear one. The jaw is a bit higher, however, I have reason to believe you can see an unobstructed mouth [which is why this helmet was recommended in this thread in the first place, it is supposed to be similar in design to the G2]. My tunnel coach has this helmet for this exact reason, it helps his students understand what he is saying by looking at his mouth. At least it has helped me :) But I'll ask him when I see him tomorrow to get a more direct answer. Hope this helps! Emily

I realize that you are considering only these two helmets, but I thought I'd throw in another one in case you need more options. Square 1's Phantom full face helmet, which is made to compete with the G2 in terms of function and design. A lot more affordable and very well constructed. I actually spoke to a guy who assembles the helmet yesterday and showed me the different features of the helmet. Really sturdy visor, does not fog, good ventilation, visor is easy to swap out and snap locking mechanism [i.e. no more velcro!] If you want some justification for how good it is, it is the official helmet for the 500-way world record to be held in Dubai. http://www.square1.com/manufacturers/square1/p520.asp#PhantomX

I know exactly what you mean about the tunnel. I should clarify that I meant that I have about 45 minutes strictly working on sit. I have around 4 1/2 hours in the tunnel now, 2 of that being back and sit Yep, that's how I interpreted it. My thoughts still stand. :) I think that it's good that you're going on your own. Sitfly is the most difficult orientation to learn. I'm not sure what your circumstance is (if you're getting coaching or not) but I would suggest learning with slower air first. If you can learn the sit in slow air and build mechanics that way you will be able to fly it in anything. With faster air if you don't have proper mechanics you'll just bounce off the walls, which is counter-productive, you may get frustrated, and not to mention it's not so safe/more difficult for the instructor/coach to spot you. Yes faster air will give you lift off the net, but your movements will have to be much more precise and controlled. So its better to learn how to fly stable first. It's frustrating, believe me, but you'll get it. From what my coach has told me, head down you start around the 5 hour mark.

Here is some perspective. To learn how to freefly, I have flown over 3 hours in the tunnel. It took me close to 2.5 to learn to sitfly [which included a lot of backfly], to just hold it barely off the net. Several coaches have told me their ideal way of teaching sitfly is to coach 3 hours of tunnel before the student even tries to make a jump in the sky. That's how hard it is. You may think everyone can do it in the sky easily, but translating it into the tunnel is a different ballgame. And the more time you spend in the tunnel, the more you will realize that you are building confidence and strength in your mechanics. Overcoming the boundaries of the tunnel and comfort with flying up and off the ground/net are something you don't have to deal with the sky; the rig on your back does helps with balance too in the sky and that's something you have to learn to fly without in the tunnel. So I wouldn't be hard on yourself if you can't get the sitfly after 45 minutes. About 90% of my jumps are RW, so I had a lot of difficulty transitioning from my belly flying to freefly positioning; if I can do it I'm sure you can too. I think we all just hope that it doesn't take us hundreds of dollars and hours to just learn how to sit, I completely understand that feeling. But to learn properly means to build good habits, good body mechanics and to practice the basics. Developing a strong backfly will help IMMENSELY towards learning the sitfly; as useless as you may think it is in the sky, it is essentially the sitfly position but oriented in a different axis. Other than that, keep at it and you'll get it :)

Pardon the minor divergence from topic, but related: I'm still a little wary of newly licensed skydivers who are wearing GoPros with sub-100 jumps. I don't really get it.

Hey Jeff, Welcome to California. :) I'm sure you're going to love Elsinore, I'd be happy to jump with you! I haven't jumped at Mile-Hi but Elsinore definitely is a friendly place that is hard not to love. I go pretty much every weekend, so I'm sure I'll meet you there! By the way, do you happen to know Chris Slaughter? He told me the other day I'd meet someone from Mile-Hi/CO who was moving out here for work...

Prettttyyy. :) Oo you got the stowless d-bag, tell me how it is when you jump it!

Post a picture Oj!!!

I jumped my first rig yesterday. High altitude hop and pop. :) Most comfortable thing I've ever worn, fits me like a glove. I love my V3. I love this sport, everyone I've met doing this and everything it's helped me become.

+ 1 I was flying too far forward, now that I understand how to control fall rate control on a track I'm going to try the next track dive without a belly suit. It helps me fall fast but it's propelling me too far forward... Anyway, another piece of advice that I don't think I've seen on this thread yet, is get some shoe goo! It's magical and will do wonders to really hold your booties together. I own a BevSuit so the booties are different than TonySuits, but mine have nearly torn off completely. But using shoe goo to hold the seams together makes it very solid. To preserve the lifespan of the booties I would recommend removing them under canopy after you deploy, check for traffic, stow slider, unstow brakes etc. Otherwise landing on them can easily tear them, in addition to walking around in them.

Hello, I am only a sport jumper so please take my words with a grain of salt, but I would like to offer my humblest opinion on your situation. I have some friends who work at my home DZ and are graduates from the NZ Skydiving school with exceptional skills as skydivers and instructors. Since they graduated and completed work placement, they were offered work. BUT this came with a lot of hard work and dedication to earning their instructional ratings. All of them I believe are very positive reflection of what the skydiving diploma offers. We have another "intern" at our dz, only a few weeks shy post-graduated from the NZ school. He has told me that the school has been exceptional in teaching a lot about the gear, canopy piloting, etc. all necessary to becoming a good, safe skydiver. He has said that they only teach RW/belly flying to encourage solid belly flying skills before doing anything else; none of these guys knew how to freefly before they came to the dz! And all instructors say that solid belly skills are obligatory for their work. I think if you really are committed to making skydiving an occupation then the diploma is a good way to put you on the path to becoming an instructor. But if its the lifestyle that you are interested in, know that it is not an easy one. Saving up a lot, living off of virtually nothing, eating, sleeping, skydiving is all you'll do for a while. The diploma is preparing you for a life of just skydiving. For what you invest in it, both financially and time-wise, I think having a good reason/commitment to the school is important. As with the sport in general, you can burn out quickly if you're jumping a lot -- it can be tougher to stay in it than quit at times. Best of luck and blue skies!

I did the Undie Hundie [which is tradition at some DZs.] Not naked but in your underwear. Believe me, if you're jumping where I jump, I didn't mind wearing as little clothes as possible when its +90F on the ground. And it helps people fly fast if you do a speed star :) I wanted to do a hybrid too, but our group was too big; this may also be consideration for what you decide to do ultimately. If you have 15+ people like I did, of varying skill levels it may be worth it to have an experienced jumper organize it for you, for safety's sake. Track dives are always fun, or since you have a caravan, try a raft dive! Congratulations on 100, have fun and be safe! :)

Funny you post this at this time--the last few weeks I've felt like you, that it has become work, that I lost the spark. Last weekend was the first I've not jumped in over 3 months, and it felt good to take the break. Skydiving almost became a routine, which for me involves driving to the dropzone 1.5 hours one way, packing what I need when I sleep over there, getting up early in the mornings or not sleeping well in the bunkhouse, not eating enough or staying well hydrated when I'm at the dropzone. All are factors that had begun to wear me down. It was nice to just stay home, sleep in, take time to cook a real meal, and do "normal" life things. With that said, that one weekend not skydiving was enough for me to realize how much I missed it and it is a part of me now. I feel like a more satisfying life is one that is well-balanced with different pursuits and interests to enrich your life, to re-invent yourself. Credit goes to Mel Curtis for this wisdom: I like to challenge myself by setting and achieving short and long-term goals. This sport is simplistically complex, with so many dimensions I dare say impossible to master all. So I don't think you can ever get bored if you enjoy challenge, learning a new aspect or discipline in the sport, or to just do it for the same reason why you made your very first jump, because it's fun. Of course, I'm a fun jumper so have no idea what it feels like to be skydiving full time and as an instructor. I've been very focused on belly jumping, which also contributed to skydiving becoming routine--the rigidity, discipline, and focus that generally characterizes RW can be a little stifling at times. To battle this, I am learning how to free fly. Do a jump just for the sake of falling out of the sky. Don't think just jump. Feel the air, look at the things that make your dropzone beautiful while in freefall and under canopy. Do a sunset track dive, do a high altitude hop and pop. Do a zoo dive. Hopefully this will reinvigorate your passion for the sport that got you hooked in the beginning.

I do too, you're not alone. I am still envious of people who can sit close to the door [on the floor when the plane is full] and have their feet hanging out when they have the door open above 1000' on a hot day. I think having a little bit of fear before a jump is healthy right? :)

I'm kind of going through that now too. Every time I tell myself I should not be jumping so much and tend to other aspects of my life that I enjoyed before I started skydiving, I end up going back to the DZ. I just can't stay away. I would say financial reasons would be the only reason why I would stop, as you say. But as with anything I feel like anything you truly love to do you'll find a way to do it...

:)

getting lost, suffocating, drowning Everyone out there is out to kill you, even the clouds. :)

Huh? How are clouds going to collapse your canopy? Well I heard a story of it happening, not from personal experience. Maybe he exaggerated but he said it was result of encountering some turbulence.

Thanks all, I have talked to the manager of the school at the DZ about him. He'll be on the look out. Just something to keep in mind for newer jumpers and are reading this thread: jumping clouds may be "fun" but if you can't spot for the life of you, its your choice whether you want to jump. Just because the green light says go, doesn't mean you have to go. Risks involved with jumping clouds include but are not limited to: canopy collision, canopy collapse, turbulence under canopy, fogging up your helmet visor and reducing visibility. Just FYI.

It was a really small camera, he ended up mounting it on his wrist, on the velcro fastener for his altimeter. I haven't brought it up the last time I was there when he was jumping at the DZ, not wanting to make a really big deal out of it. And he hasn't brought it up since he first jumped it so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt and assuming he stopped jumping with it. He definitely kept it under the radar, by using a small camera so it wouldn't be noticed. And my guess if he hasn't jumped with it since he knew it wasn't the right thing to do. This is one of my biggest concerns. Fortunately he doesn't jump that often, but not much of a reason not to still be careful. It just takes one jump to screw up to regret it. But I'll ask him about it, keep an eye on him, and definitely tell an instructor about it. As one of the previous replies said, he may be just ignorant of the rules because of his inexperience, not necessarily because he chooses to be... Thanks for the replies everyone. :)

Not yet, but that's probably a good idea. I should gather more information from the instructors who have jumped with him. He doesn't jump that frequently, and there are times he's at the DZ when I'm not so I can't make a comprehensive judgment call, apart from as you said, his [cavalier] attitude.

Well he jumped with a camera [a mini-cam you can mount on an RC plane]. It's obviously not the HQ-type camera that videographers use which require head mounts and what not, so probably isn't that difficult to use. Nevertheless it takes some focus away from what he's supposed to be doing. Just the fact that he's jumped with a camera with under 25 jumps is a little scary. When I got licensed, he wanted to jump with me while he was/is still doing his solo jumps. I applaud him for knowing how to have a good time and how to enjoy this sport, but he doesn't fully demonstrate understanding of what risks are also involved.

I wanted to address the topic of dealing with jumpers who are not so reserved or pre-occupied with safety regulations. To the average skydiver, I'm probably very conservative in terms of progression and attempting, learning new skills in the air. A friend of mine, on the other hand, who is 3 jumps shy of getting his A license is quite the opposite. I don't want to rat him out but let's just say there are certain practices of his that I would not approve of if I were a coach or instructor. At best I have told him to exercise caution, without sounding like a coach telling him what to do. But he seems not to recognize the seriousness of consequences if something were to happen not only to him, but to others responsible/liable for his safety as a student jumper. Over the weekend he was excited to jump through clouds, oblivious to the fact that the FAA had come to the DZ to do a routine check; we were shut down b/c they would not send planes up into the clouds. As far as I know I haven't heard anything as far as him being an unsafe skydiver from instructors, but he's just one of those skydivers I would not want to jump with and fear what he would do once he is licensed. How would you deal with a skydiver like this? or am I being overly cautious?

+1 +1 Since I started skydiving every weekend, I don't see my non-skydiving friends anymore; I see friends at the DZ more often than I do anyone else. So if I don't skydive, I have no one to hang with because they gave up on me having a free weekend to do things with them. :) I like it for the challenge. I don't do it for the thrill anymore, but to know that you can learn something new on every single jump, try to do it right the next time and immediately reap the rewards of your efforts. It is a very validating feeling.