Blamey

Did you offer to deploy your reserve so there was no risk of the AAD initiating the deployment sequence. A repack would be less hassle than a new flight or a cancelled trip? What are the rules for removing your own AAD after deploying the reserve. I would have probably done that if it just meant a repack on the other side. I must say that is a really S^&ty situation to be in. Did you manage to make other plans or did you have to cancel the trip.

This question is a lot like asking 'what car should I buy'. It really come down to 3 things - Budget - Use (which for skydiving needs to include skill level). - Personal Preference This question gets asked a lot and there is a lot of advice in previous posts but I don't think it is worth answering until you have your A license. Until then try get as much info as you can on gear, read the Manufactures websites and ask people you know for opinions. There are 4 main pieces you'll need to complete a rig -Reserve -Main -Container -AAD What you want is to figure out the main (and reserve) you wish to jump or make a short list. Buy something you will be able to jump now, not in the future. Then find a container that will fit the main and reserve or a complete rig that comes with the main/reserves you have selected. ADD selection is mostly subjective. The main brands are similar and the difference comes down to Personal Preference. Learn to pack, understand what the gear does and how all the parts work. what the different options do and what the different kinds of canopies do. The buy a Mirage, With a pd Sabre 2 (1:1 wing loading) and PD reserve (1:1 wing loading) and a 5 year old Cypress.

The wing loading you are looking for is fairly conservative. So not many people your size will be jumping gear the size you are looking for (particularly the 230) An option is to get the harness resized on a used container. I believe this adds around $400 dollars to the cost of whatever you are buying (you would need to check actual cost with the container manufacturer). the looks nice, http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=99971;d=1 would need a main. Edit: Ignore the above link. I thought it included the reserve.

I'd like to get to my C by the end of next year but want to do the following on the way there. - Get my B - Heli Jump - Canopy Course - Complete the canopy control check list - Slow my fall speed down - Try a little free flying. - Visit more DZ's

+1 Post of the month. Thanks for that.

If her profile is correct 'Sabre2 190 ft² (0.82 lbs/ft²)" then her wing loading is pretty low and she is probably at an appropriate size canopy but I'd agree that is a big change when including the fact that the canopy type changed too.

I had a friend jumping with a well know celeb and they had 2 guys track over near them during the jump. Only noticed them on video later.

Agreed.

Get one of each.

Simply put The container is sized for the main and reserve canopy. The harness is sized for the jumper. What you want to look for is a container that will fit the main and reserve you are planning on jumping with a harness that was sized for a jumper about your size. This is assuming you are buying second hand. If you are buying new they will custom make the harness to fit you. The general consensus is - Choose your Reserve _ Choose your Main then find a container that will fit them.

The guy I purchased my Safire 2 209 from was packing it into a M5. Not sure exactly how the Sabre compare size wise to the Safire. As someone else has asked, is 205 your exit weight or naked weight? If it is your naked weight then you could be going a bit small particularly since the Mirage M5 will take a 189 Optimum as it's largest reserve. I'd do a little more research on this and speak to your instructors. Contact Mirage and see if you can get a bigger size container. If not you probably still have 6 - 8 weeks until you get your rig, you could always try loosing 20 pounds.

I might go Sunday.

Yup, I'll agree that I found the AFF jumps hard because of the mixture of fear of failing the level and fear of jumping out of a plane. It got much better once that was done and the few jumps I have made since getting my A have been the best. I'll second the gear fear part. The more you know the better you feel. Learn to pack ASAP and spend as much time on it and learning about the rig and canopy.

Z-Hills is about 4 hours away. It is a pretty rad place. They have camping and trailers to rent so you can drive up there and stay for the whole weekend (or longer) and have it be a fairly cheap trip. The wind tunnel in Orlando isn't too far from Z-Hills so a ride out there can be a good way to get some practice in between jump days or if the weather isn't good. It is the only DZ I have been to in FL, so I can't compare it to others.

lol, I hope that phrase catches on around here.

As the above states, you'll need at least 200 jumps before you can jump a wingsuit. To get get there it will cost you at least $8 000 (and probably a lot more) A license - first 25 or so jumps ($2000 - $ 4000). Gear ($2000 - $ 8500). Additional 175 Jumps after A license ($4000 - $$$). Like everybody is saying stop worrying about which wingsuit is best. If you want to get there worry about getting qualified to jump a wingsuit. By the time you are there you'll have a better idea of what the answer is. Get $200 bucks and go do a tandem. If you like it keep going.

Which would be high for a student, no? I am a similar size and was put on a 230 Navigator for my first jump and have used mostly the same size since. If you look at Brian Gemain's chart, although it is on the low end, it is within the recommended canopy size for a larger student jumper.

I have looked at the site, it is what brought about my question. A Javelin J4.5k will take a 193 reserve. A Javelin J4k will take a 176 reserve. Although my container is a j4.5k and can take a 193 reserve the free bag is labeled j4, which indicates it is for a 176 reserve, which is the reserve size that was in the container. My question is will the J4 free bag fit a 193 reserve (or PD opt 218). Nothing on the container sizing chart indicates what the free bag sizing would be or which free bags go with which containers. I am ordering a PD Opti 218 and want to make sure I don't need a new free bag. I am sure I don't but would rather not have to wait for one after receiving the reserve and finding out it doesn't fit. Guess I can give Sun Path a call tomorrow if nobody knows.

I recently bought a Javelin container. The size of the container is J4.5, which should take a 193 main. The previous owner however had a Smart 175 reserve in there. I noticed the free bag is labeled as a J4. Is this the normal size free bag for this container or was it because the owner had a smaller reserve in there? Will the J4 free bag fit a PD optimum 218?

Although you don't give your experience level I am assuming you have low jump numbers. Based on this assumption and your weight you should really be looking for a bigger reserve than a 176. even a 190 is pushing it a bit. Speak to your instructors. I saw this in the classified. It's a pretty good deal, as a 210/190 combo. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=93412;d=1 Just to note. I am not recommending that rig for you. Your instructors would be better at recommending what is appropriate. I am just pointing out a good second hand rig with the specs that you mentioned. At your stage any rig you buy will probably need replacing within 2 years, probably sooner. If you buy new then this will loose a lot of value, especially if your next rig is also new. Buying second hand usually means the is little cost to downsizing as the rig will hold value better.

Do you have any idea how difficult that is. I mean it's not like you fill in a form and them pay a fee and suddenly you are legal.

I agree with this i am not blaming anybody we all know each other well and it is not a big deal. I was originally asking if it was done for a reason as I'd rather have the blue risers that match my blue container then the grey ones that I currently have. The situation is easily fixed. I have spoken to my friend and next time we are both at the DZ we well get them swapped. It's everybody's fault. Me for not being there or dealing with the rigger directly. My friends for not ask/checking and being clear about what was done and the rigger for not double checking why the things were being swapped and and what parts should go where.

Yup

So the story is that I bought the container and main (a 190) from one friend and then organized to swap ( permanently) the main for a larger canopy (210) with another friend who wanted to downsize. They organized to get the mains swapped so i wasn't really involved in that. I know they got the rigger to do the swap, not sure why they didn't do it themselves. I don't know what they told the rigger. I wasn't charged a thing, not sure if they were. The rigger is pretty cool and probably wasn't told the swap was permanent or was asked to do it quickly. I am sure he would have no problem swapping out the risers and I wouldn't mind doing it myself either. I'll chat to my friend who has my risers and sort it out with him, I just wanted to check that there wasn't a good reason that this wasn't done. All in all I am not bothered about why this happened but would rather have the risers that go with my rig. As far a equipment knowledge goes I agree that I should know how to do the swap but probably wouldn't have done it. My excuse is that being on rental gear it can be pretty tough getting the time to play with a rig and get comfortable doing these types of things particularly when it might not be you jumping the thing next. Now that I have owned my container for 3 days I have stripped and put it back together about 10 times. Inspected every nook and cranny. I don't have a reserve in there (anybody got a spare 190?), So I have managed to have a good look and play around and would be quite happy to have a go at changing the risers (under supervision of somebody a little more experienced). P.S. virgin-burner: Detach is a word.

I brought a Javelin container with a smaller main and then swapped mains with a friend. We got a rigger to do the swap. I noticed that the rigger swapped the risers with the mains. So I now have a set of gray Mirage risers on my Rig and I assume my friend has a set of blue Javelin risers. Is there a reason why the rigger would have swaped the risers? I'd rather have the risers that go with my rig. This is my first rig so I don't know too much about this stuff.