dove

The only cutaway I ever had was due to a pilot chute in tow. I am SO glad I cutaway cause the bag left my back and the canopy inflated after I did. I'd rather it float off on it's own than entangle with my reserve! The probability of the reserve knocking the thing out is too high for me to want to take that chance.

2 cracked ribs, 1 bruised lung, trauma to my diaphragm, stomach and intestines, damaged nerve in my arm and tongue almost bit in half..... I have learned my lesson the hard way. Don't freefly with anyone you've never jumped with before on anything bigger than a 2-way til you learn their skill level and jumping style!!!! Please be careful out there folks! I lucked out! I was unconscious for 4,000 feet after this high-speed freefly collision. I feel incredibly blessed and lucky. Remember you have your whole life to jump! Don't rush it! dove

Skydive Delmarva in Laurel, DE on the eastern shore. AWESOME!!!!!! dove

You don't have to give it up entirely! Don't forget there are people out there (like me!) who would be happy to loan you a rig so you can get your swerve on! I don't even live that far away! Owning won't make you happy if your soul isn't flying the friendly skies! Blues, dove

They lost they check so it should be their loss, not yours. The suit is yours. They can recoup their loss by insurance if they so choose. The suit belongs to you. Sucks. I hate when this crap happens to good, innocent people. Especially skydivers. Whoever did that to you is not a real skydiver. Not a part of our family. dove

Ha Ha!!!!!

Oh no! Not a substitute at all for the real thing. But I find that the more of the real thing you get, the more you need to improvise in between. Just increases the horniness! Besides, if you are currently just sitting on your bed fantasizing about sweaty arms and legs and not experiencing it... I say go for the plastic in the bedside table!!!! dove

Just got a notice that there will be a chat session on the para-chat at http://www.para-service.com tonight from 7-8pm with a rigger to answer any packing or gear questions. But also for regular old chat. Wish I could be there! Fill me in on all the good tips! dove

Let's also not forget all those wonderful devices out there created with just your situation in mind! Hell, good for anytime you've got nothing else to do!!! Speaking of which, I gotta go! dove

No - not repressed. Just freakin' horny! Never can get enough. Any interpretation will do!

ME TOO! ME TOO! ME TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! dove

On the contrary... I think it probably happens quite a bit! All those emotions and sharing a thrilling experience can lead to - er - the need to release! Not condoning it - just a hypothesis! dove

I only made it into the chat room at the Pub once before it closed it's doors. There is a cool easy chat room for skydivers at http://www.para-service.com that can be used anytime. Just click on the green "Para-Chat" banner. But it would be more fun if it wasn't just me in there! (Believe me... I have spent WAY too much time with me lately!!!) Let's chat - puhleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?!?!?!?! dove

Michele- With the way you crank out eloquent stories you'll be published in no time! You'll just have to refrain from sharing too much with us first! dove

I am healing with lightning speed! I still can't lay down on my back - but I am up and around! My tongue is almost completely healed - just a funny (huge!) scar down the middle. The nerve in my arm is still rather damaged, but I am told it will heal - just slowly. However, that doesn't really hurt, just mostly a numb feeling in half my arm and hand. I know this is not what you meant by "something interesting" - but I find all this EXTREMELY interesting and exciting! dove

Count your blessings! The weather here is ABSOLUTELY freakin' GORGEOUS! And my sorry, injured ass is on the couch with a heating pad on my cracked ribs and a numb right arm! Meanwhile, the bum who took me out (and apparently isn't even concerned enough to even inquire about my well being) is out there jumping his dangerous ass off! I would KILL for crappy weather. (there's my evil, jealous streak again!!!!) dove with clipped (but quickly healing) wings

In general I think clouds are really fun to play around under canopy and sometimes fun to go through during freefall when they are not too thick. But on a recent jump VERY thick - er - HAZE moved in underneath us and we went into it around 5K. At breakoff (4,500 for freeflying 3-way) we broke off and tracked in what seemed like the right direction but it was hard to tell cause the haze was VERY thick! And I did not want to pull when I could see absolutely NOTHING above me. Didn't come out of it till low - just under 3,000. At that point I could see I was very close to another jumper so had to turn a little more and track. As my hard deck alarm was SCREAMING in my head I finally had clearance to pull. Not a good time! Just my experience. Be safe folks! But for an intentional hop-n-pop from altitude, clouds are what MAKE the jump! Swooping down and dragging your toes through a tall stack or going along the caverns and sweeping your fingers into the cloud - smearing it across the sky! Oh, why do I have to be grounded?!?!?!??!?!?!?!? dove

Thanks, Shawn! I needed that!!!!! dove

All my friends on DZ.com who have shown so much concern and support for me while I heal. Especially my injured comrade Merrick for the wonderful card. You have all been so inspiring and I can't believe how often I am smiling despite the pain (and aggravation of being grounded!) The previously mentioned Larsen & Brusgaard for the free replacement Pro-Track - even though it is not their fault my helmet came off! And Roy of Rigs & Things - who absolutely WILL NOT let me pay for my replacement helmet - no matter how hard I try! And goodness knows he had nothing to do with my accident at all! Remember him next time you need any piece of skydiving equipment - buy your L&B audible from him!!!!! Anyhow - I am doing SOOOOOO much better. I am really excited about getting well and getting airborne again. Thanks again to everyone for keeping my spirits up. Love, dove

I LOVE tube stoes! And they do last forever! While everyone else is hunting around for rubber bands, I am packing away! You occasionally hear someone who like bands saying they won't break when they need to and will cause bag lock. But I have tried to intentionally lock those puppies up (not in a pack job but as a test) and I can't!! They just roll off no matter what! And they are super easy on your hands too. Give em a try and see if you like them! I will never go back to rubber bands. I just replaced one tube stoe after 135 jumps!!! Sweet! dove

OK. So here's what the doctor said. 2 broken ribs, trauma to the diaphragm, intestines and stomach (hence the swollen abdomen and pain), bruised lung on the right side. The scary tingling in the fingers on my right hand is due to a damaged nerve in my arm, thank goodness! I was worried there was something wrong in my spine or neck. He said that nerve should heal itself, but the tingling might stay for 2 weeks. My tongue is healing quite nicely and I ate a little solid food today. Oh, Joy!!! I am so sad I won't be able to jump for awhile. And right before the Labor Day Boogie too! Pooh! But I won't rush back in - cause when I get back I want to be back 100%!!!!! And for anyone who can afford an AAD, PLEASE get one! And remember to turn it on each and every day you jump. To my friends near Richmond, guess I won't be able to jump with you on Sept. 14. I was SO looking forward to it too! But I hope to make some trips to FL this winter - especially now that my summer was cut short! I LOVE you all so much - reading your posts has really helped me stay positive. And I am excited to get healed and start jumping again. Please stay safe and make TONS of fun jumps for me! Not only am I in pain, but I experiencing SEVERE jumping withdrawal already! Cheers! dove P.S. Ouch!!!!!

Wow. You guys actually gave me a reason to feel grateful this happened to me. If Marc and Clubber end up getting AADs after reading this story - it will all be worth it! My AAD never makes me complacent. The only time I even think about mine is when I turn it on at the beginning of each and every day I jump. But had I not come back to awareness in time, I would have been VERY aware and grateful that I spent the extra cash to get an AAD. Just an update - I feel a little better, but my right arm is starting to feel very tingly. That is scary. VERY scary. My doctor wants to see me first thing in the morning. It also worries me that all of my internals hurt so much from getting jostled that my abdomen is still sort of swollen. I'll let you know how it all goes. In the meantime, I can't sleep so I'll pray! Thanks again, everyone. Rest assured the dove will fly again! dove

I think the video guy was just so into his video and getting back into the swing of things he wasn't totally aware of his surroundings. From what I heard - I was headdown and he was too but flipped to a sit and sort of slid/corked into me. I think he was rusty from being away from the sport in general and especially from having a camera on his head. I can't describe how awful the pain is, but I can tell you I am very lucky to be alive and writing this. Just remember me when your next 2-way turns into a 3-way with someone you've never jumped with before. Please don't let this happen to you! Be safe!!! And thanks everyone for caring so much for me. dove

I do have an AAD And if this had happened at a lower altitude - it would have saved my life. I tumbled for 4,000 feet before realizing I had to pull. Fortunately it happened at 9,000 feet. As wonderful as those things are - they can misfire - ro not fire at all. Thank you all for your concern. It sucks being hurt, but it is nice to have all your support. So thanks.

Hi all. Never thought it would happen to me (who does?!?!) but I had a pretty severe skydiving accident yesterday. Freeflier A, Freeflier B and I were doing a 3-way freefly jump. Freeflier B was video and hadn't jumped in about 3 weeks and hadn't done video in a while. At about 9,000 feet I was knocked out by "B". I never even saw him coming. I was facing "A" and we were playing across from each other while "B" shot us. I tumbled for 4,000 feet. I don't remember anything but blackness and stars and thinking I hurt more than I have ever hurt in my life. Somehow it occurred to me that I needed to pull. They say (and saw on video) that I got stable and pulled my main at 5,000. I remember having to pull was so painful cause I was hit on the right side of my chest and reaching back was excruciating. Under canopy I apparently even stowed my slider (no recollection of that but it was stowed and I know I unstowed and quartered it last pack). I did a left hand pattern without being able to breathe. Everything was blurry. And my mouth hurt!! I reached up and there was blood all over my face. And that's when I found out I had no helmet anymore and no Pro-Track either :(. So the blurriness was from my contacts blowing out of my eyes while I tumbled without a helmet. I was able to land on my feet, but skidded in and collapsed immediately. In the end, I have 2 fractured ribs, I almost bit my tongue in half and have 9 stiches in it. And all of the organs in my abdomen are very tender and sore. I can honestly say I have never been in so much pain in my entire life. But even through all of this, my mind kept going back to my sweet Pro-Track! I am so sad I lost it (and Z1 helmet too!) They couldn't find it anywhere. It is probably in some corn field on the Eastern Shore of Maryland! Here's the amazing part. Larsen & Brusgaard (makers of the Pro-Dytter and Pro-Track) expressed concern and said they'd ship a new Pro-Track off to me FREE OF CHARGE! Wow! What an awesome company. They really care about their customers! I encourage everyone thinking of getting an audible altimeter to buy from L & B. Support the company that supports us back! I am so touched by their kindness and generosity. It really goes a long way - especially at a time like this. Hope everyone had a safer weekend than I did. My weekend was WONDERFUL up until the accident. I really had some of the most fantastic jumps ever! I can't wait to get back - but I will wait as long as it takes for a full recovery (4-6 weeks - boo-hoo!) Be careful out there! dove