what's a good 1st BASE canopy??

[laurengr 0]

I have my container. Now I need a canopy. I weigh about 135 lbs, I'm about 5'6". (brown hair, blue eyes... hehe...) I want to start BASE jumping ASAP!! What size should I get? What make should I be looking at? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!!

[base698 1]

From the looks of your profile it seems like in addition to a new BASE canopy you need about 200 more skydives...

[Treejumps 0]

Hi Lauren,

Tree here. You really have no business even thinking about BASE jumping at this point in your jumping career. Make a bare minimum of another 100 jumps, land in the peas every single one of those jumps, in all wind conditions including croswind and down wind, and maybe you will be ready. You have barely made any skydives, are not current, and haven't really "taken" to skydiving very easily. You must walk before you can run, grasshopper.

Tree
BASE610

[TomAiello 25]

All of my suggestions for first gear are linked at the upper right corner of this page (just click on the "My First BASE Rig" link).

You can also find my advice for getting into BASE up there ("Getting into BASE" link).

I'd definitely recommend getting a few hundred more skydives, first.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[Faber 0]

psst,you really should post this in a skydive tread,cours you should really buy skydive gear instead of BASE gear

by the way if you got your hands on a container you should know which canopy that should fit it.. really(unless its hot,which will make you unpopular).
I think your post shows that you dont really know anything about what to use in a BASE invioment,and there fore you will get flamed here and elsewere.

get your skydive experience when your ready to think BASE most of your Q´s will not be there anymore

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[laurengr 0]

I realize I have a while before I make my first BASE jump. I've been asking a lot of questions, watching as many jumps as I can, etc. Once I have a canopy, I do plan on skydiving w/ it first. I know I need to learn how to fly it.


thanks for the feedback.

[motherhucker 0]

You need gear huh? Sure! I'll sell you whatever you want. I won't ask you any pesky questions that look out for your own best interest like "How many jumps you got?" or "Do you have a mentor?" All those assholes on the net are hypersensitive and paranoid. Besides...you and I both know that it doesn't take ANY skill or knowledge to throw your body off of a fixed object, RIGHT? All of this bullshit about learning how to skydive and/or fly a canopy BEFORE you learn to BASE jump is just hype! You'll be flying a parachute EVERY TIME YOU MAKE A BASE JUMP!!! isn't that enough experience? OK, sure, I guess you could be totally fucked if anything out of the ordinary happens on your BASE jumps if you don't have proper training and such, but what are the odds of that happening?
So when you need your gear, give me a call. I'll hook you up.
Don't go in without me,
mh

[leggit 0]

What's wrong with busting out your skydiving reserve and flopping one off???? As long you get line stretch before you pound in you'll live.Jeezzz...where's the courage?

[base515 0]

Don't listen to these overblown a-holes. Come to the Carolinas and we'll teach you the Dark Arts.

The Dark Lords of the Towers

Ps oh yea, we'll teach you Basejumping too after you have proven yourself worthy!

May we live long and die out

[mischo 0]

I think that you are getting the point that all of the other posts are getting at. With that being said, I am sure that practicing flying a BIG canopy(you don't necessarilaly have to have a BASE canopy) would be good for you. If the canopy is a 7-cell that will be even more realistic training for you. If BASE is your goal you should pursue it. I think that are some jumpers who post here, have used skydiving to a means to the end, to eventually BASE jump. Then just skydiving eventually goes to the wayside. Find someone(a BASE jumper at your DZ) to help you. That person will be much better to judge who you are and when you are ready, rather than someone anonymously slamming you with a negative post. I am not saying that you should ignore the advice given here, you should get as much experience as you can, before making the premature and possibly potentially lethal commitment to BASE.
good luck
Mish

[BASE813 0]

Quote

I want to start BASE jumping ASAP!! What size should I get? What make should I be looking at

I dont think you reallly have thought what you are getting into then...........

At 150 skydives I wanted "to get into it ASAP" and it did not scare me.
At 250 skydives I wanted to get into it "at some point" - and the thought was starting to scare me.
At 350 skydives I did not really fancy doing it all as it scared the shit outta me.
At 500 skydives I deceided that I would take a FJC and determine whether it was for me - and i was scared shitless


why do you need this "ASAP"???? whats the hurry??? Take your time learn to skydive (which can be fun in itself!) - you may even forget BASE for a while - one day you will wake and "know" You are ready.

[cesslon 0]

jumping 8 metre's into 1.5 metre's of water is an art
but good to see you can realise im joking around

i was just wanting some1 to check out me profile as i got sick of waiting for some1 to bring it up

[TomAiello 25]

General Purpose Warning to all everyone posting in this thread:

I think that Laurengr has probably got the general point of needing more experience. Why don't we let that go for now.

If you want to post on the topic of first gear, have at it. If you just want to post another "get more experience" post, please don't.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[TomAiello 25]

I've moved the majority of the "high diving is/isn't BASE" posts into talk back. Please go there if you want to continue that discussion.

Thanks!

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[3ringheathen 0]

OK, in keeping with Tom's wishes, I won't beat the dead horse.

What is a good first base canopy?
I'd avoid using a modified skydiving canopy and get a BASE specific canopy.
I haven't noticed any kind of trend towards any one manufacturers products being better than anothers.

The single most important factor is your wingloading.
In BASE, unlike skydiving, bigger tends to be better.
Figure out your exit weight including *everything* you might be jumping with ie: your rig, body armor, helmet, pads, any hiking gear, clothing, etcetera.
You'll want a wingloading of roughly .7 to 1.

Believe me, trying to sink an overloaded base canopy into a ghetto landing area at 5000' MSL sucks. I literally bounced off of the ground figuring that one out.
-Josh

If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me*
*Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

[czechbase 0]

Don't forget about proper PC sizes!! Make sure everything's rigged up properly as well, otherwise...

www.motavi.com

[BETO74 0]

Totally describe my feeling, I been thinking about getting my gear and try for the first time I have 350 skydives and I don't feel ready, I have done a couple helicopter jumps to get the exit feeling, on the other hand is also hard to find a mentor, one of these days!!! try not to rush my base jump birth

http://web.mac.com/ac057a/iWeb/AC057A/H0M3.html

[laurengr 0]

Thank you for your offer. I do need to buy a canopy. Two, actually. one for me, and one for my fiance, Selwyn. Some of you may know him. he is going to be my "mentor" in teaching me how to BASE jump. him as well as SickWill and Johnny 9 Lives. Both of these boys are very good friends of mine. As selwyn recently lost his canopy, I intend to buy him a new one as an engagement present. my info is in my profile. either PM me or email me with info regarding any canopies you are looking to sell. I'm thinking an Ace or Blackjack 260. Or FOX 245 or 265? My BASE container matches those of the X Presidents. from Bombproof...

Thanks again, everyone, for all of the advice!!

[TomAiello 25]

Quote

...my fiance...is going to be my "mentor" in teaching me how to BASE jump.

I strongly urge you to read Boyfriends and BASE.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[blair700 0]

Make sure whatever you get him, you 'gift-wrap' it.......
Later
Blair

[BASE813 0]

Quote

my info is in my profile

and says it all...............

Dont rush........... chill and take your time........... just coz you may have 3 people experienced and taking care of you - doesnt mean that you can cut corners........... they cant be with you and hold your hand as you get a 180 with twists facing the object............

[base570 1]

Aren't those guys a little on the CRAZY side to be instructing people how to BASE jump? And from what I remember about them is that most of them just started BASE jumping and skydiving just recently and they were making a lot of common mistakes and letting their "enthusiasm" get the best of them. Are you sure you want to trust your life to 'newbies' in the sport? Especially when you only have 60 or so skydives?? Are you sure they have your BEST INTEREST in mind? I'm thinking that you being 'in love' might be clouding your vision.
Don't get me wrong, I think those guys are a lot of fun and I had a great time meeting them hanging out, I just don't think they are ready to be teaching BASE yet. Just my opinion... take it for what it's worth.
Jason
BASE 570
PS how did Selwyn "lose" his canopy? I thought I lost my canopy once but then I remembered that the MAN had taken it

[BASE813 0]

I have seen people take on students whilst they have only 50+ jumps (they being the mentor) - I believe that the 50 - 100 jump area is dangerous, and certainly more dangerous if those people have had not had any range of "incident" during those jumps.

If you are being taken out by your mentor and he has only 50+ jumps please question it! - (i have heard of an example here in the UK where the mentor and student did their first B together - to me that seems VERY wrong?!?!?!? - am i incorrect in this??? or just too anal about what should be???)


please all be safe!!!

[BASE813 0]

just one other thought - i would be interested in what the people you have named as your "mentors" have to say on you posting........... is there some "skydiver excitement" in the fact you are exposed to BASE - please ask them to post and answer why they are "apparently" going to mentor you, a 60 jump skydiver, in the near future to to BASE. So near in fact that you actually have a base container - but you need to ask on a public forum what canopy to get without having indepth and deatailed conversations with the "3 experienced BASE'rs" you have publically claimed are your mentors!!!

just my thoughts here in the UK!!!

[Cajones 0]

Please, consider a First BASE Course. There are some very good ones readily available. What you are considering looks, to me, much like having a "friend" with a few skydives teach you how to skydive.

Here is the description from the Consolidated Rigging website of their FBC...

Quote

This curriculum is a comprehensive treatise on every aspect of the sport from equipment and techniques to ethics and philosophy. It is the product of 24 total years of jumping, teaching and learning. A written manual, reference and resource materials, and use of equipment are all provided. Instruction is one on one and takes between 2 and 3 days to complete. The student will leave with a thorough understanding of his/her equipment and the ability to pack/configure it confidently. An understanding of how to approach the sport and the tools required to participate safely and responsibly are presented along with physical practice. Classes are limited to two students.
Consider it analogous to a USPA D-license. Everything from history to ethics is covered. It is formatted to maximize learning and uses jumps and/or physical practice to add context to all lectures and printed matter. At the conclusion of the equipment phase, the student will be able to confidently, configure and pack for a variety of jumps. There is detailed discussion on site analysis, site access, different types of exits, running, floater, aerobatics etc. The most important thing that is conveyed is an approach to BASE jumping that fosters responsible decision making and constant learning.
It is our goal to provide our graduates with the information, resources and ethic to gain experience after the course as safely as possible. We attempt to deliver more than facts but also the actual tools that define a good BASE jumper. The course is custom tailored to the specific needs and desires of the student. Generally, several jumps are made during the three-day course. Video and written reference materials are included.

It's just a cut-and-paste from one of their pages. You can check it out at http://www.crmojo.com/frame_main.htm and click on "Services" in the left-hand window.

Knowing what you know about skydiving... would you have wanted to start out being instructed by someone with very few jumps, a limited scope of exposure, and any kind of emotional distractions? BASE is an even less forgiving environment than skydiving.

The laws of physics are strictly enforced.