Adazec 0 #1 February 12, 2004 I just started in the sport and am already thinking about my own gear... Anyone want to tell me how many jumps they had under their belt before they took the plunge on 3k worth of gear? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #2 February 12, 2004 Hahaha, I'm not the norm, but I had my D license before I bought gear, just over 200 jumps. A lot of folks get gear around 30-50 jumps, buying used, many times right from the classifieds right here on DZ.com! Have fun and welcome!--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian425 0 #3 February 12, 2004 I'm in the process of buying my gear right now. I only have 14 jumps. I'm just graduated AFF and completing my A requirements. For me it was just a personal choice. I did not want to waste money renting and I was able to swing the $$ to buy used gear. I was also very fortunate that I jump at a large DZ (The Ranch In the end it will be much cheaper. Renting gear is just making money for other people. If you are commited to the sport I would say buy as soon as possible. I bought everything piece by piece so it was not a big hit. Used seems to be the way for us newbies. You might want to change your whole set up after a year and I feel that you will lose less money when you go to re sell the gear. Good luck. Make sure to discuss all your purchases with your coach and a rigger. At this level we do not have the background to properly pick and inspect gear. The only time you should look down on someone is when you are offering them your hand. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
damion75 0 #4 February 12, 2004 All good advice! I had easy access to cheap rentals so I had about 100 jumps before I bought my own, but I wish I had done it sooner!! It is so much better. So go for it, but I would wait until you have graduated AFF as you have enough to think about before that! Welcome...*************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tonto 1 #5 February 12, 2004 Well... when I started jumping $3000 would buy you a plane... but that was a long time ago, and jumps were $1.40... I bought my 1st gear second hand when I had about 60 jumps, I think. tIt's the year of the Pig. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunnydee123 0 #6 February 12, 2004 Welcome o-new one! I bought my very first set of gear...used and MUCH LOVED....at about jump 27. Right place at the right time but who the hell wants to pay those crappy rental fees. If you truly are in this for the long haul - start looking now. Then maybe you can take a "world tour" your first year in skydiving like I did I visited 17 dropzones, from Arizona to New Jersey to right here at home in Florida and made 397 jumps AND happily paid USPA $20 four times for each and every license - cause I was a dork. It was a GREAT first year. See ya 'round! Dreams become reality, one choice at a time... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyyhi 0 #7 February 12, 2004 I have 16 jumps and will purchase gear sometime in the next month. . .My reason is I have the money now and might not in the future. . .better buy while there is something there for me. I will have my A license in a week so I will actually purchase my gear after that.________________________________________ Take risks not to escape life… but to prevent life from escaping. ~ A bumper sticker at the DZ FGF #6 Darcy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EdC 0 #8 February 12, 2004 I purchased my rig used and I got a deal on it. 4k is a lot to lay out for new gear when you first finish AFF. Also, you may outgrow what you are jumping now and want to move to a smaller canopy at some point in the future. I had about 35 jumps when I got my rig. Big Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChileRelleno 0 #9 February 12, 2004 HI! Welcome to DZ.com. I was way to long in sport before I bought gear, but hey life being what it is I liked having a roof and some food rather than the gear at the time. ChileRelleno-Rodriguez Bro#414 Hellfish#511,MuffBro#3532,AnvilBro#9, D24868 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
philly51 0 #10 February 12, 2004 Bought my first gear before AFF level IV. Used it for over 200 jumps. Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, Shouting "...holy shit...what a ride!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bch7773 0 #11 February 13, 2004 I also had access to cheap gear rental, so I bought mine used at around 60 jumps. and remember, its fairly cheap to demo canopies. MB 3528, RB 1182 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpingjoe 0 #12 February 13, 2004 Welcome to the insanity. I bought, well ordered a new rig at around 40 jumps. Paid it off in installments. Bought a used canopy and now I am jumping my own gear at about 70 jumps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdthomas 0 #13 February 13, 2004 I had my first rig right after student status, wich was around 13 jumps.. The DZ I was jumping at even had cheap renatls, but with my own rig I was free to travel to new places with new faces. Just a few days from the purcahse of my new, never jumped by me rig I was jumping over the island of Jamaica. Rental there was not an option, so I was happy to have my own gear! Joewww.greenboxphotography.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Casquito 0 #14 February 14, 2004 I'm at 45 or so jumps and on demo gear. Squareone at Perris has a demo program that lets you demo gear for 0-100$/mo depending how much you put down towards new gear. I signed up for that program since I'll have cash for a new rig in a 6 months or so and just off AFF a a month ago, I'm slowly moving down canopy sizes from 240 to 170 now. Maybe in a few months I'll get down to something I'll stay at then buy gear. I was told that if I got a canopy now, I should get a large noobie one that I'll have to sell when I upgrade soon anyway, so I figured this was a more appealing option. Then again, you're committed to buying a new rig if you go the demo route... It probably depends on how fat your checkbook is. Buy, demo, rent, beg, steal, borrow... do what it takes to keep jumping! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peacefuljeffrey 0 #15 February 14, 2004 My 48th jump was with my own rig. Prior to that it was almost all rentals, with just a couple of jumps on with a rig I was thinking about buying from a guy. I first got a used altimeter for $50 (GREAT deal on an alti that woulda cost about $140 new). I got a used helmet for $150. I got my rig, which is a new Javelin with 2 jumps on it, a new reserve, a new CYPRES 2 and a used Lotus 170 with around 200-300 jumps on it -- all told $4000. (Breakdown: the container/harness was $2000, the Lotus was $1000, and the CYPRES 2 another $1000). Since I'll have the CYPRES 2 and the Javelin for a good long time, I'm quite happy with what I paid. I'll keep the Lotus for a few hundred jumps before I switch to a Samurai or Sensei. Now that I fly an airlock, I don't want something that's not an airlock. (Thanks, Brian G.!) Make sure you run your potential purchases by experienced friends at the DZ. You can learn about stuff to avoid, and get counsel on what would be good for you. Enjoy! --Jeffrey "With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kansasskydiver 0 #16 February 14, 2004 welcome. you can find all kinds of good gear for 1500 i bought my first rig with 34 jumps and paid 1200 i think then bought a cypress for 600 welcome to the club<--- See look, pink dolphins DO exist! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrRick 0 #17 February 14, 2004 Jump # 2 for $250.00 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Raefordite 0 #18 February 16, 2004 Everybody is different. Not only does your own personal budget affect how quickly you get your own gear, but also what your home DZ has available. If your DZ has decent rental equipment at a fair rental rate - use it! Save for your own rig and work on getting some jump numbers under your belt before shopping. If your home DZ does not have rental equipment or what they have available is "a little scary" for your needs, then shop now! Good luck. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstime 0 #19 February 16, 2004 Welcome to the forums and the sport. I bought my rig at my 50th jump. went new @ $5800. Only have 5 jumps on it and expect to do at least 100 this summer. I jumped a navigator 200 during my AFF and bought a PD 190 sabre 2. Some peolple say how much $ you save not renting...NOT... It,s great to know who has had the rig on the last jump.. ME.. Hey, go with a good used rig because you will downsize, I went new because I had some extra $ in my pocket... now I dont.. I should have went for the 3K and and the extra 2800K on jump tickets.. What the hell was I thinking... Enjoy, be safe and be smart. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chute 0 #20 February 20, 2004 Even after you have your own gear you think of upgrading or this is new and this is old. I need a new one of these. We all are in that boat. Or should I say plane. NM. Welcome to the forums!!Bottomless Beers and Blue Skies! * Brother_Brian * D.S.W.F.S.B. #2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reginald 0 #21 February 22, 2004 About 25. A license territory. That's is when I was sure i was sticking with the sport. I looked at used but went with carefully selected new. I went with new because i wanted it to fit RIGHT not close to right. Also, I could get a rig that I knew I could downsize in and be able to use, with one main change, for years to come."We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firstime 0 #22 February 22, 2004 DOH.... $1.40 per jump.. OMG Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adazec 0 #23 February 27, 2004 I'm amazed at the cost difference at different dz for rental fees as well as with your own equipment. I just learned at my dz I can't use my own rig until I am out of student status territory so looks like I'll have to watch my pennies a while longer! Thanks to all for the welcome - best sport I've ever - it'll be worth the money! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SlyFox 0 #24 February 27, 2004 I just purchased my own rig after 42 sport jumps. I'm planning on coming down there for the Hill Billy Boogie in June. Maybe I'll see you then. *****Why would anyone jump from a perfectly good airplane? Because it isn't much fun if it's broke.**** Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #25 February 27, 2004 Welcome to the fourms! To answer your question, I had about 40 jumps when I got my new gear.She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
