New jumper

[kottonics 0]

I am sorry if the answer to this question is already somewhere on the site but. What should a new jumper be looking for in gear? there are so many types and so many options out there I don't know where to start. My interests are mostly freeflying so I do know that I want a well fitted container but after that I am lost. thanks in advance for any information.

I crave the sky, I want to fly.

[jsreznor 0]

Oy. Get good on your belly before you try to freefly. Hell, finish AFF and get your license before you try to do anything.

Talk to your instructors about gear.

Most containers these days are freefly friendly, so don't worry about that.
Talk to other jumpers and see what containers they fly. Rent or demo some canopies to see what you like.

Buy a helmet, altimeter, goggles, jumpsuit. Once you're done with the cheap things, if you have any money left, go ahead and buy a rig.

But finish your license first. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

[Tinley 0]

Yes, the answer to your question is definitely out there. And it will most likely end up being ask your instructors/rigger.

Search is your best friend.

Personally, a new jumper like myself looked for gear that got me to the ground safely. Don't drown yourself in all the options that manufacturer's offer.

When you're ready to purchase, scan the classifieds and find something used. Skydive equipment has a good resale value, so further down the road you can sell your gear for something that fits your discipline.

[Blamey 0]

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.

[sundevil777 93]

http://www.dropzone.com/gear/articles/

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[kottonics 0]

Thank you everyone for the info. I know its early in my jumping career but skydiving never leaves my brain and I at least wanted to know what I want to look for. I hope to finish my aff and then have my A license within a few months. I was just so confused my the different types of rigs out there that I did not know where to start. I do know that I want something appropriate for my skill level as I have a very close friend that was too ambitious for her skill and got hurt( nothing serious ) but that is a mistake I do not want to make.

I crave the sky, I want to fly.

[airtwardo 6]

It can be a bit overwhelming at the start...you have plenty of time to research and learn about what may be right for you.

Take it all in but keep in mind everybody had different needs and likes, ask 20 people about the best gear and you will get 20 different answers.

Generally speaking all the modern gear currently available is basically the same...main on the bottom reserve on top, handles in the same place & some sort of RSL.

A lot of the differentiating bells and whistles are merely for comfort and cosmetics...get an old Impala and learn how to drive it before ya spend new Corvette money!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[adventurechick 0]

I'm a rep for the Infinity container. We make a high quality rig, base price on a rig is $1799, freefly friendly, and we're at a 7 week lead time.

www.velocityrigs.com and feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions after you've done your research or if you need help locating a dealer in your area.

Good Luck!

-Gail

[email protected]

PMS #449 TPM #80 Muff Brother #3860
SCR #14705 Dirty Sanchez #233

[Ron 7]

Talk to your instructors... but don't buy anything from them.

IMO... don't waste your money buying new. You are not going to jump that first rig long.... I did ~300 on my first rig and then traded it in for almost what I paid for it. If I had bought new, I would have lost a ton of money.

Other than that, don't rush to buy anything.

So:

1. Talk to your instructors.
2. Don't buy new.
3. Don't rush.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[thrillstalker 0]

i would go ahead and buy goggles, cheap helmet, and an analog altimeter. use rental gear for a while until you know what you are looking for in a rig. it is too big of an investment to blindly stumble into.

"Never grow a wishbone, where your backbone ought to be."