NEED HELP HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING

[Amyr 0]

Ok just found this rig on ebay looks like a real steal can anyone tell me what they mean by this

A: No the rig is not "free fly friendly" it has velcro on the riser covers instead of tuck tabs WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

[obelixtim 100]

Velcro wears out and you end up with bits flapping around in FF.

Freeflying means you are in a head down attitude, thus your speed increases considerably. Not the place to have loose riser covers flapping around.

You don't want toggles and things exposed to the windblast.

Tuck tabs simply hold the riser covers more securely when you are going fast.

Do not buy gear simply because it seems to be a bargain, you could be wasting your money on something that is not suitable for you.

Take advice from your local rigger before you buy anything in the way of equipment.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[Amyr 0]

Thank you Obelixtim got caught up in the auction was ending and thought it looked like a amazing deal

[davelepka 4]

Ebay is a horrible place to look for a first rig.

For starters, the chances that you will find a rig that fits you, and has the appropriate size main and reserve are slim. There are many variables to a rig, and it's tough to find a used one that meets all of your needs right out of the box.

A big factor is the lack of a pre-purcahse inspection. Rigs need to be inspected for compatibility and being airworthy before you buy, or you might end up with either something you can't use at all, or something that requires expensive repairs or modifications before you can jump it.

The thing to do is to get with an instructor or rigger you know, and have them help you through the process, from selecting appropriate gear, to inspections and assembly. With the help of an experienced jumper, you can select individual main, reserve and harnesses from the used market, and assemble an 'ideal' rig for yourself.

If you have a rigger, they should be able to arrange for pre-purchase inspections either without paying for the tiem up front, or with a one or two week money-back return period where you will pay for the tiem up front, but can return it if it does not meet your needs.

If you are not working with a rigger, but another experienced jumper, you can call the Chutingstar gear store and set up an escrow/insepction deal, where the seller sends them the gear and you send them the money. They will inspect the gear and if it passes, send the payment to the seller, and the gear to you. The cost for this service (I believe) is only the cost of the inspections.

Parachute equipment can be tricky to buy. Because it needs to meet certain standards and be packed by a rigger, there are all sorts of regualtory 'pitfalls' a new jumper coudl fall into and waste a bunch of time and money on gear that won't work for you. You should do fine with the help of an experienced jumper who can walk you though the process, and also teach you about the ins and outs of buying gear. By the time you buy your next rig, you'll be fine on your own.

If you happen to be an attractive single female, beware of any advice from anyone who may be trying to get in your pants. Deal with your equipment needs only with professional jumpers like riggers or instructors, and keep your pants issues out of it. Granted, riggers and instructors may also try to get in your pants, but at least there's a good chance they know what they're talking about when it comes to gear.

[Remster 24]

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HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING

If I were you, I would take that self assessment as a good indicator that you should not be looking at buying a rid just yet. Go to the dz, hang out with folks, talk to your instructors about gear, and learn before looking to buy.

Remster

[Amyr 0]

Thanks guys I really appreciate it. I really thought what a amazing deal. I will slow it up. SO there is a possibility that I could use my feminine charm to swing a sweet deal on a chute huh?

[Morrison79 0]

Like everyone else said, E-bay is not the best place for someone to purchase gear. Even more so a bad place if you don't know what you're looking at!!

Just for my own curiousty can you post the link to the ad?

[davelepka 4]

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the rig is not "free fly friendly"

FYI- it means that the riser covers and pin cover flaps will probably not stay shut if exposed directly to too much wind.

When you're in an arch postion, not much wind is hitting the rig on your back, it's hitting your front. If you get into freeflying, you end up with wind directly hitting your rig at high speeds for long periods of time. If the risers covers or pin covers come open, then your risers and pins are exposed to that same wind, and that's bad. What you want is for everything to stay closed until pull time, when you want everything to come open.

What this means to you - most rigs built in the last ten years are freefly friendly. If the one you were looking at was not, it most likely means it was old, and that most likely explains why it was cheap.

The good news- since you don't need a new (or even newer) rig to get one that's freefly friendly, you don't have to spend a fortune. There are affordable rigs out there that are freefly friendly.

Even if you don't plan to freefly, being freefly friendly should be a requirement for any rig you buy. The added protection will help for more than just freeflying, and is a good thing on any jump.

[Amyr 0]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140733960950#description?roken=890bh6

[Amyr 0]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140733960950#description

[Amyr 0]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vector-Maverick-skydiving-rig-/140733960950?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c465d2f6 OK THIS ONE WORKS

[airtwardo 6]

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http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140733960950#description?roken=890bh6

[

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

[JackC1 0]

For my money, a rig that isn't free fly friendly isn't skydive friendly. Even the most well intentioned belly flyer will end up on their back at some point.

[obelixtim 100]

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For my money, a rig that isn't free fly friendly isn't skydive friendly. Even the most well intentioned belly flyer will end up on their back at some point.

Yeah, skydiving was incredibly more dangerous before people took up freeflying......The bravery of us old farts........

Even though velcro has become largely redundant, at the time it came into use on skydiving gear, it was actually a large step forward in terms of safety.

Gear has evolved, and will continue to do so. Maybe in 20 years people will be saying that todays technology is not skydiver friendly.

Imagine that!!!.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[JackC1 0]

I've jumped some free fly unfriendly kit in the past but like you say, gear has moved on, and so have I. Now days I wouldn't intentionally buy kit with velcro riser covers when there is better stuff available for not that much more money. YMMV.

[obelixtim 100]

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I've jumped some free fly unfriendly kit in the past but like you say, gear has moved on, and so have I. Now days I wouldn't intentionally buy kit with velcro riser covers when there is better stuff available for not that much more money. YMMV.

Exactly.

I have no desire to jump a B4 with a cheapo and belly wart ever again either.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[Amyr 0]

Airtwardo thanks for making that clickable...... Thanks for everyone's help as per my instructors instructions slow the fuck down and if I buy a piece of shit they will not let me jump it. SO Thank you all cause i was minutes away from buying it. Thanks

[popsjumper 2]

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SO there is a possibility that I could use my feminine charm to swing a sweet deal on a chute huh?

Yes. Talk to me.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[popsjumper 2]

Asd mentioned already by Dave - Chutingstar.

Take a look at the "Buying Gear - Latest Articles".
http://www.chutingstar.com/expertadvice_en/


Wander around the website. Call them and talk.

There are several articles on Chutingstar's website that will help you with gear choices and how to buy.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Amyr 0]

Chutingstar GREAT WEBSITE THANKS!

[Amyr 0]

I went to order a pair of Flex Z mini goggles. They were 16.95. BUT they wanted 12.95 to mail them to me? Is this not a tad high I live in North Carolina. 13.00 dollars to mail a 5oz package in a little envelope from Florida. Seems a tad high so I did not get them. Do not know if that is standard shipping price on all products or not.

[Amyr 0]

Have tried to get in the Paragear website for 2 days ANYONE have any luck or is their site down?

[obelixtim 100]

You might like to go to a shop that sells equestrian gear.....There's is bound to be a horsey store somewhere near you.

Have a look at some jockeys goggles. Lightweight and fairly cheap. Its all I and most skydivers ever use.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[faulk04 0]

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I went to order a pair of Flex Z mini goggles. They were 16.95. BUT they wanted 12.95 to mail them to me? Is this not a tad high I live in North Carolina. 13.00 dollars to mail a 5oz package in a little envelope from Florida. Seems a tad high so I did not get them. Do not know if that is standard shipping price on all products or not.

I believe you can ask chutingstar to mail USPS so its like 5.95...

[Amyr 0]

Thanks will try that. I like the flex z because I am so damn graceful that anything that can be broke or sat on or stepped on seems to magnetize under my foot. Figured I might actually be able to hold on to those for awhile.