Most rentals for newbies

[Lawdog1 0]

Ok . . I know I'll get alot of heat for this (probably deserved to some degree). BUT

How many rentals have you newly licensed paid for before plunking down a wad for used or a BIG wad new new gear? I'm still renting and by now could have had an old but acceptable rig. For me, I can afford 25 bucks here and there or 60 dollars for a full day rental, but I'M struggleing to come up with a big chunk of change for a used rig, and the thought of putting $5,500 and up for a complete new rig on my credit card is daunting.

[popsjumper 2]

Put the used rig on your credit card. Your rigger or DZO may be willing to help you by charging your CC and passing the cash on to the seller for you. Never hurts to ask.

The heat:
64 jumps and still renting????
Do the math, dude!

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

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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Ok . . I know I'll get alot of heat for this (probably deserved to some degree). BUT

How many rentals have you newly licensed paid for before plunking down a wad for used or a BIG wad new new gear?

I made 5 jumps after AFF on rental gear while I waited for my $1700 used rig (EOS + TurboZ + Super Raven) to show up.

After another 70 I could have thrown my first rig and the garbage and come out ahead financially.

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I'M struggleing to come up with a big chunk of change for a used rig,

You can lower your standards on age (I think my $700 javelin + Raven reserve were made arround 1990) or canopy choice (sabre vs. sabre2), lower your expenditures (I lived with a paid-off $2000 car and room mates), earn more money (packing parachutes at $5 per), and/or get alternate financing (bank signature loan, cash-out refinance on your car, DZ that makes a loan but doesn't let the rig leave the premesis until its paid-off, etc.)

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and the thought of putting $5,500 and up for a complete new rig on my credit card is daunting.

The average male skydiver is going to go through 2-3 rigs and 6-7 canopies arriving at a combination they're going to keep indefinately.

Resales are going to be easier (Would youo prefer a $600 canopy with 600 jumps and fresh lines over a $1200 example with 200 jumps that flies the same?) and the total cost to you lower when you're buying used gear that you can resell for what you paid (or at least that less only $1 a jump for depreciation).

[JohnMitchell 14]

Our DZ rentals are $10 a jump, new Infinity rigs with Vigils. Come jump at our place.

[girthy 0]

By jump 15 I had all my gear. Some of it was purchased off DZ classifieds. I got my dolphin for 400 bucks. For my main, I jump a Raven 7 cell. This was packed as a reserve and only had one ride, nice white lines and no patches. I did buy a brand new Cypres and reserve.

Dolphin 400
Raven 400
Fury 900
Cypres2 1200

Less than 3k in my rig. My DZO gave me a break on my student jumps because I was using my own gear. I am going jump this rig for another year, and then buy a new container. I'll keep my reserve and cypres, and sell my raven and dolphin on DZ classifieds.

[kschilk 0]

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Our DZ rentals are $10 a jump, new Infinity rigs with Vigils. Come jump at our place.

That's a deal!

[DZDANK 0]

I would like to buy equipment right away but see a couple of problems in doing that this early on:
The money spent would make it difficult for me to afford to jump my new gear
I have no idea what I would want just yet...
I made three jumps on a 280, told my instructors I didn't feel in charge of that canopy, and immediately switched to a 230 which felt much better (i weigh 180).
So I think i'll keep renting for a while, maybe come across somebody getting rid of a rig and can demo it or something. I think ill end up happier with my purchases that way, even if it costs more in the end.

[MB38 0]

It took me more than 100 jumps to buy a rig... I was broke. I finally bought a rig from a friend - it's so nice to finally not feel guilty when I only make a few jumps in a day.

I really don't know what I'm talking about.

[psipike02 0]

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Ok . . I know I'll get alot of heat for this (probably deserved to some degree). BUT

How many rentals have you newly licensed paid for before plunking down a wad for used or a BIG wad new new gear? I'm still renting and by now could have had an old but acceptable rig. For me, I can afford 25 bucks here and there or 60 dollars for a full day rental, but I'M struggleing to come up with a big chunk of change for a used rig, and the thought of putting $5,500 and up for a complete new rig on my credit card is daunting.

I feel your pain bro.....still renting here too...

Being a big guy, it was tough to find used gear that fit me and I didn't want to chance it not fitting, so I had some friends of mine order new gear.

My gear is ready but can't pay for it yet because of some unforeseen circumstances involving my family...

So yeah...it sucks but hey, a skydive is a skydive in my opinion

Puttin' some stank on it.

----Hellfish #707----

[til_xxx 0]

i ordered my new rig last week and only just finished my aff this weekend. i hate using the student rigs!

[NWFlyer 2]

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Our DZ rentals are $10 a jump, new Infinity rigs with Vigils. Come jump at our place.

Yep - I was glad to use 'em while my rig was out of commission recently.

As for the original question - these recent rentals are the only ones I've made. I used student gear (rental included in the price of all the jumps) before I got my A and had my rig pieced together before I was licensed. Most places aren't nearly as cheap as the $10 rentals and doing the math makes you realize pretty quickly that even if you have to finance the gear at a reasonable rate, you're STILL better off buying.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Broke 0]

OK so lets assume that you got you A on jump number 25. Then you have done 39 jumps on rental gear at 25 a pop wich come out to roughly 1k. I just did enough jumps to keep my currancy while I saved for my rig. I also got an awesome deal too. I got a rig that fits me pretty closely with a main. Once I bought it I shipped it to a rigger I trusted to make sure it had all of its updates which it did. Then I had to scrounge around for my reserve. All said and done I have a decent rig that I was able to put together for a little over $600. I am happy with it, and I have no pressure to move on to something newer now. The MLW could be a a touch longer, but I am not complaining.

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[peregrinerose 0]

Damn, why would you spend $5500 on your first gear??

I only rented for a little while, started jumping my own gear around jump 20 or 25ish.

Spent $1800 3 years ago on a Racer, Sabre1 170, PD143R, Cypres with 4+ years left on it.

I'm still jumping the racer, PDR, and cypres. Just put in a new Spectre 150 about a year afer I jumped... so definitely getting my money's worth out of that gear.

My husband spent $2000 on his first gear... a racer, falcon (which we traded out for my hand me down Sabre 1 170), pd143R, and cypres. We sold it after he had put 2 years of jumping on it for $1600. Again, got his money's worth.

Get something used... in a few hundred jumps you'll be wanting something else anyhow

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[DocPop 1]

I bought my first rig at about 40 jumps. The container/reserve/cypres belonged to my AFF instructor, but I bought the main canopy (Sabre2 150) new because I could not find what I wanted used (and I'm impatient!).

All together the rig cost $3000. My DZ charges $50 per jump with gear rental and $20 without, so 100 jumps and the whole thing is paid for, from then on I'm saving money!

The other thing to consider about getting a new canopy is the hassle of packing it. I had real trouble for the first 20 or so pack jobs, but I do think it made me a better packer in the long run!

"The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls."

~ CanuckInUSA

[kkeenan 13]

Most adults (and many lawyers) have figured out how to budget money for the things that they wish to buy. Useable, airworthy gear is not all that hard or expensive to come by. Proper research will lead you to many good deals. As long as you're not hung up on matching designer colors and state-of-the-art bells and whistles, you can get what you need to jump safely for a reasonable amount. If you're going to keep jumping, then renting gear is just throwing away your money.

Kevin K.

_____________________________________
Dude, you are so awesome...
Can I be on your ash jump ?

[UDSkyJunkie 0]

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the thought of putting $5,500 and up for a complete new rig on my credit card is daunting.

I'm with those who say you shouldn't have to pay nearly that much. I've been jumping 8 years and have owned 3 mains, 2 containers, 2 reserves, and an AAD, and STILL haven't racked up a $5,500 tab!

First rig was a Vector III (zero jumps) PD 9-Cell 170, Micro-raven 150 (1 jump), and Cypres with 9 years left at a cost of $2,650.

My sister put her first rig together for about $1,500! Javelin and Spectre 150 with ~400 jumps, bought my old Micro-raven, plus someone gave her a cypres with 4 years left.

buying gear is like buying computers... you can get the latest thing, decked out with options for $5,000+, or you can get last year's model for less than half that.

Get the fancy custom stuff later, when you really know what you want and need, and get it one peice at a time... your wallet will thank you.

"Some people follow their dreams, others hunt them down and beat them mercilessly into submission."

[mnskydiver688 0]

I bought used gear for 1,200 and then dropped in a new cypres. I am not sure if I would ever buy new gear unless I just had that kind of money laying around. Even then I might just spend that on trips to make jumps in exotic locales. Don't buy new gear for your first rig.

Sky Canyon Wingsuiters

[monkycndo 0]

Had my rig purchased as a unit by jump 25. Talon/Sabre170/PDR176/Cypres with 3 years left. Had the mods/repairs done by jump 36. Total cost $1975. In 3 years have put 400 jumps on it and still use it for wingsuiting and as a backup. I can sell it and get most of what I originally paid back out of it. Can't say the same for my all new rig. Unless you got cash falling out of your pockets, used is the way to go.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[kelpdiver 2]

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Had my rig purchased as a unit by jump 25. Talon/Sabre170/PDR176/Cypres with 3 years left.

feel I have to point out the obvious - there's a lot of good used inventory in the 175 size. There's a lot less in the 210 and 230 size

I tried for a while and gave up, opting to buy a new container to go with the used main I could find. Finding a PD or Smart reserve over 200 also seems low probability.

Renting nice sport gear versus marginal old stuff - you can make a good argument for sticking to the renting until you have the cash to make the big purchase. Or maybe you get lucky and find that good used deal come along. I gave it a little while, but when I found renting over 210s was problematic, I poney'd up.

[novacaine 0]

I have recently purchased a Vector II/Rascial 202 (0 Jumps) for $200. Sure the Vector that 15 years old but it is in fine shape according to my rigger. I found this searching the ads right here on DZ.com . For me I don't care that the H/C is some ugly colour of teal. And doesn't match the main I will put into it. I don't care. For me, its all about being out there in the wind.

[Kiki32 1]

I bought my own gear around jump 16 or so. I had only rented about 3 times before I got sick of throwing my money away in the garbage. All day rentals are 75 at my dz and I hated feeling pressured to make 4-5 jumps a day to make the rental worth it.

I got my setup for around 1700 after I had done necessary modifications to it. I feel FREE. I can go make 1 jump at the dz if I wanted to.

Poetry don't work on whores.

[airscott 0]

we all got SCREWED buying our first rig! so bite the bullet, spread them wide and go out this week and buy your first rig! you'll never be happier! MUFF,MUFF,MUFF.

[FlyingBlueJay 0]

I got really lucky! I budgeted out what I could afford for a rig and just figured out I could do it. I hopped onto the classifieds and 3rd in line was Big Boy Vector III w/ Skyhook... I'm a big boy, I like vectors, I want a skyhook... sweet! Got really lucky, it's hard to find gear in my size.

I forgot, that was at about 30 jumps.

There is an art, or rather a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss. Pick a nice day, and try it. - Douglas Adams

[livendive 8]

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Our DZ rentals are $10 a jump, new Infinity rigs with Vigils. Come jump at our place.

It helps having a container manufacturer in the family.

My rental rigs are $15 per jump or $50 per day (not including packjobs). Even at that price, but especially after all the "discounts" everyone wants, I figure they'll always be a "loss leader".

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[JohnMitchell 14]

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It helps having a container manufacturer in the family.

My rental rigs are $15 per jump or $50 per day (not including packjobs). Even at that price, but especially after all the "discounts" everyone wants, I figure they'll always be a "loss leader".

Or being on the Red Bull team and getting all those free canopies. "Hey, all your student rigs have Xaos 88's!"

$15 or $50 for the day is a good rate too. I especially like the day fee, because that encourages new folks to make 4 jumps or more a day. That's the best way to progress, to jump a lot.