Priorities: Rig or Tunnel Camp

[sum1mom 0]

Okay. Here's the deal-io. I have abused my checking account and cannot have both options at once. I'm struggling with flying relative and am extremely frustrated with myself. I'm backsliding all over the place and am working to fix that AND my proximity! I've gone up with several people and have learned a great deal from them, but my legs, my legs, my legs eeeew....grrrr.

I know it will come it time, but I'm not a very patient person. However, I have the opportunity to get some wonderful coaching at the Perris wind tunnel (2-1/2 hours) - I think that may help me with some of my issues without mother earth screaming at me.

What do you think? I've already made a commitment, but wanted your thoughts.

Thanks!!

[wmw999 2,122]

I know you've made a commitment, sweetie, but I'd have to go for the rig.

It'll save you $25/jump. That's a lot of money.

Tunnel camp is awesome, but if you can't afford to jump enough to keep the knowledge, then it's not used as well as it could be.

Tunnel camp is great; I'd love to be able to do it, and I completely understand why you want to. But I'd still get the rig first, because jumping is hard without one, and expensive when you rent.

It won't be perfect, but if you can use the student gear, you can find a used rig that's usable. Check the classifieds here and at http://www.enclave.com -- there are a lot of good deals.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[mattsplat 0]

your chances of injury are greater under canopy. my oppion is to by a rig so you are familliar with your own equipment and not somebody elses

[jerm 0]

well.. just onetarily, the sooner you stop renting the better... so if you buy the rig now, you can put aside the money you're saving on rental to do a tunnel camp.

if you do the tunnel camp now, you're going to have to KEEP waiting for the rig because you're still paying rental fees, and can't put that money aside for anything.

plus having your own rig lets you get to know YOUR equipment, and you never have to worry about someone else renting it out before you, and never questioning if the 2 jumps you made were worth the daily rental price (if they rent that way).


go for the rig, nothing like having YOUR OWN equipment. I loved my first rig, even though it was a piece of crap.

Landing without injury is not necessarily evidence that you didn't fuck up... it just means you got away with it this time

[Malev 0]

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It'll save you $25/jump. That's a lot of money.

Definetly go for the rig - it will save you money, and you'll be able to travel to other dropzones without worrying about gear hire.

Keep at it, and you'll sort the problems out. At 40 jumps, I was backsliding all over the place too, and having all sorts of problems flying with other people! Save up the $25/jump you aren't paying on rig hire too - after 11 jumps you'll have $275, thats enough for a 15min coached session in the tunnel.

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[pajarito 0]

Get the rig...save money in the long run...jump more...gain more experience!

[John4455 0]

Focus on equipment and canopy control skills. You will be come more relaxed and then the freefall skills will come.

How do ya like it Johnny?

[gordy 0]

Have to agree with the general consensus there and say go for the rig, it opens a lot of options for you having your own kit (going to others dz etc that may only have a few kits to hire), and theres no rush....

Relax and enjoy

[Plummets 0]

Rig

"Life is a bowl of deadly nightshade, stay way way out on the rim brother"

[sum1mom 0]

Thanks guys! Just understand, that a lack of confidence in my skills is keeping me on the ground quite often, as I refuse to do solos....no point....nothing relative except keeping my heading...nothing for fall rate, etc.

[Tonto 1]

What's the point of being able to jump if you have no rig?

The rig! The rig! The rig!

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[sum1mom 0]

touche

[Reginald 0]

You don't need 1.5 hours of tunnel time to work out the kinks with backsliding, etc. 15 to 30 minutes of coached time will solve most of your problems. You can potentially do both.

"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

[sum1mom 0]

You haven't seen me skydive!! 15 minutes will not do it!!

[DShiznit 0]

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You haven't seen me skydive!! 15 minutes will not do it!!

You never saw him jump before he did it!

[Merkur 1]

I started with the tunnel after 50 jumps and (50 jumps) later bought the rig because of the following reasons:
1. Gear rental in Germany isn´t that expensive as in the states.
2. Developing good flying skills saves you money later on. Once you developed a wrong/bad body position it takes you approximately the same number of jumps to get rid of it.

vSCR No.94
Don't dream your life - live your dream!

[Push 0]

Are you a skydiver or a tunnel rat? We all went through this. Heck, I'm going through this all over again now that I'm learning to sitfly relative to others. This is a difficult sport, and it only gets harder as you progress. You will be frustrated much worse than you are now. You have to learn to deal with frustration and with not learning at the pace you would like to learn. We all wish we could be Rook Nelson, right this very moment, but we are not, and probably never will be.

What you need right now is jumps jumps jumps. What good is the tunnel camp going to be if you can't jump for half a year afterwards, get all rusty and forget everything? Get a rig, do some jumps, learn your canopy, get some thorough coaching, and that backslide will go away in no time.

You're most likely backsliding because you're too tense and can't relax, anyway. How is the tunnel going to help you with that? Only thing that helps with this is more skydiving!

RIG! Anyway, that's my non-coach, 200 jump wonder opinion, take it for what it's worth.

-- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo
Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you.

[wmw999 2,122]

Ah, but I HAVE seen you skydive, and yes it will!
BUT: 1.5 hours of tunnel camp will get you farther than 15-20 minutes of coached time, too.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[chaoskitty 0]

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Thanks guys! Just understand, that a lack of confidence in my skills is keeping me on the ground quite often, as I refuse to do solos....no point....nothing relative except keeping my heading...nothing for fall rate, etc.

Ask someone to jump with you! We've all been newbies who need experienced jumpers to jump with us. Most of us are happy to pay it back. Just ask!
Keep it to 2 and 3-ways until you have more control over sliding and your fall rate.
A dive that helped me a lot was to do a 3 way exit, get in a stable round, and then drop grips. Forces you keep your fall rate steady and drive with your legs to keep the round, no contact.
and its fun!

I voted rig too. You will actually fly a lot better when you have a rig that fits you right.

[koz2000 1]

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You haven't seen me skydive!! 15 minutes will not do it!!

However, if you do 30min, that about doubling the amount of FF time you currently, so you'll be twice as good. Also you'll immediately know if you're not flying down the tube (otherwise you'll be bouncing off the walls..) I have took a guy on Cat C to the tunnel with me and it was amazing how quickly he started flying very well, now if he could only figure out how to land....

Get the rig, if possible, get even 10min in the tunnel, you'll be amazed

blue ones.
d


.

______________________________________________
- Does this small canopy make my balls look big? - J. Hayes -

[wmw999 2,122]

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Get the rig, if possible, get even 10min in the tunnel, you'll be amazed

She lives in Texas -- if you get 10 minutes, you might as well go whole hog; there's airfare and all that too.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[koz2000 1]

ROADTRIP!!!

Isn't there an outdoor wind tunnel in TX? Or was that just for a boogie?

______________________________________________
- Does this small canopy make my balls look big? - J. Hayes -

[sum1mom 0]

I believe it was at WFFC and is due back in September. However, the wind tunnel you are asking about, so I'm told, isn't quite as powerful as the Perris tunnel, therfore it wouldn't help me as much as I need.

I will be getting some excellent coaching from some Spaceland folks as well!! This will be greatly beneficial when I return because they'll be familiar with what I'm working on.

[koz2000 1]

But it should allow you to fly on your belly right? The Perris, Orlando, and the tunnels in construction produce winds up to 160mph, thats powerful, if one will produce 120mph you should be good.

Definitely Spaceland. I had a great experience when I visited in June.

Blue ones

D.

______________________________________________
- Does this small canopy make my balls look big? - J. Hayes -

[sum1mom 0]

I am not the only person going to this camp (from Texas), which leaves me with a question that could be an answer..

If the wind tunnel here has the same features/benefits, then why is everybody going to california???? They have nothing to gain by encouraging me to go and learn with them. I feel that they truly see that I will benefit a great deal from this camp.

BTW and I'm not trying to sound like a smarta$$.