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Ruffles

Easter boogie @ Eloy

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hey gang, newbie here. My friend & I are thinking of going to the easter boogie in Eloy. We both have 50 jumps and our own gear. I've never been to a boogie before, or any other DZs for that matter. I don't want to head out there with my head planted firmly in my ass and make a rep as one of skydivings new morons, so a couple of questions if you have a second. (1) Do they have packers out there that work fast enough to get us on at least a load per hour? (2) How much do they cost to pack for you? (3) Any common mistakes that newbies make at boogies that I should try to avoid? (4) I saw their website, but do you guys have any info on the DZ, like people, policies, vibe, etc.? (5) whats the weather like; people have told me the winds can be kinda narley in the afternoons.
Thx, Clark



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Do they have packers out there that work fast enough to get us on at least a load per hour?


yes, most can pack a rig in under 10 minutes.
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How much do they cost to pack for you


Sport rigs are $5.00 each pack under 170 sf
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Any common mistakes that newbies make at boogies that I should try to avoid?


Do a search here on safety briefing from the holiday boogie. Everything you'll need to know is there.
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I saw their website, but do you guys have any info on the DZ, like people, policies, vibe, etc


See above and read comments from the Holiday gathering:)
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whats the weather like; people have told me the winds can be kinda narley in the afternoons.


Should have mid 80 temps during the day. As thermals increase we often have dust devils. When in doubt about conditions ask.:)If you have any other questions please feel free to PM me.
bbarnhouse








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(1) Do they have packers out there that work fast enough to get us on at least a load per hour?

Their packers were good. I used Astrid's services while I was there for the Holiday boogie, yes she turned it around fast for us when we were doing the formation loads. I think we went about once an hour that Sunday. That's expecting a lot from a packer, though, cause you're asking for a pack in about 30 minutes from drop to pickup and in there you've got to manifest, ride the shuttle, ride the plane to altitude, and clear the DZ. And everybody and their second cousin wants to be packed up NOW. Hopefully you'll eat and meet other skydivers in there too.

Packs were $5 for sub 170's, $6 for bigger than that. and you should tip your packer, especially if they're turning you around fast.

(3) Any common mistakes that newbies make at boogies that I should try to avoid?

Newbies talk more than they listen. I'm pretty new to the sport, but newbies everywhere ask questions and don't listen to answers, they tell stories. "What way is the traffic pattern here.... Cause at my DZ we do it this way...." Nobody at the boogie is at your DZ, so listen to the answers.

The vibe at Eloy was great, but then again, I only jumped with my DZ.com buddies. Oooh. and B-squared lives there:ph34r:!

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I am a low time jumper (170 jumps). So far I have jumped at 6 different DZ's (including WFFC) and figured out a good method when going to a new DZ. Get a briefing about canopy skills, and freefall with lots of others in the air before jumping. There will be lots of very fast canopies and hook-turners, and people with 500 jumps that have worse canopy skills than you at 50 jumps. You will need to say away from all of them. When you get there...

1. Figure out the flow of manifest & general DZ oper.
2. Take a good look at an arial DZ photo with someone familiar with the DZ. Make sure you know all hazards in case you have to land off.
3. Watch a few loads land before jumping
4. If you have any safety concerns, ask someone.
5. Pay attention to the weather. You may have stay on the ground while others are jumping in high winds. Don't get on the plane just because everyone else is jumping. Make your own decisions based on your experience. If you don't know...ask.

You will find once you get there everything will be fine providing you are a "heads up" skydiver. You will meet lots of cool people to ask questions that may arise while you are there.

Good luck, have fun, and be safe....

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I was at Eloy for last years Easter Boogie and this year's Holiday Boogie. Both were a great time. The Easter Boogie was less crowded, and thus a little less hectic. Good people and great facilities. Know the landing rules at Eloy (all traffic in main landing area runs east-west or opposite, regardless of wind) and be ready to land cross or down wind.

If this is your first boogie experience, here's my advice: You're playing by big boy rules now. It's easy to get over-excited and get involved in jumps beyond your capabilities.Keep your head on a swivel because the only person who's going to look out for you is you. You are going with a friend, so that's good. I've only been doing this for 15 years, and it's just my opinion, but as a relatively inexperienced jumper, focus on learning, not banging out as many jumps as you can in a short time. You will get more out of 4 good, well planned, and post-dived jumps in a day, than 8 rushed, hurried jumps. Also, I recommend you pack your own parachute. You will develop more confidence in your gear and yourself if you do.

Chris
D-15996

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Thanks for the tips gang. I was totally going there with the mindset of doing as many jumps as possible, but you're right; 4-5 debriefed meticulous jumps are way better than 8 rushed ones. I am pretty much beat after 4-5 jumps anyways. See ya there b2.



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