Bluhdow

I still have my original Havok "Classic" that I bought about 6 years ago and it's still a very viable platform when flying that style of acro. Between their WS tunnel relationship/research and focus on competition acro I think PF leads that style of suit. *Disclaimer: I love PF, and they have provided me with gear at discounts before, even though I suck at flying.

If you read the thread, you will see that someone suggested doing exactly that. This person is who I was replying to, not the OP.

Eh...you put a lot of words in my mouth (or ideology in my mind, rather). I'm not saying don't teach anyone for free, or that everything should be paid. Never said that, never would. I'm saying that if someone is asking to be paid, and you're trying to not pay them and still receive the service, that's pretty uncool. That hardly seems like a controversial stance to take.

That's nice, and I'm sure he's a great resource for newer jumpers. But buying an experienced jumper (who doesn't coach for income) a beer in exchange for some advice is very different than what was described above. Scheming a way to get free coaching from an instructor who rightfully charges for their services is poor form, in my opinion. It's not that coaches need to be paid to talk to new jumpers, at all. In fact, most coaches I know are open to befriending newbies as it's a good way to network and earn potential future coaching work. That said, there is a line that most professional (paid) coaches will draw between what qualifies as offering a free safety tip, and what should really fall under the banner of "paid coaching services." I think a calculated attempt to cross that line to take advantage of a coach is poor form. I am not a coach. And I don't plan to be. But I found the spirit of the aforementioned post to be in...you guessed it...poor form.

Damn dude, do you kick skydiving coaches in the balls when you see them in person too? The cheapest and fastest way to get good at any discipline is to get coaching. It feels more expensive at the start, but it's not. In the long run you'll get where you're trying to go in far fewer jumps and having spent less money. The same is true for tunnel time. Your strategy of, "wait until a coach isn't working and then try to leech some information/coaching/jumps out of them in exchange for a $5 beer" is insulting...at best. At worst...it's damn near theft. A lot of good people make a living by helping other skydivers become better. I'm sure they don't appreciate you telling people that their services aren't valuable, and that the best course of action is to try and undermine their livelihood. Coaches are valuable, and important, and worth it. Their services are valuable, and should be respected as such. Jumping with an LO is NOT the same as working one-on-one with a dedicated coach.

You get what you pay for.

Cookie G3 gives good visual range so you can still see your three rings, RSL, etc. well. I like the full face. Protects me from passenger fluids. =)

Adding that Phoenix-Fly also offers custom designs via WngMrk. =) https://www.facebook.com/wngmrk/

NZ just released the Kraken. They know a thing or two about canopies. Wouldn't surprise me if it became the "go-to" for WS. Especially with the low-bulk ZP construction.

I think it's way, way overkill in skydiving, to RiggerLee's point. In BASE, I think there's some merit in the terminal arena. But these PCs are still a bit controversial in the sub-terminal arena with mixed results being reported all the time. Mostly related to hesitation issues. Won't see that in a marketing video. (Disclaimer: I work for Apex BASE - therefore, conflict of interest.)

Not necessarily. PCs have been built that way for a long time because they work reliably and consistently. Traditional PC designs have been used in sky and BASE for decades with a clear record of success. All that said, it's already been proven that you don't even need a PC, so whatever. https://jointheteem.com/friday-freakout-skydiving/friday-freakout-jimmy-pouchert-base-jumper-survives-no-pilot-chute/

Anyone flown a Phantom Edge 2 yet? Looks like a little more power out of a great platform.

I have a friend that went straight to reserve on a Freak 2 after he got spun up out of a Sky Van. Pulled pretty high. Just got into some spins and had trouble getting to the PC...perhaps due to the rate of spin. Straight to reserve, long canopy ride home, soft landing. It was only his second jump on the container, so that may have been a factor. He is an experienced wingsuiter and had made a handful of jumps on the suit before this.

100% agree. Having moved from a Freak to a Rafale I'm finding that Squirrel is able to get more performance per square inch of fabric (hence more fabric on the Rafale compared to the Freak), but the trade-off with PF is in favor of a more forgiving design. My Rafale is a lot nicer to me when my transitions are imperfect and, for me, that trade off is well worth it. I had a great experience working with Robi and Edo at PF so I would definitely not short them on the service side either. All that said, my Rafale is "the best suit in the world" and nothing can be said to change my view.

That's the nice thing about opinions. We all get to have them, and we're all right. =) I've ordered from most, and flown from all. I personally like what Phoenix Fly offers. And when I talk to people, that's the opinion I provide. I would never say something like "noticeably superior," because that's a subjective opinion and not based on fact. There is no single unit to measure which piece of equipment is the best, overall. They all make compromises to find a balance of factors (performance, comfort, extra features, price, build quality, lead time, etc.) which best represents what they feel adds up to the best product. But guess what? Not every jumper prioritizes these factors in the same way. Some people like less pressure, some people prefer lighter weight, some people are willing to wait longer than others, some people etc. etc. etc. If you've found something that you like and meets your needs, then by all means let people know that. Fly what makes you happy, and when someone else likes something else just remember that they aren't wrong. =)