FastRodriguez

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Everything posted by FastRodriguez

  1. Pilot is a good choice. The dacron will slow you down somewhat (it's a pretty big source of drag) but it should make your opening shock a lot less. It's going to have a lot of extra pack volume as well. You should get a few seasons out of it at a 1:1.1 ish load. You're not that far over the line and it's not like you're Sanji or something. Basically you want a canopy that you're comfortable landing in Grandma's back yard. In a hundred jumps when it's getting a little boring get some good canopy coaching and start being more aggressive.[/reply I really dont think Im being aggressive. I mean, I have asked to my DZ, talked to my instructor, some other instructors, read many posts in here, send more than a few emails to the guys at aerodyne. I really do think I made an informed decision. I can fly this canopy for a few hundred jumps, then maybe go to a pilot 150 for a little longer and then progress to a mamba 150 when im ready. This should mean I´ll keep this container for a good three or four years depending on how much I jump. As for the M2, I think a little competition to cypres and Vigil can only be a good thing. Not only because it will push the prices down ( which is nice), but also because it will force companies to improve their gear and better their service. And the Dacron I chose because I am not a swooper, and I dont plan on swooping for a long time. I really dont care if my canopy flies a little slower or packs a bit bigger, I do care about keeping my back straight and healthy. I like jumping and wanna jump for a long time, and every thing that helps keeping me healthy, its a good thing I guess :) Thank you :) "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  2. As a European, any idea how much would customs cost when buying gear from America? Searching around I've seen everything from 0 to 30% of the price of the rig just for customs. Hello :) Thank you for your answer, I think it is in the ballpark of 20%. The problem is most rig manufacturers will send using fed ex or some other courier. This companies will handle all the customs paperwork for you but will add around 90 euros for their services. To give you an idea. My instructor bough a Icon student brand new. He had to pay fed ex 368 euros upon delivery (that included tax and their customs agency services). I got really lucky because my instructor will fly soon to Florida to jump and he will bring my container for me, so ill save on that. I have to get the pilot and smart shipped though since I ordered a few months after my container. I can send you a message once I get it and tell you the exact amount I paid, so it gives you an idea :) In any case, if you wanna order now, maybe you could ask your manufacturer which courier do they use and give them a call directly, im sure they can tell you exactly what duties you need to pay. There is also something called the taric (http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds2/taric/taric_consultation.jsp?Lang=en#). There you can find the duties you are supposed to pay for every specific item to the EU but I think each country has some other things they add on top. Hope that helps man :) Have a nice one! "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  3. Thanks again. I have read a few posts on previous threads and some people seem to hate pretty bad on WD. I think i will go for the silicone Spray. I guess its the same type people use to protect their scuba diving gear. I dive a little myself so I know where to get it now. For every thing else, Wingstore.aero has me covered. I really really really need to stop this shopping spree though. Skydiving gear is sooooo cool, sooooo nice looking, and I want it all!!!! I have gone through a year worth of savings in a few weeks. This is gonna be fun when I tell my Girlfriend she aint getting a ring anytime soon since all my money went into buying a glorified back pack *Edited to correct some awful spelling "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  4. Ha ha! Im a fan of KY jelly myself. But i was thinking on my yellow cables. Would be pretty epic to be able to lubricate both my Girlfriend and my Rig with the same stuff though "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  5. Thanks guys! The wingstore web page seems awesome. Very well organized. I have found everything I need except for the lubricating spray. Any suggestions? Again, thanks a lot for the info! Best Regards, G "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  6. Afternoon guys :) I have purchased a new rig and I need to buy a few bits and pieces ( Packing mat, rubber bands, lubricating spray, perhaps an audio at some point). I purchased my G3 from the good people at chutingstar and even though their service was absolutely perfect, the customs in europe are no so nice and they made me pay a ridiculous amount of money in taxes and other things. The shipping adds up really quick too. For example , The quote i got for sending a 50 usd packing mat was 41 usd, bringing it to a grand total of 91 dollars, add taxes to that and ill have a 150 Euros packing mat. Im looking to order from a nice store inside the Eu so i can save on taxes and the like. Any suggestions are welcome. Best regards G. "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  7. FastRodriguez

    Entourage

    All i have to say is: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azziWE8BFUU] "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  8. Yep. You are probably right. In any case, good things come to those who wait, and the customer service of aerodyne has been better than I could ask for, never takes them more than a few hours to reply and always kept me on the loop as to what is up with my rig and telling me when will it be ready. I really dont mind waiting a little bit (Gives me time to save for my Aad) "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  9. Thank you for the answers! I went with dacron against the advice of my instructor because ive been in rock climbing long enough to know you want a little elasticity on your ropes. I read here that hma has less elasticity than steel wire and should I mess up my packing or body position i want that little bit of extra protection against spanking. If I feel like i need to change my lines at some point, 300 usd are not thaaat bad! (A lot cheaper than a neurosurgeon for sure) They told me in Aerodyne my rig would be ready in three months, I ordered early October and it was completed just now, about three weeks late. Im guessing the canopy will probably be delayed a few weeks too. Thats not even counting the shipping to Slovakia and the clearing customs. I guess 12 weeks is a pretty decent estimate. Aad, Aad I guess i will keep reading and looking for info around. I have a friend who is also a Skydiver and lives really close to the Airtec factory, he also jumps in Kassa, which i think is where this guys test their stuff. I think ill drop them a line and ask them if its cool for me to visit the factory. I have a sister living in Brussels and i will probably go and visit her soon, will try and do the same with Vigil. Maybe after i visit the factory ( If they allow it) I can make my mind up Thank you all and big blue ones!!! G! "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  10. Wow. When you put it that way...It scary. I have Brian Germain's canopy downsize chart in front of me. I will have about 65 jumps in three months, when my kit is complete. Assuming the rig i mention weighted 25 pounds, my exit weight will be somewhere around 175 pounds. In his chart, he recommends a never to exceed size of 166, so i guess im good. In any case, I think my instructor is the one that should have the last word and he and the DZO gave the ok. I know its probably not the safest way but its not like im getting a velocity or something...I mean, its a pilot 168!!!!!! and i weight 150 pounds!!! Im the skinniest guy ever! Thanks for your advice though, ill beware of girls with big boobs getting on my load :D Best regards, G. "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  11. Thanks all! I chose my canopy size following the advice of my instructors and asking around as much as I could :) I spent maybe a 3 weeks writing back and forth with the guys at Aerodyne asking everything I could possibly think of. From the fabric (went with Zp finally, not their Zpx) to the lines (I ordered Dacron, I really believe in protecting my back on the long haul) to wing loading and a few other things. I believe I have made an informed decision. I could have gone with a more "conservative" wing loading but i honestly believe 1.08 is safe enough for me. This is, after all, skydiving. Will never be 100% safe and I do want to have some fun with my canopy too. I bought new for a few reasons: 1) I like to take care of my stuff, specially stuff my life will depend on. I can never know for sure how well the previous owner cared for the rig. Did he made it wet on a lake/beach landing? Did he left the rig out on the sun? Did his dog pee'd on it? :) 2) I want my rig to fit me. 3) I know there is a great debate in here and other places about RLS. For me it was clear, I want a skyhook. I know some people dont like it and I understand their reasons but I believe it can save my life on certain situations. I read here almost every day and I believe the last fatality in England could have been avoided with one. 4)I study hard and work hard and save my money and i can afford to buy a new rig, why wouldnt I? Im sure i can sell it when the time to downsize comes, but i mean, i can downsize to a pilot 150 with this container and then to an elliptical 150, Mamba, for example. This would mean I have enough rig for about 5 years to come should I feel the need to downsize. I really dont think a 1.08 wingload is too much, I really asked around and most people who knows me recommended that size. I currently jump a PD navigator 200 and land it standing up no problem. I have awesome instructors and they spend time teaching me drills pretty much every jump. We practice flat turns and rear riser turns, they have me pull pretty high ( 1800 meters/ 5800 feet) and have practiced a variety of scenarios ( stalls and so on) on almost every jump. I know there are countless skills left for me to learn, but I want a canopy that I wont feel the need to change in a few months. The Aad is where I hear the most conflicting opinions. Some people like cypres and some like vigil, and seems to me that neither of them will wanna get off their high horse. Both Vigil and Cypres have had their share of problems, just three days back cypres released a note telling you to "check status before each jump" or something like this. So much for set and forget, huh? I dont really care about the sending the cypress back for maintenance every 4 years, for this reason, the longer life of the vigil is not something I will factor on my decision. Neither are the few hundred euros difference in prices. I think both Aads are good and both are safe enough. I can not say the same about the M2 but i dont think it should be overlooked just because it is newer or cheaper. It is a very hard decision. I know the topic has been beaten to death here on the forums and i still have about 3 months before the canopy is completed and so i have time to think. Thank you all for answering and if you think there is something I am wrong on or I am overlooking please let me know. Oh! I jump a full face helmet, a life of skating and a few car crashes have left me with a rather delicate nose. I wont break it again :D. Do you guys think this is ok with my low jump numbers? Im at 45 atm.\ Best regards everyone and thank you for taking the time to read/reply! G. P.s. Sorry if my english gets "funky" at times. Bare with me, please :) "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  12. I would probably buy an English car. Im a sucker for Astons, but thats just me I dunno man. Everyone keeps saying something different. I have tried and inform myself and they all have pro´s and con´s I guess. Cypres has proved its reliability for a longer time I guess, but vigil 2 has been out for a while and does have some points on its favor ( on my newbie opinion, mind you) I think mars m2 is here to stay though. They have been making Aads for over 25 years for the military and their Mpaad ( first "civilian" version) does have a couple of saves. I completed my aff on mars rigs, equiped with mpaad´s and I have nothing to say agains it. People on my drop zone are very safety oriented and many jump Mars gear. The price of it its also a factor, since its about 1/2 of the price of a cypress. I really dont know what to do. thank you for the advice Best regards, G. "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  13. Hey everyone :) I finished my Aff a few months ago and i have been saving like crazy. I have finally purchased my first rig and was wondering what you guys think? I ordered an Icon pro with Skyhook, a smart reserve 175 and as main a pilot 168. It is all brand new. I still have about 4 months till they complete it and so i need to save a little and decide whether I should get a Cypress 2, a vigil 2 or perhaps even the Mars M2. I live pretty close to the factory of Mars and so i could maybe get it from them directly and save a few bucks. I weight about 69 kilos and so my wingload its somewhere around 1.08 Any advice on the Aad I should purchase? Thanks before hand for your help Best regards G "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  14. Yeah. Level 4 can be sucky. Im sure you´ll get it done. Being a newbie nothing much I can say but arch, relax & listen to your instructors. It will happen :) Good luck man :) "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  15. Thank you! The dropzone is Kunovice, Czech republic. This is their webpage: http://www.okboogie.cz "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  16. Hi all! So I finished my aff after switching from static line and absolutely loved it. Had some problems on level four and had to repeat it a few times but with the help of my amazing instructors and the advice that people posts here i managed to do it. I absolutely loved every bit of it and I spend the weeks wishing Friday gets here so I can just go to my DZ and jump, jump and jump some more. Thank you to the amazing community here at DZ.com for posting so many good pieces of advice! I will leave you guys a video of my last jump. It was a sunset jump on the last load of the day. Pure epic awesomeness. Loved it! Hope you guys enjoy it and I accept all forms of critizism. Blue skies! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4066628717589&set=vb.1638437631&type=2&theater P.s. Virtual beer for everyone! (edit to correct spelling) "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  17. Thank you everyone for all the information. That pdf was extremely interesting. And the link was really usefull too Holy, thanks :) I dont suppose anyone has some pics or a link to a vid of that strong rig? As of right now, the plan is as follows. I will go to the club today and get my training for the first jumps on the drouge rig. I will get pics and post here, for information´s sake :). I will go tomorrow evening and cover whatever I need to cover for my aff. Saturday morning Ill do 3 - 4 levels from aff Sunday I can either finish aff or go back into the drouge system after having 3 or 4 aff jumps and feeling a lot more confident. I can then decide whether I continue S/l or get back into AFF :) I will keep you guys posted :) Pics of drouge system today though :) Best of luck and blue skies! "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  18. I did focus on my first course. I still feel like I dont know square though, I know I should have some of the answers for the questions I was asked, but there is just so much info aroud. I will take those pics and ask a million questions for you. Is there something specific I should ask? Thank you G. "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  19. So many questions, so little answers :) what is the exit altitude???? It varies. I have only done 6 jumps so far. One guy jumps first. He lands and they comment on winds and whatnot. They decide then. Lowest was 1.200 meters, highest was 1500. and at what altitude is the KAP 3 set for??? Im not sure. I thought I understood it was time based. You jump and if you havent pulled by an x mark. Its pulls 4 you. The timer has a stop pin attached to your static line. When u jump, it starts the count. I might have missunderstood. I will make sure I ask them next Friday and ill post it here with some pics of the set up :) what aad is used on the reserve??? and what altitude is THAT set for... Its an Mpaad. Made by mars, the same people who make the m2. Its pretty common in here. It is made to fit the mars container. They are czech. A whole bunch of people jump their gear in here. I dont know how common it is on the States. They have the basic student setup for the mpaad. I think it opens at +- 300 meters, I am not sure though, ill have that info next week too :) any idea of what the frequency for a "two-out" might be I have no idea. Chienf instructor commented once that in over thirty years of teaching he has only had one issue. The one guy who on jump one hold his handles instead of his sleeves. When the main open, I guess inercy pulled for him. Champ choped a good main and had a few extra seconds of fun :) Landed just fine though. The thing is today, when I went to the club, I told him my worries and he said, Its ok. We will invent the Rodriguez system. After I passed my dummy pulls today, I will go into the first three levels of aff next saturday ( Really epic price too :) )When I finish that, we will talk. Option 1, go back to the Drouge system having had some free fall time and feeling a whole more confident. Option 2, finish aff :) Edited to correct some epic misspelling. I am sure there is a whole lot more in there. I am really sorry :) "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  20. Thank you for your answer! I will take some pictures for you. How would you like me to take them? Rig? Rig while packed? Drouge chute? kap 3? Id love to be able to share as much information as I can for future students who might encounter this system, but since Im pretty new at this I dont know wich pics would be useful :) Please let me know what u need and Ill make sure I have them for you next weekend :) Best regards G. "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  21. No. It is a mechanical device and subject to failure. For a wide variety of reasons and under a wide variety of circumstances. That's why we have reserves. That's why we drill our EPs until they are second nature. To your original question: Other than the drouge setup, that sounds very similar to the Static line progression here in the US. And addding in the drouge chute jumps to reinforce stability during the first few "freefalls" sounds like a good idea to me. Those were the hardest levels for me to get through. I expressed myself badly. What I meant was. I believe a rig ( Container/main/reserve/aad) if cared for properly, well maintained and well packed should not fail, unless the operator ( or rigger) do something wrong. In most cases (for what Ive understood) most fatalities are caused by the pilot doing something that if not stupid, at least was out of his hability range. Of course total malfunctions can happen, but I think that if everything is done properly, they should be almost anecdotal. Thank you for the answer :) "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  22. I think some things are meant to be done fast, learning how to jump out of plane and landing safely, is probably not one of them :) G "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  23. Thank you. I was aware of the drogue chutes, but I though they had an extra handle they could use to release it if needed be. I was not aware that the free bag in the reserve had that function. Thank you for the info :) Feeling a whole lot more confident now though! Best of lucks and blue skyes! "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  24. You are absolutely right. I believe that a rig is a machine, and that if cared for properly and packed in a neat way it should "never" fail, barring an "act of god", of course. I dont believe in myself nearly as much though. I keep thinking.. What if I freeze? It comes from the first jump. I jumped, I started to count... And i saw myself under an open canopy (with line twists) I know about 5 secs must have passed, but they felt like .5 secs though. I kicked myself out of the line twist with no problems, and I dont remember even being afraid... It was like oo! I know what to do! Next couple of jumps went a bit better. Last one I even think i remember seeing the plane going away. Hopefully as my awareness increase, so will my confidence. Thank you for your advice. I do practice my EP´s and my arching everytime I think about it :) I did tell myself to never force it. I will never do something I am not confident with. Anyways, this weekend is about DP, Ill try and arch like crazy and enjoy the canopy ride. Ill worry about drogue chutes when the instructor says I need to worry about them. You guys did help a lot to calm me down Best of lucks and blue skies! "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"
  25. I understand this. And im willing to take a certain ammount of risk. But I want to be as safe and as much in control of my own destiny as I can. I know there are a few availible systems of learning and each country has its own little modifications in place. I want to make the most informed decision I possibly can. If after choosing a system I happen to die, well, tough shit compadre :).. G "I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"