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Have't really jumped at SNE or Jumptown BUT I did get my license at Pepperell last year and can't help but recommend them. I always felt safe and everybody was really tightly knit. The experienced jumpers definitely take students under your wing, so even while you're trying to get your license you're welcomed as a jumper there. I'd get my license at Pepperell again in a heartbeat.

Thank you, I'll check them out.

I'm planning to drive down I-5 from Salem, OR to Cayucos, CA this 4th of July week and would love to hit up DZs along the way. I'd also LOVE to do a balloon or helicopter jump along the way as well, if there is a place that caters to such desires. Here's my route: http://goo.gl/maps/dt77M Any fun DZs I should stop by? Thanks!

I do this with my new Safire 2 189, at the suggestion of the rigger at my DZ. I pro-pack as usually but then instead of s-folds I fold it almost in half (bridle attachment folded over almost to grommets) and then in half again. Then I sort of tighten it up by rolling it and containing it, then into the bag it goes. It sounds a lot like what you've been doing except that I fold it twice before rolling. Seems to work fine! I have an extension on my bridle between my canopy and D-bag, which helps.

This guy's about to have a pretty rough day [inline HIAcgfih.jpg]

Flipping through the May edition of Parachutist and saw a full-page ad for something called the "Wings Reserve Boost System." It looks, essentially, like a Wings-compatible Skyhook equivalent and Sunrise says you can add it to any new Wings order or retrofit previous containers. I've googled around and can't find any mention of it anywhere. Has anybody seen it? Jumped it? Can you shed light on what exactly it is or does? Thanks!

Suspension line knotted around the line you use to collapse your slider and collapsed half of it?

My very first tandem had a cutaway :) I don't know what the cause was, but it was likely either line twists or a line-over. Didn't stop me from getting my license at all!

I think this is the first time I've seen a thread on DZ.com full of advice other than "Ask an instructor/rigger" It's nice.

Blade near gear = no no. To get broken rubber bands off just slip some pullup cord through the bag's rubber band loop and "floss" the loop aggressively with the pullup cord. This will wear and break the band.

I 100% agree with you about the part about sLyride being dishonest, and benefit of the doubt goes to the other sites honesty, but they are still middle man ticket scalpers that we don't need. Eh, I'm having a hard time getting too upset about this.

Potentially, but it certainly wasn't a noticeably hard opening. It started after my first jump Sunday and that was just as smooth an opening as ever. I may have torqued it during opening somehow, but I don't think it was the opening force. BTW, saw a doctor, and I'm now enjoying the effects of vicodin.

After my most recent bout of jumping this weekend I'm having wicked headaches and nerve pain. It feels like I slept on my neck wrong or pinched a nerve except that it started during the day, not at night. My internet sleuthing skills (no, I haven't been to a doctor) have led me to believe that the offending nerve is the occipital. I didn't have a hard opening, and there's the possibility that I may have tweaked it when looking around under canopy or something, but the more I think about it the more I think it may be my helmet. I jump with a Phantom X which has a cool drawstring around the back of the neck and a snap fastener on the side of the helmet. The drawstring lays right where the pain radiates from and I think I may also be putting stress on stuff when I pull/jerk that string taught. So, my question: Has anybody else with a Phantom X experienced headaches and nerve pain like this? Do you have a more elegant way of cinching that drawstring tight without jerking your head sideways? Thanks guys!

Sweet! Can you take a picture of the closing pin in the closing loop? Apparently there's some feature that makes the pin/loop lower profile when closed up but I can't find a picture of it anywhere. Thanks!

Viso II and Optima II are designed to be paired, meaning there's very little/no feature overlap and they both work quite well. I'm happy with my pair.

D

I've only done one jump at Jumptown but I did AFF and got my license at Pepperell last year and I think skwrl's description is quite good. The people at Pepperell are great. Its facilities are showing their age, any other dz I've been to has newer/nicer stuff, but Pepperell has an airplane, a huge landing area, a private runway, awesome people, and a wind tunnel nearby. You'll have a great time at either.

I'd recommend Pepperell but it's pretty cold and icy right now. CPI does wintery jumps, so does Jumptown.

Escrow escrow escrow!!!!

I only have 59 jumps, so I'd be interested in some answers as well, but here's what I would do: If I found myself that far above a group I would dive down and get on their level (altitude permitting) so that I'd be in their line of sight OR I would track away (perpendicular to the jump run) and pull high. Thoughts?

My guess? Rigged to go under the shirt or photoshopped out so the logo (advertisement) on the shirt could be seen.

lol, this is hilarious! I've already induced 3 cypres fires trying to get one more point before decision altitude :) It uses google maps to let you jump at, what I believe, are real DZs. There's an altitrack and an audible, as well as some tunnel time at the beginning to teach you how to fly. The RW suits don't have grippers, which makes it a bit hard to turn the points, but that's pretty minor. The rest definitely realistic enough to satisfy actual skydivers. For $0.99, buy it. It's hilarious. And fun. And hard.

http://www.jumpticketprices.com/dropzones.asp

I like part 2 better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDYIQ8w5s4U

I have a newly stuffed container and am looking for a more glamorous place to put it than the ground. What do you guys do to store your gear at home? Do you have an aluminum pole sticking out of one of your walls? I'm eyeing this Kickstarter, think this could be good? Thanks guys.