sammielu

If its just a $ thing to hook a buddy up, you'd be welcome to reimburse your buddy for your jump ticket, or any amount at any dz, and be playing by the rules. If your buddy isn't down with that, you can reimburse me for any amount instead.

Remember this next time you see a new guy at a dz. Go talk to him, bring him in to the fold. You don't have to jump with someone to include them in the community! BUT: you can also grow your own group of people to jump with in whatever discipline you want. This is true of the most inclusive group of skydivers: CReW Dogs. If they don't have someone to jump with, no CReW. So they make more CReW jumpers by teaching their skills and sharing their equipment. It can work at any dz with any discipline.

Well this is all based on the assumption that each of them performs equally when needed, Cypress has been on the market longer and therefore has more saves, etc blah blah blah. Buy what you want. The initial price made a difference to me. As did seeing other people send off their AADs for service/battery/whatever. I dont want to ever be tempted to jump without an AAD while mine is shipped away. I'm a full time static line instructor now, I'm glad I made that choice. If you really think people for whom two jump tickets per year is a 'big deal' shouldn't be jumping, I invite you to bring that up with your packer.

IMO, when buying a product with a lifespan of 12-20 years, the annual cost is a factor. Cypress = $137.52/year plus 2 uninstall, reinstall, downtime, shipping costs. Vigil = $69/year plus a minimum of one uninstall, reinstall, and shipping (battery life estimated to be 5 years or 15k jumps so there might be additional battery costs) M2 = $66.6/ year with no uninstall, downtime, etc. Plus its cheaper at the outset. Cypress: ($1399+$160 battery + $160 battery)/12.5 years = $137.52 Vigil 2+: ($1320+$60 battery)/20 years = $69/year M2: $999/15 years = $66.6/year

New Vigils (Vigil 2+) do have to be sent to the manufacturer for battery replacement at 10 years. Its only once, but it does require rigger uninstall & reinstall, shipping, and down time. When I was AAD shopping, these factors tipped the yearly cost comparison towards the M2.

Students get cleared for solo status/self supervision as a part of their student progression. This means they can jump alone, without an instructor, and can also jump with USPA coaches instead of instructors for evaluation jumps as they work towards their A license. An A license enables jumpers to jump by themselves or with other licensed jumpers at any USPA drop zone (and ones outside the US but policies vary by country). Students at any level can only make student jumps under the appropriate level of supervision for their progress as a student. Each dropzone has their own method for student progression, and while it is possible for a student to move from one dz to another, the specifics are on a case by case basis for each location. To say it another way: the USPA has guidelines for what students are taught, and each dropzone determines how they teach it, so transferability and crossover of students varies.

Skydive Snohomish, WA has a chart for minimum separation. I find it especially handy for visiting jumpers who have ???? level of understanding of exit separation and it's importance. Further clarification can be discussed on the ground, but I'm glad there's a guideline in the plane that at least conveys "this is how we do it in this airplane".

Canopy flight is a part of USPA A license progression. Take a look at the ISP portion of the SIM, for every category there are free fall and canopy skills that students work on. These basic canopy skills introduce aspects of canopy flight, and using these different techniques are requirements to get an A licence.

All the reasons above, plus the riggers I know personally who have decades in the sport jump them. They know more than I know. Plus economically M2 is the best deal (when you consider the added time and money cost of taking an AAD in/out of a rig for maintenance).

USPA Coach course covers a lot of this material. Start by buying or borrowing an IRM, look through the coach course material, and take a coach course. This first USPA rating (essentially) teaches you how to teach. The rest you will learn through teaching experience, whether at the coach level or after you get a method-specific instructor rating.

You can rent or borrow a rig, you need your own helmet, altimeters, and suit to jump. Rent to stay current, work through the first downsizes moving off student canopies towards a 1:1 wing loading, and to see what you like. Wait until you understand the options offered for a rig before you buy one, and use the time you plan to be away to piece together used gear (just use a friend/family's US shipping address to use).

Here's why to have a pro pack for you for an example: they know how to properly distribute canopy material to fill the corners of the D bag, which will fill the corners of the container. I do not know how to fold a canopy into a square, with square corners, but my rigger does. Then have them verify your closing loop is the right length. On a Vector the grommets from the L and R flaps do not touch or overlap when the length is correct. Also, professional pack jobs at the beginning of a container's lifespan means it will break in/wear without wrinkles from average jumper pack jobs (if you're anything like me, that is - they work fine but definitely don't have square corners!). Its something you can't unsee, once you know what a weirdly worn-in vector looks like, or one with a lumpy packjob like when I pack and get more bulk to the left every single time.

Does it look the same when a professional packer packs for you? My vector looks like that when I pack it, but hand it to a packer and somehow that's not a problem.

My understanding from the SIM is that coaches can supervise the in air portion of all skydives after the clear and pull, but an instructor must conduct the ground training until students are cleared for self supervision (I believe this is the language used in the SIM).

You can either have rules or use resources (ie safety officers or qualified people watching the sky) to enforce common sense. If a dz has people watching for and consistently calling people out on dangerous behavior, common sense can prevail. Or, rely on rules and reports of rule violations from the rule-breakers themselves (ie whiners who want an exception to the rules because they're special) or other jumpers. ...IMO

Buy used to save money. Use that money to keep jumping and rent gear through that first downsize off of student status. Get an AAD. Ask a rigger to help determine proper fit. Consider buying a container that is the right size for canopies you will be jumping and sending it to the manufacturer to have the harness replaced to fit you. It costs about $400-500 and still adds up to way less than a new container.

I have 2 competition suits from Bev, not sure why you want a Magik; the web site says the only difference is no spandex on upper arm. As a newer jumper that is going to wear the hell out of a suit and hurry to pack in the suit, you want the spandex. Get a competition suit. What options are you considering and why? I will help but I'm not going go yo the Bev site, download an order form, and explain everything because in my drunken condition I will end up ordering a new suit because they're crazy on sale - if you go through a dealer who can answer all these questions for you. Yes you want the bigger booties. Yes you want an extra pocket on a suit you will have for years. Yes you want the extra tall zippers and snaps to save your booties from wear. If you ever jump when its warm, you want the liner. If its hot in your plane or while packing, you might want the zippers on the sleeves (but around here somehow that's a girl thing). Big grippers are worth it for 4 way but I choose to get regular size on the inside of leg. Stripes are cosmetic so that's up to you. Fit, fabric, and 'wings' or 'swoop chords' depend on your body size and fall rate. It's your suit, even if you add a ton of options and it ends up $450, it'll last you way longer than 450 jumps or even 900 jumps, so you're looking at less than 50¢ per jump- get everthing that sounds fun and that will make you love it and want to jump it. If you use a dealer, they will measure properly, answer all these questions, and show you samples of all the colors and fabrics (not all blues are the same, etc). If not and you're ordering online, contact Bev with a few specific questions and measuring instructions, and expect the suit might need to be sent back for adjustment because it takes experience to know how to measure properly. Sorry if any of this comes across with attitude, I've had a few beers and just typed everything I can think of. Add some specifics and I'll soberly reply again. Blues!!

Prime example of the importance of learning from instructors in person where there is more flexibility in communication tools than the precise wording needed here. A quick "show me" discussion would clear up the RSL thing real quick.

This might be a better question for next time I'm drinking with riggers but: Why can't we just put longer lines on smaller canopies? Wouldn't that help make them more docile? The physics is hurting my brain.

My rig is coming back from the manufacturer (harness resize from UPT) today! Just in time for reassembly before Holiday Boogie in Eloy!!! I am very excited. Also, UPT has great customer service!

Break off varies with who I'm jumping with, how big the group is, etc minimum is 4500 and that's 4way groups of experienced and current jumpers who have the skills to leave on time and track fast to gain combined separation minimum of 1k before pull time. Maybe my dz is more conservative than practical application at other places, but we really try to keep each other safe and thinking safe. Losing 5 seconds of working time because someone wants to break off at 5k isn't that big of a deal, I'd rather just jump again than ever take it low.

I get that, and I appreciate where this sport started and the stories that scare me to think of doing now. I'm lucky to share the sky with badasses like that. In my limited experience, there are more examples of old gear in bad shape than good. It seemed like the right thing to bring up.

Count me in as well! Definitely get your currency stuff figured with the dz though, I can't help with that.

Is there a different general rule? Do you have some constructive advice to add here? I'm not saying I agree with the general rule, but it is out there.

Container & canopies need to be inspected by a rigger to determine if they are airworthy after 20+ years old and 10+ years in storage. It is possible that this gear is past its usable life and a rigger will decline to do this inspection. The general rule for determining $ value is to deduct $1 per jump and $100 per year, so consider that before you pay for an inspection. Jumpsuit & altimeter I would post ads with pics and ask for offers.