Maddingo

If only they would invent something easier for closing the container. Since I like my loop short and tight my hands cry every jump day. But can't risk safety over hurting hands. Sometimes I see people having loops so loose I can pull it trough the grommets with one hand. Scary stuff.

Yeah I realise that, but I have a free fly handle so I got some extra safety there. The material is the same as on Vectors etc. They had a rougher pouch before.

I used photoshop to assemble the correct reference photo, then just wrote it in the order list (every part which color). A dealer helped with this.

I also recognize landing as two motions. It is not smooth as mentioned by some above. Flare starts at 0:15. This was my first jump on this canopy, this technique never let me down since you can find that "surf" sweet spot on any wing while testing it in the air. The timing and transition from 1st to 2nd stage is very dependant on the weather conditions during the jump day. Winds, temperature and other variables.

Haha, nice one.

Did you actually try it? Put it on, compared it? I tried G3, Phantom XV, Kiss and the new Tonfly. The first three before I made my purchase. One reason is sponsorship and great advertisement. It is most popular because of it's price and it came in a period where it surpassed it's competition for a short while, that's it. It has a very thin shell, rubber locking mechanism and is claustrophobic. It fits a certain range of heads well but a lot of people have gaping holes around their chins from what I see in the plane, some have their mouths covered, others not... etc. Just try them all on and make your own decision at the end. I bet you 20$ that you will be most immpressed with a Tonfly. That thing is amazing, too bad I don't have the funds right now. For the G4, I'll wait for it to hit the market and compare it to the new generation of helmets before making a conclusions. Who knows, I might love it and it will go on my shopping list.

Another one preaching about G3 being well engineered while it's not. If you want premium quality it's Tonfly.

I use my full face helmet from AFF 1 onwards (the green can on the pic). But don't tell anyone I was not allowed shades though untill off AFF status, but I also did not like them at first. For suits, AFF instructors like to see you in a grippy one. I think you wouldn't be cleared for a FF or some other slick suit for a first few jumps. What if you are one of those crazy back spinners that can't get stable on their own?

And Britain, cuz they are special snowflakes and use both. (red is imperial)

Most mainstream rigs are good, as a first rig I think you should save money on the container as long as it is ff friendly. Rather buy parachutes that are in good condition. Saying that I've flown Volt's, Sabre 2, Pilot and some other canopies. Since you are interested in a Sabre I should mention it is almost the same as the Volt, save the money get the Volt. There is practically no difference. Both fly good and have a responsive strong flare, are a bit steeper and sometimes they just don't open well for no reason. If that does not bother you, you have my answer. I really have no clue why you would pay 1500$ for a 400 jump Sabre 2, when you can get a new Volt for the same price. 7-cells are different in flight they sink faster have a different feel to them which I personally do not like. But they are more predictable during deployment. You mentioned easy landing with Pulse? What does that mean? It is ADVERTISED as that but it comes down to your flying style. The flat glide and low response two-stage flare is very specific and very different. It has less stopping power than it's counterparts. The main thing is you gonna grow out of the first few parachute sizes in a blink of an eye if you jump regularly, so really try to find good value gear at the beginning. You gonna have time to spend big money on CF 3, Valkyrie, whatever later in your skydiving career.

You my friend are in my field. The standard chart does not apply to all people the same. The least to us big guys. The charts are considered as safe average, but don't take into consideration a lot of factors. A 1.3 WL on 190 for you is much less agressive than 1.3 for someone on a 150-135. Ask your dz instructors and riggers what they think about downsizing for you and your flying. And most importantly try a few jumps yourself and see how you react to it, learn to asses yourself. You will always have screamers against and the dz cool 65kilo dwarfs that ill shout "downsize man". If you can pretty much land in no wind, crosswind, downwind and be accurate while doing it I see no problem in downsizing If it is any help I'm making comparison video on Volts (185 vs 150), so you will get atleast some feeling how things react under a smaller wing. We jump pretty much the same height and weight.

Microscopic picture of sand. Now imagine that rubbing against parachute materials and you'll get a pretty good idea. Or rub some sand against your skin and see what will it feel like.

Yes

Then it is sad.

I don't know how can this even happen. Maybe you are affraid to ask skydivers to help you out? How about instructors that you jumped with? I am positive you will find someone that will gladly help you out. Just ask people. Anyone with 100+ jumps knows how to properly pack. I know I'd gladly teach someone new to pack a parachute for a beer I am sure there are loads of people who would do the same.

Yes, I'm quite happy with it to. Theese pics show colors more accuretly. It is Gossamer Green and Blue combination.

Welp, here it is. PS went the extra mile to double color it without any extra charge. Better pics soon. It is a never version with a longer yoke, they also made the pc pocket slicker for easier packing. This is the EVS135STD model, loaded with a 150 Volt (tight fit). Packed it quite easily for a tight fit and it is crispy new.

Just today I managed to get a crispy new 150 9-cell canopy into a new 135 container using that method (150 tight fit). So I additionally reasured myself that this is a good way to do it. Material is so much easier to control.

Roll packing technique is my go to for a long time now. It works on any size perfectly.

A perfect option for all people that have a bigger head or looking for a better quality. It has a thick shell, with external audio pockets, comfortable liner and no annoying under chin buckle. The visor is easiest to control from all the helmets I tried and it is easily removable. The tightening system is one of a kind and surpases all other methods of fastening. It also reduces noise by quite a large margin. The cons would probably be that it is quite sensitive to scratches, the liner is glued in and the price is a bit steep. The only helmet I would trade it for is the new Tonfly TFX.

Anything between 250 to 210 is pretty much the same. They all forgive mistakes, the only difference is in the toggle input sensitivity. Some are snapier (first 9-cell sport wings) than others (7-cell sport canopies, 9 cell student profiles) but nothing dramatic.

Tipping everybody is an American thing...

So after reading some recommend bench etc. No, don't. Fitness is made to strenghten your muscles, not your core or ligaments/tendons. DON'T talk to "certified" gym trainers, talk to graduated physiotherapists. They will know best how to strenghten your joints without risking injury. They will provide you with the correct set of workouts, maybe add some laser treatment or manual therapy if you have the bucks. I have a professional graduated physiotherapist in my family and can't stress enough how little gym trainers know about the actual structures of ligaments, joints, muscles etc.

I had a very bad time with my parents, but eventually they accepted my activity. After a few years when you are still alive, they see it is no different than for example bike riding, scubadiving etc. It is something you just have to deal with it. Most people see it as certain death and a selfish act. Which at the end it is. Skydiving is selfish towards the people you love and who care for you... but so is their necessity to restrict you in doing something you love. You just have to be laid back, non conflicting, patient and it will go away. They will accept what you do.

I use analog + optima II, feel much better with the two technologies combined. I have trust issues with things that run only on batteries that's why I haven't transitioned to digital alti yet. But a need may occur very soon if I'm gonna get into swooping.