kat00

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Everything posted by kat00

  1. If you haven't done a wingsuit jump in awhile another FFC might be good. Generally people have a range of suits for FFC. Wicked wingsuits has some taller wingsuits you can rent and they have additional zippers on the tony suit version to control sizing. They can help you find something lower entry to try out. Otherwise you can get measured and order a custom suit from one of the manufacturers. I live in so cal and there is lots of good coaching at Perris. I think Lodi has a few good coaches. I'm sure Skydive California has a few as well just ask the wingsuiters there. Also for equipment, you will want an 8'+ long bridle and around 28" diameter pilot chute for modern suits. You can check with the coaching staff if your gear is ok.
  2. The short answer is you will get 100 different answers from 100 different people and they all work. The way you learned is how many have learned. I learned on the hatch to arch and keep the legs straight. The video you linked from squirrel/next level talks about speed and symmetry. Flying the leg wing, collapsing but straight or bringing the knees in a little all want you to have that symmetry. FWIW, I fly the tail with my legs straight through pull on the swift and ATC. I just don't arch like I used too. Just keep getting continued coaching and they can help with pull techniques as you get new suits.
  3. My DZ had a deal for AFF grads for basics like helmet and stuff. My helmet was definitely the first so I could get the full face and ditch the goggles. Digital altimeter came shortly after. I actually wore the digital and analog for a day since positioning was different. After my A license, I added the audible. Definitely, don't rush into gear. Work with your instructors on a downsizing plan. Then once you stabilize find gear for your size. If you want longevity look for gear that has the current canopy as the max for the rig. Then you can safely downsize it a step later.
  4. Congrats on the weight loss first of all. That is a big accomplishment in itself. I know this might sound weird but have you talked to a psychologist about your fear? From your story, it almost sounds like there is more to do with it especially since you have a loved one in the sport. If you do stick with it, I would recommend trying to crank out some jumps quickly if you can. Waiting a week or two brings back nerves. I would dread the instructor jumps when I started since I had to repeat a few. Dealing with wind holds, the work week and other stuff would just cause more anxiety to build. When I took a week off and jumped daily the fears subsided quickly and it became a lot more fun as I cleared for solo, got my license and started to jump with people.
  5. I was horrible to start and almost gave up. I ended up doing aff 2 three times, aff 3 three times and aff 4 twice. A lot of it was to do with my exits being a mess but it's different for everyone. It sucks that you have to pay more but the starting curve on skydiving is huge. You have had some ground instruction and about a minute of freefall but compared to many other sports its like you are already playing your second game. Just to put it in some perspective, a bit under a year and half later, I have almost 500 jumps. I wingsuit, freefly and was doing some 4 way training until I decided I was doing too much and chose to focus on wingsuits. It might be a rough start but if you stick with it and continue to get good coaching you can do amazing things :)
  6. I essentially moved to that visio pillow full time when I started. Sometimes I would pop it out into the elastic wrist mount if I was doing belly. I kinda liked the wingsuit setup for angle jumps though. Some wingsuiters just take the elastic wrist mount and make their own pillow like thing with the wrist mount. Others use the analog on the mudflap and then have the vision on the wrist inside the wing. It's easier to see that way under canopy. There are many ways to do it. I do tend to run two altimeters personally. One is the visio pillow. Once opened and my chest strap is loosened its harder to see. On my wrist I have a Dekunu so once the canopy is opened its easier to see. Plus you have your audibles. Find what works for you and just use that. If you look everyone is a little different in setup.
  7. I personally would have pulled myself off this load. I think that is a case where you should speak to the head instructor/S&TA or DZO. USPA has its importance as a general governing body. They can't control every load and that is where everyone has a part to play in making sure everything is safe.
  8. kat00

    Swift 3?

    It's not a night and day difference but it's a small step up. You have more wing but not too much. I think you initially notice the glide on it. As you get coaching and refine your flying, it gets way faster and more agile. The wings are a bit stiffer too with the foam which is probably what I noticed the most initially but I did the initial flights without the 5mm foam just to get used to it all. I'm super happy with mine and I think it's one of those suits you keep even if you outgrow it because its still fun to fly with other small suits.
  9. kat00

    Swift 3?

    If you prefer the Squirrel line, then a swift 3(if new) or swift 2( if used) is the next logical step. They have the Gus now as well to act as a mini Funk if you want a more acro focus. The swift 3 is nice. it has really good performance/speed while still letting you learn to backfly and do some fun acrobatics. Definitely, don't try and rush into a bigger suit like the ATC or freak. I think if you focus on wingsuit then long term a 7 cell is preferred especially as you get to bigger suits. A docile 9 cell though will work just fine with a swift 3.
  10. How is the 30" Skysnatch for standard terminal jumps? I was looking at getting one for a dual purpose WS rig that I use for belly jumps too, but 30" ZP seems a bit large for terminal jumps. PD warns that too large of a PC can cause hard openings and it seems most companies recommend a 27 - 30" F111 PC for terminal jumps. I've used my 30" skysnatch on belly, head up and angle jumps. It hasn't caused an issue. Keep in mind it also has a nice sized vent in the middle so its not a full 30" of zp. It's a very different design compared to the conventional pilot chutes. If you are worried contact your canopy manufacturer or squirrel and ask about it. I know Squirrel gets back to you pretty quick on weekdays.
  11. I love my SkySnatch. I don't have issues with pack volume of it compared to my original 28 inch conventional pilot chute that came with the rig. You can definitely feel the power it has if you do a snap test on the ground. In the air, it is a bit of piece of mind and clean extraction. It's just a recommendation if you are looking for a good setup. It's one minor piece but I notice more wingsuiters using them than not using them. I think a good setup should include one. The price may be steep but this sport is pretty costly and the 200 for piece of mind is well worth it to me.
  12. I don't think there is a "best". Just like with all container threads, it's a personal preference. If you want to optimize for wingsuiting you can get dynamic corners, a semi stowless D bag and Squirrel Skysnatch Pilot chute. If you want to further optimize your setup go for a low bulk/low pack volume main like epicene, horizon or pilot 7 which would then reduce container size. Personally, I fly an Aerodyne Icon V with dynamic corners, semi stowless bag, squirrel skysnatch and a 190 safire 3. It might not be the best but it works for me now. Wingsuits I fly the Swift 3 and moving up to an ATC soon to put it in perspective. It probably helps to know why you are looking for the "best" . The above options will help with deployments. After that its really the suit and the pilot :)
  13. I dont know what you are talking about, they use the Skyvans all day every weekend. They are running from load #1 through sunset every Sat and Sun that I've been there. It really depends on the weekend. There was a stretch not far back where one otter was in the hangar for a month or so getting repairs so they had to run a sky van on weekends. Also the big way weekends will often see one skyvan in use. There are a lot more teams training now so its usually the otters. Plus this weekend I hope its both otters due to the temperatures 100+ degree temperatures!
  14. Perris is nice with planes moving quick on the weekends. They have freefly Load Organizers. More vertical than angles but the LO can help setup an angle group. Perris has skyvans but they aren't used often unless an otter is down or bigways are flying. This weekend they would be literal sweat boxes due to the heat forecast. Oceanside might be the place to go this weekend for freefly and to beat the heat. They tend to focus more on tandems though which I hear leads to some longer call times. You can't go wrong anywhere you go in So Cal whether its Perris, Elsinore, Oceanside or San Diego.
  15. There are some nicer ones on amazon that block loud noise but let in normal range which I wear for sky vans. I wear them through freefall without any problems. Other people wear earplugs up to altitude and then put them in a pocket for free fall. As long as you can hear your audible in freefall, I don't see any danger in it.
  16. I know you can terminal jump an epicene but is the winx really all around 7 cell? There isn't any real information on max weights, pack volume and aspect rations. Plus it worries me there doesn't seem to be a US dealer to go through. It's also confusing since both Icarus NZ and Icarus world are supposedly releasing wingsuit canopies but I haven't heard specifics.
  17. If you are progressing and the only issue is wide legs you are doing alright! You can go to the tunnel and fine tune things. You have like 4 mins of flying so far and a lot of that is probably a blur still. Go in the tunnel if you want but body position is something that is a work in progress and you will continually fine tune. I think one jump I had wide legs then the next was too narrow. There is always something to work on in skydiving even after hundreds of jumps.
  18. It's really just a learned skill of adjusting fall rates so you get there at a nice speed but not so fast that you overshoot or dock hard. I know people with thousands of jumps that still have issues diving and docking so don't worry about it. To practice diving, have your friends jump out in a chunk 2-4 people and be the first diver out after them. You can even just dive after one person. Then as you get better you can move yourself back more for a challenge. You shouldn't have to go as steep as you make it sound. One other thing to consider is the group fall rate. If you are one of the lightest if might help you out to wear weights. A few pounds can often help level the playing field with different body types.
  19. the best advice I can give is just relax. AFF 1 has a simple dive flow on purpose because it is total sensory overload. You will hear this a ton about taking a breathe and it works great. I would not read too much on the internet. Keep your mind clear and listen to the instructors. For safety, make sure you watch them check your gear and make sure they check it in the plane before jumping too. On the ground while discussing dive flow go over things like landing patterns and current winds just in case radios fail. Just breathe and relax, it makes things much easier that way.
  20. I've never seen it. I think most people want to enjoy the jump and not drown it out with noise they can get on the ground. I see it in the tunnel and on the plane. With bluetooth now its pretty easy. I've always wondered if airpods would survive jumping but its an expensive test
  21. *** Practice flares in the air. You will do this in the B canopy course as you find your stall point. This helped me out a lot since I found I could take the flare a lot further than I was. Just don't try this near or below your decision altitude. You can also just have people you jump with film your landing. This helped me to find I was riding the brakes in a bit which slowed me down. Going to full flight on final helped me a lot too because you need the speed to convert to lift. Don't get frustrated though. You are newly licensed and on a new canopy. There are plenty of experienced people who have hundreds of jumps on the same canopy and still bite it. The flare will come with practice and some film critiques.
  22. here are a few edm songs that remind me of skydiving: Armin Van Buuren - Freefall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tjxh5cCfCFs Krewella - Alive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-gYJBsln-w Cedric Gervais - Touch the sky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBIBeTi9gk0
  23. The best way to meet people is to just jump. If you learn at perris stop by the perris organizers room and introduce yourself after you finish aff or even before if you like. They have some post aff coaching that is free and beats doing solo jumps. Then once you get your A license they can organize you in small group jumps. You will learn a lot jumping with them and getting video debriefs for free. Other than jumping, just talk to people while waiting for the plane or while packing your gear up. Don't be afraid to ask questions there either. Perris has some of the best people in all the disciplines whether its belly, freefly, wingsuiting, base or canopy piloting.
  24. It's actually quite small for all it does. Obviously bigger than a visio but the 2.4 inch screen is nice. https://dekunu.tech/tech-specs/#tech-specs-1 (has the size info) . They are supposedly coming out with a mudflap/wingsuit mount soon
  25. I have one and would recommend it for people who enjoy new tech items. There is so much info it shows like ground speed as you are in the plane. Then it switches to very visible altitude as you fall and then canopy mode. Once you tether it to wifi it uploads the data for more analysis on their site. I say it's for people who like new tech items right now because they are working through bugs. The firmware updates easily on its own but there are still some minor glitches. I would guess by the next round of sales they do it will be mostly ironed out though. It seems like they have a good development roadmap and more features are coming. Again, I would recommend it. It's only 150 more than a visio II and already offers way more features with more to come.