betzilla

I can see that point, but I think I would just assume the nickname came from something really funny you did back when you sucked. I would give you a chance. I know a guy whose nickname is "spinningJim." He earned that nickname as a student, but he's now a fine skydiver -- everyone on his DZ would agree.

Weird. I can't imagine how that would happen except during packing -- you'd need the container and main compressed, but the closing loop extended in order for the pin to get its eye through the closing loop. Not necessarily blaming the packer, as a thorough gear check on the ground, before gearing up, should have (in a perfect world) caught this. But a lot can happen when people are distracted or rushed, so who knows... But it's a good argument for: Finger trapped closing loops, with the loop part small enough that the pin's eye can't pass thru. And of course they should be the proper length, not loose. Thorough gear checks on every single jump, before gearing up. I'm so glad your friend is okay! Handles and freebags are replaceable, but pals aren't.

I have plenty of jumps, and although i know a line over can often be cleared, I'd bet you dollars to donuts I'll just cut that crap away if i ever have one.

I'll have to vote for Illinois in the warm months, and Guerrero, Mexico in the Winter. SDC Ixtapa Boogie anyone?

Pierce Brosnan. mmmmmm

YeeHA! You must feel so good about getting back to your hard-earned life, after so much down time. Congrats!

As a gear seller, I can't imagine telling a 200 pound guy with 40 jumps to buy a 170, no matter how "big" it flies. My conscience would haunt me -- I'd be waiting for the inevitable small mistake that causes injury. Hopefully you bought yourself a nice big canopy. People tend to want to buy the smallest thing they can possibly manage. I think that's the worng attitude (and I've succumbed to it too). Give yourself some margin for error: just because you *could* buy a 170 and be within one company's wingloading specs, doesn't mean you should. It also doens't mean you could fly it wisely in a sticky situation.

Dennis Johnson was my first and still my strongest influence. He was my first instructor, and always emphasized in words and by example that this sport is as safe and fun as I want to make it. Kirk Smith is my sweetie and my rigger, and has taught me to view gear with a clear, critical eye. He also helped me clarify the "to cutaway or not to cutaway" question.

me, me, me. I'm stuck in a windowless room at my DZ, watching all the smiling skydivers go about their fun day. *sigh* At least I can jump tomorrow!

There's nothing wrong with renting good gear for a while, until you decide what you want. When you have decided, you can find some incredible used gear deals out there. If you can buy it all in one go you'll be much more satisfied, because you'll be able to jump it right away..

Everyone sucks on their third jump.

My Micron felt like a slab of plywood on my back at first. But the harness was juicy and wonderful. It even made me look skinny.

I've sold quite a bit of gear in the classifieds here, and this is how I deal with payment and inspection: I will not send a thing without money in my bank account. As a seller, it just doesn't make sense to. BUT, I keep track of the packages in transit, and stay in close communication with the buyer. They have a full week (longer if they get hosed by the weather and can't jump their new stuff) after receiving the gear, to inform me whether they've found a problem, and get a full refund. After that, it's a done deal. Your rigger might know the rigger at the far-away DZ (they all meet each other at seminars). I would consider sending a rig for inspection, without payment, to a rigger I know, and with whom we've had contact. I would NOT send it to a complete stranger unless I'd been paid. But I have an advantage -- I work at a huge DZ, in the gear store. Everything we sell has been inspected by one of our riggers, and I always know with reasonable certainty that the buyer will be happy, as long as the harness is a good fit. This is because I make certain that they KNOW what they are getting -- and if there's a problem, they are refunded their money. But being a business, we are held to a high standard, because we want repeat customers, and the best way to do that is by making them happy the first time. I personally would be leery of buying from a private seller -- leery of being on either end of the sale. I wouldn't want to pay money for something I wasn't sure had been realistically represented. I also wouldn't want to send a rig out for inspection without getting paid. So what's my point? you can get lucky either way, but if you buy your used gear through a DZ, or a store like Square 1 or Para Concepts (that's me), you are more likely to get a reasonable price, because we price gear to sell. You're also more likely to get gear that's been well inspected and updated. I'm not saying you can't get a great deal from a private seller, but it's more of a crap shoot. But good luck, and happy shopping!

She wants you.

Try: for HALF the money they get all of this. One of the great things about the SL progression is that it's much less expensive, and makes our fine sport accessible to more people that way...

I couldn't agree more. I had the opposite experience. That is to say, I was a SL student, and if I'd started with tandem or AFF, it would have been ahot ride, but too overwhelming (and expensive) for me to continue. SL allowed me to take one small step at a time, and to learn quickly without being overly freaked out. I might add that I was lucky, and learned to jump at a small DZ with immaculate student gear -- i know there are DZs out there with sketchy SL gear, but they're not all like that

Happy Birthday, Girleenie!

I just talked with Kathy from Alti-2, and she has again blown me away with her fine customer service. The questionable Neptune we have here is on its way home for a checkup/repair/replacement. I should mention, that she called ME about it, after following this thread, and offered to pay the shipping costs. I have to say, although I didn't play with this one much (I want it to be set up the same way when Kathy receives it as when the jumper here used it), it seems pretty easy to navigate -- I don't think I'd need to stare at the owner's manual to change a jump number on the Neptune, like I do with my Pro-Track .

Level 2. All this endless "blowing around" sounds kind of fun to me... Anybody wanna join me?

I haev a cat that does that.

No, I don't know. But as an equipment seller, I expect that a product will arrive at my store in its final version and fully functional. I love Alti-2's viusal altimeters and customer service, but I'm annoyed with the Neptune, based on my current experience.

It did not beep on his jump, although the display on the screen clearly indicates that it is set up as an audible. Then after landing, he could not access the menu screen (I can't either). Moreover, the function that shuts off the on-screen display after 30 mintues doesn't work either. Not a good first experience with the Neptune.

I'm having the same problem. Although RWS is awesome with new container orders, the spare parts department definitely has some issues....

My biggest gripe would be that after selling one yesterday, it was returned after just one jump -- no longer functioning correctly. The guy returned it and bought a Pro Track instead.

I broke my leg early last season, and still haven't gotten my nerve back. I've made only 9 or 10 jumps since April, even though my leg is back to normal. Although I still love jumping in theory, I just scares the heck out of me now that I know what a bad fracture can do to me. I'm actually thinking about selling my gear, but I'm not ready to give skydiving up completely. sigh, who knows whether i'll still be a jumper next year....