Rdy2skydive

I've had cancer twice. I have one kidney and no thyroid. All of my doctors told me I could never play football, but they all know I skydive and don't have a problem with it. However, I would recommend you make sure that you clearly list ALL medical issues and medications on every waiver you fill out, even if there isn't enough room - make room, add an extra sheet, anything. This would be important information for the DZ to have ..... Have fun in the sky.

I've been using my Mamba helmet for three years and absolutely love it. It's comfortable and has held up much better than my Oxygen. It needed a replacement lense after about 250 jumps, which was inexpensive and easy enough to do. I do mostly RW but have worn it on the few sit-fly attempts that I have made. Several friends have purchased it on my recommendation and have been very happy. Definitely a good choice.

Congratulations Jim. You're going to be an amazing father. Hope to see you this summer.

I made 4 tandems before I started my FJC. I was really nervous too - esecially about flying my parachute. In fact I still get butterflies from time to time. One thing I can tell you - the first jump with your own parachute is an AMAZING experience. You'll be surprised at how much you remember too. Good luck and have a great time.

I had the same problem with my Sabre 2. It was a great canopy to fly but I couldn't stand the openings and had to get rid of it. Two things that helped: 1. Steer through the opening with the rear risers. Not recommended by PD but it made a difference for me. 2. Keep your legs together on opening. PD recommended this as it helps to keep your body more symmetrical during opening thus reducing the degree of turn on opening. For the most part doing both of these together helped a lot but it never alleviated the problem. I ended up buying a Spectre instead. Good luck!

If you both pull at the same alt, how is one of you going to be higher than the other? Quote No worries. It's not like he has the guts to actually go through with it.

Since I am the "wiseass" in question, I say ... Bring it on Southern Boy. But are you sure you want so many witnesses to your humiliating defeat?

When I decided I wanted to make my first skydive, I Googled all of the dropzones in New Jersey. A few came up, along with some NY and PA places. I called/e-mailed all of them. The only response I received was the from the owner of my now home DZ. The owner called me and actually spent over an hour on the phone with me, patiently answering all of my questions, explaining the tandem process, and talking about skydiving in general. I couldn't wait to make my first skydive. The DZO also became a patient AFF instructor a few months later. For me, it was the time a busy DZO took to speak to me and make me feel welcome. I guess it's all in the customer service. Since all the NJ dropzones are approximately the same driving distance, I could have picked any of them to jump at, but I'm still waiting for them to get back to me.....

Hey Oren, How are you? Interesting post. I've had 2 cutaways that were the result of a brake line releasing prematurely. Both times the canopy was spinning enough that I was getting dizzy to the point that I was extremely disoriented. Despite the fact that I knew what the mal was, the g-force was strong enough that my arms were pinned and I could not reach up to release the other toggle or grab the risers. I've probably had about half a dozen premature brake releases since I've started jumping. Most times I fixed the problem quite easily but twice I could not. Cutting away was not a decision I made lightly, especially since the second time I was borrowing a friend's brand new canopy, but I felt that I was at my decision altitude, spinning, and just could not control the canopy. Did I cut away too quickly? I don't know. I was harshly criticized for it, and received a 2+ hour lecture from the DZO on what I could have done differently. While I learned a lot, it was confusing to some newer jumpers who were eavesdropping on the conversation. What kind of message is that? I still stand by my decision. I think we do the best we can, with the information we have at the time. And I think the more we learn about our parachutes and flying them, the better equipped we are at responding to emergencies. No matter what, there will always be criticism. For what it's worth, I'd rather cut away and miss a weekend of jumping, then not cut away and end up a statistic with a post in the Incidents forum titled "Why Didn't She Cut Away?" Then again, people have chopped because the slider was making too much noise, or the wind was pushing them and they were flying backwards, so what do I know.

Funny funny thread. What about my favorite type of post: "Goodbye Everyone! I'm leaving DZ.com forever. I can't take the drama anymore. I'm writing to Sangiro tonight to get my Premier membership money back. I swear this is the last you'll ever hear from me. I'm not kidding, I really mean it." Then 3 days later they started a poll in the Bonfire about which is the best ice cream flavor.

I actually had someone ask if it's possible to eat while in freefall. I told her I hadn't tested the theory since the DZO does not allow food on the plane.

My little NJ town has an interesting history: 1. Has been around since the 1600's 2. First real copper mines in North America 3. First steam engine constructed here 4. Some of the Revolutionary War was fought here and in surrounding areas 5. Sopranos are filmed here and in surrounding area.

Also check out Tom Buchanan's book, Jump: Skydiving Made Fun and Easy. It's a great book and full of helpful information for someone new to the sport. Good luck.

I have a Wings and have experienced the same situation from time to time. Shortening the closing loop has always fixed the problem.

Didn't pass level 3 until the 7th try. If you can get to a wind tunnel, that can be helpful. Don't give up.

I've been to a couple of shows this year and have seen anything from semi-formal to ratty t-shirts and sneakers. I have worn nice jeans, jacket, boots or have gone dressed up a little more. It all depends on my dinner plans before or after the show. I vote for CASUAL NICE. Have a great time. New York is great this time of year. And don't forget to make a trip downtown to the Magnolia Bakery.

Thursday Nights at Puck Faire Dave Quote What he muttered.. Quote What he said.

I was watching the WTC buildings collapse- from about 10 blocks away. I can still hear the noise and smell the fire and smoke. Today is not a happy day.

I too have had this happen to me on my Wings container. Pretty scary when you have less than 30 jumps - the canopy actually opened out in front of me and I ended up in a belly-to-earth position. I was able to fix it by pulling on the risers. I don't know what made me decide to try that - it just seemed logical. I wasn't always packing for myself, but I noticed that it always happened when I had someone pack for me. It was always easy to fix, and now when someone else packs for me, I always lift the riser covers to check the risers aren't tucked underneath anything - not everyone sees the warning label. It's startling when it happens but it's never been a major problem.

And for seafood: Blue Water Grill in Union Square is fantastic. So is Aqua Grill in Soho. Also, check out Magnolia Bakery for dessert.

Angelo's on Mulberry Street in Little Italy is great. My other favorite is the Bridge Cafe in South Street Seaport, near the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a tavern/bordello in the 1600's. It's got an interesting history and the food is great. Have a great trip!

I just bought The Bean. It was my first infommercial purchase. I saw it on tv early one Saturday morning and had to have it. It's supposed to work like the exercise ball in strengthening your core muscles without straining anything. I don't know if it works yet. I've had it a week and still haven't opened the box. I blame the alcohol I consumed the night before for this purchase - damn slow metabolism.

Aflac offered me short-term disability and Mass Mutual offered a long-term disability policy but both excluded skydiving. I went with Aflac through work but the rep told me they will do individual policies. Good luck.

Sorry to hear you're having so much trouble keeping a girlfriend. You seem like such a great catch

A girl from New Jersey and a girl from the west coast were seated side by side on an airplane. The girl from NJ, being friendly and all said, "So, where ya from?" The west coast girl said, "From a place where they know better than to use a preposition at the end of a sentence." The girl from New Jersey sat quietly for a few moments and then replied, "So, where ya from, bitch?" I love being a Jersey girl.