Peej

Hey Linds! I'm 24

That's great advice, thanks Tom. Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

Thanks for the wishes t, your advice and support through the injury has been instrumental in keeping the smile on my face. As always your guidance is mucho appreciated

He he he, thanks cuz, working on healing up at the moment. My folks have been pretty cool thus far, they were a little upset when i first called and let them know about it but everything's cool now, especially judging by the cool gifts that arrived in the post this morning As for my sky family, i can't thank them enough for their support, in fact i'm heading out that way with a case of beer this weekend.

Thanks fish! As for your PS, ummm...nothin... Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

Aw thanks babe, birthday wishes and lovin' are much appreciated!

You now what the best thing about those days are? That they end when the sun goes down. Tomorrow's a new day man, you'll feel better. Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

And have you truthfully explained them to your non-jumping loved ones? I’m interested to know. When I started jumping a year and a half ago I heard experienced jumpers say that if you spend enough time in this sport there’s a great possibility that you’ll injure yourself and even lose friends during the course of your jumping career. Recently this statement started to ring true when I lost a friend to a BASE accident, bust my right fib/tib last weekend during a front riser landing and heard that a good girlfriend of mine had a cliff strike on a difficult BASE jump yesterday. She’s currently in the surgical ICU. I had a restless night last night while I processed all of this information. I remember calling my parents the week before I headed out to do my first AFF jump. I’d wanted to skydive since I was a little kid and this was a dream come true. They however, were less than happy and hoped that I’d jump once and then forget it. A few weeks later I sat them down and explained my intentions to keep jumping and just how safe the sport really is. I told them about AAD’s, this wonderful system called a three ring release, how RAM air canopies are designed to open and how we have not one but two of them. I showed them Crosswind and finished by telling them about this amazing AFF-I who has over 4000 jumps who was guiding me through the process of learning to skydive. They were a little happier and over the last while have accepted that this is my chosen sport. A couple of months ago while in the USA I mailed my folks and told them about my intention to go on a BASE first jump course. My mom flipped. So I mailed her a copy of Tom’s “Getting into BASE” article and pointed out how I was doing things the right way. She was a little more relieved (thanks Tom) and said that while she had come to terms with my skydiving she would never agree with my desire to BASE. Then we lost Duane a few weeks ago, I broke myself and Lisa had her accident. I now realise that I sugar coated the skydiving safety chat. That the potential for injury during front riser dives and the other associated canopy manoeuvres that I’m now doing had, at that stage, never entered my head. As well as the super-current cockiness that contributed to my accident. I remember telling myself that I’d never get cocky and firmly believed that it’s possible to go through your skydiving career without having a major injury. In some instances I still do. Of course you can do everything right and still get killed through someone else’s error. I guess what I’m trying to say/ask/urge everyone to do is to re-assess your abilities. Ask yourself whether you have the skills to pull on that front riser and make it through the turn, to jump the cliff with the difficult Talus/sticky landing area and answer honestly. Furthermore, sit your loved ones down and tell them about the potential for injury in your chosen discipline. Tell them there’s a chance that it could happen and try to prepare them for it. If you have done so, I’m interested to know what you told them and how you broached the subject. And what their reactions were. Sorry if this has gotten kinda long and convoluted but I'm a little confused at this point. I love the sport far too much to consider leaving but i think we owe it to ourselves and our families to let them know that it could take our lives or at least hospitalise us. Thoughts? fly free PJ ps. i wrote this yesterday and was procrastinating about posting until i saw Base813's post of similar nature in the BASE forum. Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

Yeah it's a great movie and would you believe an even better book? You can find it on amazon, try get ahold of it and check it out. Well worth the read. peace PJ Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

Hey Evelyn, I see you jump at Perris, you have some of the best free fly coaches in the world on the DZ every day. Talk to Eli, Mike or Jon, they are amazing flyers and just a few jumps with any of them will improve your skills dramatically. Get coached and then go drill the stuff they suggest. I coached with them while i was at Perris and my flying is so much better for it. Also get on the loads with the Load organisers, guys like Chris, David Gershfeld, etc are also damn good and have some great suggestions for newbie freeflyers. I was at the same level you are now when i arrived at Perris and the information and skills i gleaned from the experienced jumpers on the DZ has proved invaluable to my progression. Good luck! PJ Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

Well it's about time! Nice one bro

I just watched Jeb's BASE demo again so it's Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones right now Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

How about 106 and 107? Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

Many thanks to all of you! I'll probably have the camera sent to a friend in London who's coming back to South Africa in December, that way i'll miss out on having to pay import duties. Thanks again PJ Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

Hey there, Could anyone reccommend/ post some links to some reputable online camera stores in the UK please? I'm looking to buy a pc101, 105 or 109 and while the best prices i've found so far are in the US everything i've found there is in NTSC and i'm looking for PAL. Much appreciated! PJ Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

Dude, i read and re-read your post and it gave me goosebumps every time. In fact it was just what i needed after the crappy day i've had. I officially second that motion to hopefully meet you and shake your hand someday. Thanks.

Check out www.wavescape.co.za for a taste of surfing in South Africa

That's the answer i'm getting from most of the people i've spoken to, thanks dude! PJ Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

Hey all, This is the first time i'm posting in this forum and i'm hoping some of you can offer some advice. A guy at my home dz has a Sony PC10e for sale, he's asking around $780 for it. Could you offer some information about the camera/the deal? Is that a good price? (I haven't seen it yet so i have no idea of it's condition) Is it a decent camera to buy as a first camera? I've done a search in the forums and didn't find much on it and i've spoken to a few people thus far and have gotten mixed reactions. Some say i'm mad even considering it because it's so far back in the Sony PC range and others have said hell yeah go for it. Any thoughts/advice/information would be greatly appreciated. PJ Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

Sick suit!

I sat down and had this chat with my parents a while back, we all agreed that if any of us go and our organs can be used to help someone else we're all for it. The same goes if there is a terrible (God forbid) accident and one of us ends up on life support. We've all said that they are to be turned off. I think it would be mucho cool to help save a life after i'm gone. PJ Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

Just saw this after being away for a few days, congrats t

Awesome post squeak. Much respect dude. As for me, i'll have to give this some SERIOUS thought before i decide

I have to agree with you there Chuck, i had a close look at Dave's suit at WFFC and i must say it looked awesome! The quality of the workmanship is outstanding, definately on my list of toys - right behind a wing suit

Noice, i'm yet to hear it but i'll go check it out. And happy birthday btw! Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky