stoneycase

Exactly. Was out for a year due to a number of "inconveniences". Some might call them bad decisions... At any rate I just did the refresher course and felt the butterflies on the ride up. When the door opened though I just relaxed remembered the planned the dive flow, climbed into position, counted, and exited. The jump went well, though not perfect. No issues really, just wished there was more docking ;) Just relaxe and breathe. Remember to stay confident in yourself and your training. I swear, the game is 99% mental, in my opinion. good luck, don't forget to pull :) Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

Seconded...18mo after starting I have an A and ~125 jumps...I was jumping consistently for 12mo straight, visiting multiple DZs...now I'm pretty much broke, so for the last 6mo I've been out of it, trying to figure out how to get $ to get back in...excuses excuses I suppose. But one does have to eat and pay bills. Anyway, yeah a solid year, all the gear (some second hand, some not), licensing, training, travel, food, beer, etc etc....Quicken says I've spent $8525.05. I keep pretty good track of all my nickels, so I'd say that's probably 95-99% of all my skydive related expenses. I would say one of the biggest mistakes a new person could make would be to underestimate the costs of getting trained, licensed, and purchasing essential gear (alti, helmet, etc). It would be very frustrating to get half way through the Student Program, or get into the A Licensing Program and not have the $ complete it. Give yourself the tools to be successful, this is not a sport where you want to cut corners. IMO, skydiving has been the most expensive sport I've ever been involved in. In my experience I spent less on snowboarding, skiing, bmx bike riding, and mtn biking (on a per year basis). Obviously there are ways to have different experiences...But for example, you only buy one $60 lift ticket in snowboarding per day. In skydiving, you buy 3-5+ jump tickets a day...and even at the low low price of $16-$17/jump you will easily exceed a snowboard/ski lift ticket and burger. ...oh yeah, it was worth it Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

See this thread: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1144570;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread I had a pretty terrible experience, see the pictures and my post on the thread. Very similar to ChodaBoys.... My Advice: Examine the alternatives. Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

I have a similar experience to Muppets. I purchased my suit in 2004 from their website: 1st Suit - Arrived relatively on time, horrible stitching all over the place (see pics), suit waaay too short. I swear I did the measurements correctly as indicated on their website (had g/f take the measurements actually). Contacted customer srvc via email about the bad stitching. They responded promptly to my problems and said they would send another suit. Unfortunately they must not have read my entire email(s) because they sent me a suit with the same measurements (so it's still too small in the legs/arms) and some of the same problems. 2nd suit - Showed up about 3-4 weeks after emails. Less problems with the stitching (it still seems like they have difficulty sewing is straight lines...). Fit was terrible because too short. I don't like the "loop" on the back of the neck. I have no idea why it is there...I don't like the arm and leg cuffs (seriously who thought up this design...) I now have 2 suits I don't use (though I have jumped both, very unimpressed), and I've wasted approx $200. Perhaps I'll sell em, but I'd probably feel bad charging more than $50/each so what's the point anyway... Overall the customer service was above average and their response time was good. Overall my opinion of the suit is bad: taslan sucks, stitching is all over the place, cuffs on the arms and legs don't work, the loop on the back of neck provides yet another point on my body to get hung up during exit, and I feel like I'm wearing high waters every time I put it on. My advice: seriously investigate other options. (all pictures are of first suit, as it came of the box they sent it in...i think they forgot about the "finishing process...the second suit did not have the same stitching problems but it did suffer from other "issues") Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

Hahaha! I don't know, all I remember is Leon telling me "everything will be cool" on the ride up. Next thing I know we're out the door, sitfly going well and Leon is flying *everywhere* in *every* position I've seen/thought of and dozens more I've never dreamed of - all while maintaining fall rate and proximity. Definietely cool, very sweet. Highlight of the trip for me. Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

Since I know her, I guess I'll help her answer :) Yep, that's Timber when he was at Skydive Santa Barbara in '03. Speaking of which, I saw his pic in the parachutist awhile back. Hope all is well in Fla. Taln1Rgr - you are missed @ Skydive SB!! But keep sending me the hilarious NotSafeForWork emails (at work) I love em! Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

Here's a freefly exit, linked sit. http://www.skydiveelsinore.com/photo-gallery/new-1/joel5.html taken at the Elsinore Holiday Boogie during a coached freefly jump. I'm the jumper with arms fully extended. Probably the coolest pic I have... /edited to make CLICKY.... :) Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

How much was the ticket to 8 grand? What kind of Heli? I've been burning up inside trying to get a heli-jump. Sounds like a f***ing great time. Thanks! Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

LOL. Finally, someone has tapped into the real dangers....household chores and everyday life. /looks for stats on injuries and fatalties caused by taking out the trash and/or doing the dishes. Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

I definitely see your point. There certainly is a lot to read about on the subject (here and elsewhere). I believe that people create a risk factor based primarily on their own individual perceptions and experiences. For example, there is no way in hell I'm driving the lane in a pickup basketball game in Oakland, Calif. However, you might find me hanging upside down, out of the door, of a Cessna 206 at 12K ft. on any given Saturday/Sunday. Again, just my .02. Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

I think you're half right. I'm pretty sure that after the 2nd or 3rd meeting he realized that talking about the activities of the staff wasn't helping his situation. But he is a wiseass so I'm also assuming he did it for shock value :) I'm guessing he'll stop doing that now, considering that 5 carriers have either A) turned us down B) quoted high or C) not returned his calls. This group would be high risk in a McDonalds ballroom. My .02... Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

The supplemental insurance was Medical. I had to consult HR again (yes he's here at 5:30pm and so am I) for the answer and what he told me is that most insurance carriers will ask these types of "open ended" questions to try and determine what "they are getting into". Since I'm only 23, I try not to think about life insurance ;) Maybe when I'm 33. Maybe not. Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

I bet. I would have given anything to see the faces of everyone in the meeting. According to HR, the woman who lead the meeting on behalf of the carrier took a decent sized breath before spitting out her response... Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

Thanks! You can't go wrong when you show up to work in a Poison T-Shirt. Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

Hello All, Thought I would share a funny story that happened today at my office. Little background: I work at a small business in California with lots of young single guys, some fresh out of college. I pretty much fit into all those categories myself. So HR has been in the market for a new supplemental insurance carrier. HR & Finance go into a meeting today and one of the questions asked by the prospective carrier is open ended, "Tell me about the staff, and the staff's activities". My buddy is the HR Manager, here was his reply: "Well we have a lot of young single guys on staff. Some drive sports cars and some have motorcycles as primary means of transportation. There are surfers, snowboarders, kayakers, hikers, basketball players, etc." "Oh and we have one guy, he likes to to skydive - you know, jump from planes." I'm told that the look on the Carrier's face was priceless. The Carrier's response went something like this. "Well we could cover just about all of those activities except for one. If your employee wants to jump from a perfectly good plane on his own time then so be it, but we're not going to insure any part of that." The meeting ended shortly thereafter. Apparently my HR buddy has been getting a lot of this and he just now decided to tell me. This is the 5th unsuccessful interview. hahah oh well. I consider my insurance to be two things: My brain, and two handles - one red and one silver. Blues, James Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

This was a very fun dive for me. I remember exiting the C206 with the instructor nearby. I was kneeling, really on one knee, facing the rear of the plane. As I pushed off with my foot (careful not to hit the top of the door) I tucked my chin against my chest and it sent me front flipping/rolling all over the damn place. I can remember falling for quite sometime. When I was stable, after what seemed like 7-10 secs I looked down and saw 8K on the alti. We had exited at 12.5 or so. Just don't worry about it, that's my best advice. Get out there and just jump, if you don't present to the relative wind correctly, chances are that you'll end up "ass over tea kettle" anyway. Enjoy!!! Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

Just finished paying for new rig (used main, no cypres). Also: 3 Tandems, 8 Student Jumps (failed level 3), 13 more "certification and training" jumps, 86 more fun jumps, helmet, googles, gloves, FF pants, Alti3, and Protrack. At one point the Visa said $6K+. Woohoo, let's go get some beer. /dreams of money for FF camps and tunnel time... resist...resist...resist Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

damn y0. w0rd. my job sucks. Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

That's gonna be awesome, are you allowing uploads too? I'll check out that url - sounds pretty cool. Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

Dave, Do you have an FTP up? I've seen some threads on Ftp.skydivingmovies.com and I'm wonder if that's yours or not. Thanks. Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

I think you make a good point. With a limited # of jumps the likelihood of me having been involved in serious incidents is pretty low. As my jumping increases I may be involved in more dangerous incidents. If/when this occurs my perspective on what is more dangerous - driving or jumping, will most likely change. I was just trying to reinforce the idea that although many people point to the obvious dangers of skydiving, those same people forget to examine the "relative dangers" of something they do everyday - drive their cars/trucks/monsterous SUVs recklessly with little or no regard for the lives of those around them. Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

Ah crap...I've got a weak left shoulder. Dislocations resulting from indoor soccer and years of snowboarding. 3 dislocations from snowboarding in the last 3 years. No dislocations in mid-air or while landing, but these posts make me wonder how long I can keep saying that.... *sigh* surgery...physical therapy... how long was your recovery? Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

I can't believe you think that he's making an inaccurate statement! True story: Jumping all day at Skydive SB in Cali. Driving home, round 10-11pm on HWY 101S toward Santa Barbara (skydive sb is actually in Lompoc, 50mi away). 2 lane HWY, doing 75, music on, windows down, cruising...2 lights appear in the distance, in my lane. 500 yards away. No cars in front of me going my direction. 200 yards. Oh shit that's another car. Slowing down....100 yards oh shit that's definitely another car. Swerve left, off highway. See car go whizzing by doing 50-60mph. About 10 feet later it slams headon into a MBenz that was 5-6 carlengths behind me. No fatalities, nobody conscious. CHP on the scene within 5 minutes. I have to wait an hour to give a statement. "so what did you see" "f***ing headlights man, what do you think I saw?!" "so you swerved" "hell yeah, i got the f*** off the road" Damn women drivers.... /takes back all negative comments about women drivers, except for the woman behind the car of the Ford Taurus that tried to kill me in 2003. Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

Check this link out and download the program. http://skyjuggler.com/drift/tech_details.html Nice little program I found on the web, it's not mine so I deserve zero credit. It's a freefall simulator. Input some information and bang the program displays a simulated freefall using the information you provide. You might also want to give it to your BF he might get a kick out of it. It definitely opened my eyes as far as the exit progression goes. I would also imagine this would be good for you because you are a student, and anything that can "bring to life" what you are being taught is a good thing. There's more info on how to use the program on the web. Of course some exceptions are out there. Hit up Google and look for "freefall simulator". Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell

Hey Everybody, I got some new information on Mirage leadtimes that was actively passed to me by one of their reps. Their leadtime right now is no more than 6 weeks. If you have any questions you can call Mirage and ask to speak with Justin Thornton. I wanted to pass this information along, because I posted some previous information about their leadtimes and I think I have a responsibility to post the current information. Especially when the current information is passed to me by one of their employees. My personal preference for a container with a quick delivery time is Infinity. Head on over to www.velocityrigs.com and check them out for yourself. Does whisky count as beer? - Homer There's no justice like angry mob justice. - Skinner Be careful. There's a limited future in low pulls - JohnMitchell