bluewaterstream

I jumped my Level III this weekend and passed! It was kind of funny, the JM's warned me that if I wasn't completely stable that they wouldn't release me. So, as I'm free falling at about 9,000 I'm thinking, "damn, why haven't they let go of me yet?". So, I look over at my reserve side JM for a hand signal and he's about 20 - 30 ft away from me! SWEET, they did release me!!! I basically just fell elevator shaft style to about 5 grand and pulled. AFF just keeps getting better and better!!! So, I have a few questions. When I returned home about 2 hours after the jump I cleared my ears for the 3rd or 4th time and I got super dizzy immediately after clearing them. It felt just like "the spins" when you've had too much to drink. I actually picked up the phone in case I had to call 911, it was that intense! It lasted for about 30 seconds and then I was cool again. I only have 5 jumps thus far, but this has never happened before. Has this happened to any of you? Just curious. My next question is less serious. I'm looking into buying my first jump suit and I'm considering a Kurupee (www.kurupee.com/ - is this a good starter suit? I'm looking to pay about $150. If these suits suck, any suggestions on another brand??? Thanks. ~ John (by the way, all you skydiving veterans on this site are so extremely helpful to us beginners. Just wanted to thank you all...)

Whoa there Bill (rehmwa) - you speak against Judd for ragging on skiers for stating that skiers aren't as cool as boarders and then you go ahead and essentially do the same thing against people that board. So, everyone knows that boarding is easier than skiing? Sure... I think you're both wrong. Funny shit, it seems that people that can't ski or board argue the most about which one is cooler. Fact is, there are 'cool' skiers and boarders out there that can shred a mountain. It's pee-on's like you that create all this unnecessary drama about what's cool and what isn't, which usually translates into if you suck at something than it's not cool...

On Saturday I went back to the DZ and tried my best to pass Level 2 again. Prior to this jump, I basically just kept visualizing the jump in my mind. I also spent one hour or so practicing my arch and exit. One of the JM's that I jumped with last weekend was there again this weekend and he actually ended up taking this jump with me too. Seemed like a good idea to me, this way he could personally evaluate whether or not I really improved any from last week's bittersweet jump. So, we ride the plane up to 12,500' and it's go time! I jump and have my most stable exit thus far, made a good left and right turn, and had a blast once again with forward motion. I cruised down from about 8000' to 6000' in forward motion and waved off and pulled at 5500'. The canopy was good, the wind was mellow, and I had a pretty good landing. So, I passed and I'm moving on to Level 3 next Saturday!!!

So, on Saturday I finally found the courage to jump Level 2. This was after an awesome Level 1 jump that I did 2 months ago. I wish I didn't wait so long. I had so much more fun this time, I was super relaxed throughout the entire jump and felt like I did just as good as I did in Level 1. Anyway, on to my question. So, JM 1 weighed about 200 lbs (6'1")and JM 2 weighed about 100 lbs (5'2"). My body position, particularly my arch, was a little jacked on this jump. My legs were a bit unsymmetrical at times. Is it possible that the difference in weight and size with the JM's holding on to me may have contributed to my poor flight performance? My thought is that JM 1 was probably falling a bit faster than JM 2, which may have put my body on a slight angle and therefore may have made it more difficult to keep good body position. Just curious, I'm not trying to pass the blame here. I know that I'm a newbie and totally understand that I need to improve my technique regardless. I'm just surprised that on Level 1 my arch was great (note: JM's were about the same weight) and on Level 2 I didn't pass because of a poor arch. I'm going back this weekend to kick Level 2's ass either way, but was wondering what you guys think about this situation. Is it a valid point or did I just have a crappy day! Probably just a crappy day! Oh well, it still was a sweet jump!!! ~ John

Thank you all for the info, advise, and encouragement. I plan on slipping a packer at least a $20 or so for a good packing lesson. Considering that all of the packers at my DZ pro pack, would most of you agree that I should just go ahead and learn that method? Not to be complicated, but from what I've read I think I would rather learn how to flat pack first. It sounds like it may be easier to keep track of all of your lines and may be easier for a beginner to avoid packing a potential line over. Keep in mind, I really don't know very much about either method. Any thoughts???

Hey all, I'm a total newbie with only two jumps, 1 Tandem and Level I AFF, and I'm probably going to sign up for Level II in a week or so. My concern at this point in the game is with the people packing my main and more importantly the reserve. I can't wait until I have the knowledge and ability to pack my own main! So, my understanding is that the packers at most, if not all, DZ's that pack the main aren't the same folks packing the reserve. I guess the folks packing the reserve have a special certification and I assume almost never pack a chute that will result with a mal, right? Shouldn't these people packing the main be just as good at packing as the people packing the reserve? I'm sketching out a bit, because a guy in my Level I class experienced a "line over" with his main on his first jump. I have no doubt in my mind that I can handle a mal, and will be expecting one with every jump, but I guess my question is do most of you feel better about jumping with your own pack job? These cats at my DZ pro pack chutes in about 5 minutes, that's insane! It frightens me that making good time and making as much money as possible is more important than the quality of their pack jobs. I think I would prefer it if they took a few extra minutes packing mine. Also, a few of these packers have less jumps than me! I'm an avid rock climber and snowboarder and I'm used to having my life in my own hands when doing crazy sh*t. I hate having to trust someone elses packing ability and essentially trusting my life to someone I don't even know. Did most of you feel this way when first getting into skydiving? Also, is it true that "line overs" are less likely to occur with a flat pack? ~ John