Vapor

Okay, my new swoop-corded suit came in yesterday (yay Bev!) and I'm having the same placement/length issues. The 'plastic clips' sound potentially cool: what kind of clips? Clipped where? TIA Blue Skies W ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

Oh, but they do: http://www.paratec.de/Englisch/Seiten/News_E.html Square One can have them drop-shipped, but you have to ask nicely. W ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

This helmet rocks out. Admittedly, I only have 6 jumps on it, but here are my initial impressions: Pros: Space. It's like a living room compared to a Z1. It's a wide helmet, but the padding is nicely set up (and there is a serious layer of Pro-tec thickness padding) so you don't feel or look like Darth Vader (*coughHavokownerscough*) View angle: Peripheral vision is fantastic, both in FF and under canopy. - The visor release is two metal studs on each side of the lower visor edge, with a flared thumb latch beneath them. You need both hands to raise the visor (I do so after controllability check), but it's a breeze compared with the little latch button on a Z1, and easy to do with gloves on. Glasses would be no problem. Interior setup: There's a serious layer of interchangeable Pro-tec thickness padding, with two internal audible pockets, well-located over your ears and sewn into the liner such that I can't see tape ever being a necessity. Venting: Two mouth vents and two subtle pass-though vents on the rear of the helmet do a great job of providing airflow, without a claustrophobic feeling or any whistling in FF. No fogging whatsoever, even on the one cold day in Texas when I got minor frostbite on my fingertips (splitfinger gloves a bad idea) in freefall. It works: The chin strap feels secure, and I haven't had the helmet move around at all on exit or during opening; taken two door hits during overenthusiastic exits, neither of which I felt. Minimal paint scraping afterwards. Cons: - This is mainly cosmetic, but there's no place to tuck the excess chin strap webbing. The visor also sucks up smudges and skin oil, (from what I've seen) moreso than a Z1 or Oxygen. - No manual, care instructions, visor replacement instructions, or any manufacturer information in the box. An excellent piece of hardware, provided reliability holds up.

Ain't no reviews section for paratec yet... I suspect there will be soon. This helmet rocks out. Admittedly, I only have 6 jumps on it, but here are my initial impressions: Pros: Space. It's like a living room compared to a Z1. It's a wide helmet, but the padding is nicely set up (and there is a serious layer of Pro-tec thickness padding) so you don't feel or look like Darth Vader (*coughHavokownerscough*) View angle: Peripheral vision is fantastic, both in FF and under canopy. - The visor release is two metal studs on each side of the lower visor edge, with a flared thumb latch beneath them. You need both hands to raise the visor (I do so after controllability check), but it's a breeze compared with the little latch button on a Z1, and easy to do with gloves on. Glasses would be no problem. Interior setup: There's a serious layer of interchangeable Pro-tec thickness padding, with two internal audible pockets, well-located over your ears and sewn into the liner such that I can't see tape ever being a necessity. Venting: Two mouth vents and two subtle pass-though vents on the rear of the helmet do a great job of providing airflow, without a claustrophobic feeling or any whistling in FF. No fogging whatsoever, even on the one cold day in Texas when I got minor frostbite on my fingertips (splitfinger gloves a bad idea) in freefall. It works: The chin strap feels secure, and I haven't had the helmet move around at all on exit or during opening; taken two door hits during overenthusiastic exits, neither of which I felt. Minimal paint scraping afterwards. Cons: - This is mainly cosmetic, but there's no place to tuck the excess chin strap webbing. The visor also sucks up smudges and skin oil, (from what I've seen) moreso than a Z1 or Oxygen. - No manual, care instructions, visor replacement instructions, or any manufacturer information in the box. An excellent piece of hardware, provided reliability holds up. Blue skies W ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

Nice shiny FreeZR in the mail today; here's to Paragear for getting it out the door quickly. It's a *big* helmet. Not quiet Havok-big, but wide, all right... which I think has to do with the presence of real right padding. Yay. Fit is great, and much less claustrophobic (for my money) than a Z1. I'll post a review after I jump it this weekend. Made myself promise an evening of packing practice for each piece of new gear... ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

Mid-AFF I had about four nights straight of the same dream: full otter load, one of my actual JMs and I are AFF *instructors* for a student; we lose him at some point, somehow make it down first under canopies, and then have to stand there and watch him go in. I can't say I'd be surprised if that's a typical level-4 dream... blue skies W ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

Ah, film evidence of a mythical creature: the rare hot understanding whuffo! This rocks out. Excellent. W ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

Yeah, what is it with this sport and purple? I mean, I like the color, but it seems like every other person's jumpsuit is some purp/black/white combo. Just trying to move the palette as far away from the student suits at my DZ as I can. Not red shoelaces - red closing tabs on CMAX customs. Ooooh. ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

Which is your fave bad mockup of my eventual Bevsuit & FreeZR? It's horrible photoshop, I know, and a sacrilege against the original pic of bluefingers. I owe her a beer should we ever meet. Feel free to PM with specific suggestions... Blue skies - W ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

It was afterwards... my JM and I both landed off and a had a nice invigorating walk & agriculture lesson: walk *down* the cornfield rows. Walking across causes crop damage. It's such a multidisciplinary sport... blue skies - W ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

No worries! I failed AFF 4 spectacularly -- only saw one finger of 'legs out' and pulled at 8500. This sounds simple but deep breaths, and I mean serious, tantra-style deep breaths, on the way up helped me slow the dives down and not outthink myself. It's worth saying again: the punishment is the same as the reward. You get to jump again! blue skies- W

I can't claim to have enough jumps to make this statistically relevant, but damn, yo, if I never have to suffer a Sabre opening again it'll be too soon. I didn't want kids anyway. Probably a little bad body position on pull involved, but after 4 AFF jumps I fled to an Icarus 230 and think I'll end up with a Spectre for my first main.

Amen to that... although the CMAX customs ain't cheap, either. I'm also given to understand that some fun jumpers won't get anywhere near someone going out the door with boots; that's probably more about steel-toed jobs than these. I think I'm going to give the Vans a try. We need a shoe category in the reviews section.... blue skies W

Now, wait just a minute: I have it on good authority from skymama that skydiving is all about looking cute. I'm only at 14 jumps, so I plan on taking a while to get solidly in control of my body in FF before serious RW attempts, but you make a good point. I ordered a clear visor as well (which will probably take a while longer to show up from the UK); does it wear on the hardware terribly to swap them out more often than just for scratch replacement? The mirrored version was a little too G.I Joe action figure for my taste. Off to go consider form over function for a jumpsuit... blue skies- W

Start a self-congratulatory thread, end up with an 'Things Of Hell' thread. I think we're approaching talkback level, here. Okay, so, an actual newbie question: where should I be pulling, around now? I'm what you might call conservative, and getting more so with all the incident activity of the past week. These first two solo's I've been dumping at 4K... ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

"Only 6'1"?' Treasure those three inches you got on me, my friend. For us hobbits (especially hobbits who did AFF on a T-Bo) that Otter door is like the Arc De Triumphe. ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

Otter! Big, beautiful, stand-up-and-swan-dive Maw of Hell. 182: Kitty door of Hell T-Bo: Dodge Neon Sunroof of Hell C-130: Supermarket Loading Dock of Hell AN-124: Oscar Awards Stage Entrance of Hell ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

I shamelessly stole that from Skylord, and I hope he can find it in his heart to forgive me. But it's great, and true...hopefully not for too many more jumps. W ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

One day short of uncurrent and equipped with some new eggnog-based PLF padding, I return to the DZ. Shaky and hypoxic on the first load up; my JMs in their infinite wisdom have insisted on a coach jump. Rear float exit; I'm unstable, lose about 3K swimming. Finally arch out, dock, get level, dock. I'm always surprised at what a difference just eye contact and a nod from the JM makes in my confidence. Debriefed and back up on the next load. Turning the Maw of Hell back into just the door simply requires yelling 'woohoo!' as loudly as possible on exit, I find. No instructor. No pressure. No load of AFF tasks to remember. Just...flying. I literally can't remember a feeling that compares with this. Backloop? Sure. Barrel roll? Piece of cake. Flat track? You got it. The usual head-down spasto-track is gone. The usual 'sky-dreidel' maneuver after trying to turn is nowhere to be found. Again: flying. Altitude aware, in control, and flying. Clean pull, soft opening, not a cloud in the sky. Flared a bit high but stood the landing, first time. Made a proud beer offering and grinned all the way home. Here's to the kickass JMs at SSM and all y'all for helping a newbie sort things out. I love this sport. Off to hunt down that A... blue skies! W ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

Tinted black on the way! I'll post a review after I jump it. Props to Diablo for the tip - blue skies ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

So I'd finally flipped a coin to resolve my Havok/Z1 debate when I start hearing whispers about the Paratec FreeZR. Anyone who demoed one at Perris or Dallas have impressions? Are there *any* US distributors yet, esp. for the new mirrored-visor ones? ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

Very cool site, CMAX. What's their real-world delivery time like? I'm slowly learning to adjust my thinking from the 24-hour-rush whuffo world to our little bubble of hand-stitching... ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

This is a bit basic, but I can't find any back posts -- I've been wearing New Balance trail running shoes all through AFF and they cushion landing shock pretty well, but little ankle support... I'm still kinda twitchy on my flare and I'll take all the cushioning I can get. Anyone have a favorite pair of jumping shoes? ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

What kind of helmet did you get? I hear good things about Z1s, tried one on and my only gripe would be that the visor release is hard to push with gloves on. Anyone jumped a havok? Dig the Gibson sig, RR. ---------------------------------------- 'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.' - T.E. Lawrence

They were right: get over the level 4 hump and it's all good (and hella-fun)! No better feeling in the world -- although I may have to modify that when I get my A license. Can't wait for my first solo next weekend. Any advice on what a first piece of (post-altimeter) gear should be? Full-face helmet, maybe? Off to buy beer...