nael

Don't do it! I had a minor cold this weekend and our 4 way was training, so I took decongestants and jumped. Fifth jump of the day my ear didn't clear in freefall and was really painful. It didnt clear until I was on the ground, crying from the pain, then I couldnt hear from that ear for a few hours. I will never jump with even a slight cold again. It could have been way worse if I'd actually burst the eardrum, but I was lucky. It's not worth the pain, and your jump will go to shit when your ear starts to hurt because you cant concentrate on what you're doing. www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

I used to do rel work with an open face, but after being kicked in the face a few times on exit (I'm rear float) I decided it was time to get a full face. I also got a Z1. Very comfortable, easy to open and if you forget to close it before exiting it (supposedly) doesnt snap the lens off cause the lens can flip all the way back, which is also great under canopy. www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

If I was in the US I would love to give them a call, but sorry, no cigar. Got anything that makes a loud high pitched sound? Or maybe, just turn your phone off? I would rather people called them and annoyed them though! www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

What a freak. Some people are just weird. www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

Nice job on the jump! I jump at Picton also. Are you sure you had a lineover? I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I know lineovers are near impossible to clear. For those reading this worried about jumping through cloud, Picton ( in Australia) has special clearance to jump through clouds, which is great - until you hit ice and sleet! hehe I did a jump last year on my birthday in pretty yuck weather (but I really wanted to do it anyway, because it was my birthday!). Under canopy I passed through some snow, then rain, I couldnt see much of anything and it was freezing! Was glad to land and not go up again that day! www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

Hmm interesting. Glad I asked. Hijack - check your emails dave! www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

At my dz (in Australia) no one wears seatbelts in the plane. I saw one guy put it on a few weeks ago and realised then that I never see anyone use them (when I started jumping there werent even any belts in the planes at my dz). With that in mind, what would happen if only one or two people on a full otter load had their belts on and it crashed? Would the bodies of the other jumpers without belts cause some pretty serious injuries to those with belts or would the injuries of no one having belts on be worse? After reading this thread, I'd like to start using the belts on our planes, but I just wonder if injuries would be worse since you're then the only thing blocking the path of flying bodies. www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

I agree wholeheartedly with Lainey (Hi Lainey!). When I first started jumping I felt like I had no time for my friends and all I cared about was jumping, but then as time goes on you realise firstly that skydiving isn't everything, and secondly that your friends just arent interested in all the minor details of what you did at the dz. I didn't lose any of my whuffo friends when I started jumping and I made a whole lot of new friends at the dz. Good friends don't come along too often, turning your back on them just because of a sport isnt such a clever idea. When you want to spend a weekend away from the dz (heaven forbid) who are you gonna hang out with? - all your skydiving friends will be jumping. In short, you're experienceing a phase, it'll pass. www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

I'm not experienced enough yet. Probably will get some ratings one day, but probably not AFF - AFF students scare me! www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

I freaked out at about 80 jumps when I saw my first crossport - "dammit, I've torn my canopy! That's me done for the weekend" followed by my boyfriend going "um, that's a crossport you idiot". Oops. www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

I agree! My first thought was, gee am I glad I wasnt in the sky at that point in time! www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

Actually, a "Trad" is a tracking technique, where one cups air through his/her eyeball sockets. "Trad" is short for "Dude, that Track was RAD!!! Any more questions? Yes, do you ever post without using the icon? Me thinks not. www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

Every single one of them has been training with my 4way team, it's paying off nicely too! www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

One of my friends got engaged last week, I just had an awesome weekend of 4way with my team and we've got the State Meet this weekend AND I just got an awesome job which means I can leave my boring job in 2 weeks! www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

Glad I didn't read your post before actually doing just that.... So then you say that it is worth it to tug on the bridle in the hope of dislodging the pin? I was always taught that it's a waste of time and to accept it as it is and deal with it. Many instructors have told me this. You mentioned the materials you used were very different from today's PC materials, doesn't that mean today's will react differently when conducting the same tests? I don't want you to think I'm targetting you or anything, I just want to know if I should rethink my EP's for this scenario. www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

Perhaps it had something to do with keeping the passengers calm and not trying to scare the pants off them, thus causeing even more panic throughout the plane. I think they did the right thing shutting those monitors off. www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

I said my tandem was a one time thing, little did I know! www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

Maybe I havent made myself clear. I never said people shouldn't do multiple disciplines, I said that you will be better at the discipline you choose if you only do one (as a new jumper especially). Is that clear now? And Dave, I have to tease Matt - he makes me laugh! I couldn't think of a better FF for our team! www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

Music was a massive part of my life as I was growing up, all I spent my money on was punk/hardcore shows and cds etc. It's not such a large part of my life now, but I often look back and am very thankful that music had such a strong influence in my life. On a related note, I'm going to see a band next Thursday night that I havent seen in about 5 years. Can't wait! www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

For some people, going for it and challenging yourself and competition is recreation and fun. Exactly. I love competition, always have and probably always will. I like to challenge myself and that is the reason I started jumping - because it scared the hell outta me! We're all basically in agreement here I think. Of course participating in more than one discipline is a great thing to do, and if you read over what I wrote, I actually said that was my grand plan, but all I'm saying is when I start out at something I'd rather focus on one thing to build my skills up and then later move onto something else. It's all skydiving in the end, and when I do get into freeflying you can bet your ass I will be competing in that at some point too. For me, it's all about challenging myself, and I've found the best way for me to do that is through competition.

IMO most great skydivers DO do more than one discipline and they do it well, which is what makes them great, they just have a gazillion more jumps than us! And Skybytch - isn't comepetition fun? Seriously though, I find competition fun, that's why I want to do it!

If progress slows on one perhaps getting a coach or jumping with different people would help that. I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm just saying that doing one discipline over a period of time will make you more efficient at that discipline than if you've been sharing that time between multiple disciplines. I guess it all just depends on what you want out of skydiving. Personally I don't want to be a "good" skydiver, I want to be a "great" skydiver so I focus on one thing and go for it. www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

Eww, that was just wrong! www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store

He's mixed a Cypres with a canopy with a container and has "100% safety!". That, or he has a "Mirage Icarus Saffire Parachute" with batteries, a BOC and risers. I wanna see it! www.TerminalSports.com.auAustralia's largest skydive gear store