mattjw916

Look up the canopy's specs... or touch it... almost everything is full ZP except the Pulse, Silhouette, and other old stuff. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Just another thing to consider is how baggy your suit is... I find baggy suits make back-flying a chore and imprecise. I don't know what Orlando has on the rack but if you're using their suits try something a little more form-fitting even if the legs and arms are a bit short or you look goofy. That's not gospel or anything of course. That's just my own preference based on banging off the walls of a half-dozen or so tunnels. YMMV. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

I think the concept of "just because X is "legal" doesn't make it necessarily a good idea" would probably apply. In fact that applies to a lot more than just jumping with students. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

I think some of the CReW rigs are actually older than some of the freeflyers... NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

It won't by itself. Don't end up that out of control to begin with is a better strategy. Also, if you later find yourself doing some big (usually ill-conceived) group jump with a bunch of people, i.e. a horny gorilla, magic carpet ride, raft dive, etc... as you feel a rotation start to build, just let go and stabilize/orient yourself before you get tossed through the sky like a rag-doll. Plus, if you hang on for dear life until the formation explodes... it's a lot harder to get everyone together again, roughly back on level, and ensure a safe break-off with adequate separation. Just my $0.02... "zoo dives" get less and less appealing as you jump more. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

the position you need to hold in order to hover off the net is going to vary based on the wind speed forearms have little drag relative to the rest of your body so if you are "rocketing" up you are probably rolling your shoulders back and flattening out your back which grabs quite a bit of air... if you are extending your legs at the same time (even by accident when trying to balance out your arm input)... there's even more drag... and up your go. the exact angle of the arms is less important than just being able to hold a heading and maintain your position when you're first starting on your back IMO... just sitting there in a neutral doing nothing on your back alone takes time. the best way to fix problems in the tunnel is to pay for coaching and then fly a lot to build the muscle memory and "feel" NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Back-flying... I was horrible at that. That took a lot of tunnel to fix. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

mantis, 2 ways, burble hopping, spinning pieces, advanced entrances, walking on the net, walls, etc find a friend and do some RW... freefly if you want, it makes funneled RW exits more fun when you can comfortably fly in any orientation after only 1 hour you have a ton left to learn and refine NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

that was exactly what I immediately thought of too... NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

b but... I really wanted a butterfly... or an ankh... or a tribal... and a random Chinese symbol YOLO!!! NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

plus if you're really heavy it's going to limit the dives you can do to a certain extent... unless you're going to belly-fly with the freeflyers NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Thinner and dimensionally stable? Although they can snap with little/no warning. Personally I prefer HMA too since it packs up smaller and there aren't any cascades which means all the line stows are identical in size when packing (at least on my canopies). Packing my other Vectran lined canopy the stows just seem enormous in comparison. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

:4:0 didn't have time for more... made some awesome FS jumps then had to spend most of the weekend sitting in front of the computer watching people suck at their jobs turning what should have been about 45 min of work into 10 hours of BS! NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

seconded... NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

You won't enjoy packing a new "tight" main into a container with a "tight" reserve + an AAD. Can you do it? Generally, yes if you are a skilled packer, live in a humid place, and your main is well-worn. Otherwise prepare for yourself for frustration, excessive use of profanity, and paying to have someone pack for you. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Nope... that's like saying I look forward to seeing my airbags deploy so I hope I get into an accident soon. No chops and I hope to stay that way. Sloppy pack jobs sound like a nice way to damage yourself and/or your gear, also dumb. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Ironically the people that bitched about that picture probably would have applauded the same woman if she was topless and breast-feeding two of the kids whilst flexing... I wish had more free time to be "outraged" but I'm too busy doing something with my life. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Let's be honest here... it's rare that anyone lands unconscious under a reserve. The odds of landing in a nice freshly plowed wide open field, while unconscious, are even smaller if you jump anywhere near civilization. Trying to plan for obscure scenarios really isn't going to make you any safer (although you might feel that way which could lead to a false sense of security). Don't over think this. Reserves are boats to begin with. At 180lbs you could reasonably use a PD218R or a PD193R. For reference, I am roughly the same size and I had a PD176R in my first rig. The odds of even seeing your reserve is pretty small to begin with if you maintain your gear, don't pack like an ass, pull when stable, and jump a lightly loaded main. So ask yourself, in what scenario do you think an extra 20sqft of fabric is going to make a significant difference? What about 18 more will that work, how about 30, or why not 42 more? JP's advice was the most comprehensive: NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

you already have your answer... don't overstuff your rig bro NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

It's not about "go big or go home", swooping, or dick measuring to everyone though... a moderately loaded elliptical is just a lot more fun to fly for someone who knows what they're doing (without really incurring that much more risk). Jumping my elliptical 150 and mellow hybrid 170 back to back reminded me how much nicer it was to have a canopy where the front risers were actually useable and was more sensitive to toggle input with a much finer degree of control on landing. I'll probably add a 135 to my stable next year but that doesn't mean I be hucking 270s under it the day after I hook it up. For now the 170 is back on so I can dial it in perfectly before night jumps and have nice boring openings. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

pwned... hopefully nothing was damaged beyond repair NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

I agree the comfort is subjective at best but as Ferris would say, "If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up." The only reason I really recommend hip rings is that it should let your legs pivot more freely when head-up because you aren't bending the MLW (and it's a little more comfy sitting on a bench in a plane). A properly sized harness is more important than any of the options IMO... no one likes taking a chest strap to the face/chin on opening. Or more seriously, not having your handles where they're supposed to be when you need them most.

Never buy a helmet without trying it on first... goes for skydiving, motorcycles, whatever. If you can't, make sure the return policy allows for swaps for incorrect sizes without some sort of punitive charges other than shipping costs. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Any of the large DZs in SoCal, Arizona, or Florida would be able to accommodate this I'm sure. SDAZ's calendar is on their website: http://www.skydiveaz.com/ I would not recommend jumping into a large body of water in the winter in (for obvious reasons). Water training in the winter is going to be pretty chilly unless the pool is heated. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

the type of canopy I'm jumping seems to matter more than how I bagged it as far as openings go IMO I had a Nitro that would always open firmly (too firm for my taste)... my two Nitrons inflated slightly slower (different fabric type) and opened much more comfortably. They were keepers. My Pulse opens like a student canopy.. just leave it alone, no user input required. My Safire was the same way but with the world's longest snivel. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080