Emma

No, I can't, my boobs are too small and so is my hair...

Yes. But not everyone will agree with you ;)

I thought diet pills in the USA were as common as boob jobs, collagen and big hair?

I hope so. Just gotta balance the $$$ with the jumps..you know how it goes...It's all good :)

Hi Jo, Lucky you. The number of jumps you have is about perfect for first time in a tunnel - you'll be able to iron out any problem areas whilst having enough experience not to bounce into the net (too much - everyone does it a little!) 1) You can never have too much tunnel time . 2 minute sessions with at least 2 minutes in between is the usual. If you are with a coach who works you hard, it will affect how much you can take. I have done an hour a day for six consecutive days in the past, all one-on-one with a coach. This was divided into 2 minute slots, split into hour long sessions shared with other flyers. I was sore but my skydiving was a lot better at the end! As with anything, if you don't work as hard, you won't ache as much but equally you won't get as much out of it. 2) Depends on how you're doing. Jump numbers doesn't always give a good indicator I'm afraid,so ask your instructor. It depends on how quickly you and your friend learn. 3) Yes. Go to www.tunnelcamp.com. There are a lot of useful tips on what to wear/ bring/ expect, and although it's written (mainly by Airspeed) for the Orlando tunnel, most of it will apply to Paris. An often missed area is here: http://www.tunnelcamp.com/content.asp?id={E9B7DA16-CB3E-455D-9340-DAFF292F78E6}&cursection=01.12 - It's the program the coaches often follow in the Orlando tunnel which ought to give you some good ideas. Bear in mind, of these drills are best followed with an experienced FS coach in the tunnel, as this is what they were designed for. If you like the Paris tunnel, think about doing an Airspeed tunnelcamp - you will learn more than you can think possible. Have fun Emma

whaaaaat?

It does sound perfect. Anyone have details of dates and costs because I'm planning my Christmas with this in mind at the moment...

You can't skydive at the supermarket... ...and 120mph relative wind... ...and an addictive quality... ...and the propsensity to affect my bank balance negatively... Apart from that they're as similar as...ooh... tennis and steak...

LOL..yeah, kinda like that... I was thinking more like men or women, since both belong to the genus 'human' but sometimes seem like different species...and neither is better than the other, overall.

I'm sorry, perhaps I should have explained what is meant by a total malfunction, which is what my question is about. A total is where no part of the canopy deploys. For instance, a hackey not removed from the BOC after packing would likely cause a total. Someone stitching the reserve canopy into the container would probably also cause a total on the reserve. A double total therefore is where no part of either canopy deploys, causing a terminal impact. A reserve/main entanglement would be impossible in a double total. In similar vein and to avoid confusion, a partial malfunction is that where at least part of the canopy is out but for some reason is not functioning properly. Double total malfunctions, to the best of my knowledge, are extremely rare.

LOL... Pseudo-divisions are created when we try to say one thing is 'better' than the other. That's all I'm saying. Tunnel and freefall are different and imho neither is 'better'.

I heard of a guy on an ASPD tunnelcamp who apparently became v obsessed with practising his tracking technique in the tunnel...Wouldn't even stop when his 2 minutes was up. Then they realised his helmet was stuck in the netting...hehe

I've seen more people die skydiving than driving in the last 3 years, no matter what crap I hear about 'it's safer than driving to the DZ' blah blah.

Well..uh..I beg to differ. I think they both feel exactly the same, in terms of forces operating on the body. The feel of both is that of a 120mph (approx.) cushion of air. There is no 'feeling' of gravity in freefall, any more than there is in the tunnel. The emotional and psychological feelings of both are different though. And the view of freefall (except on a cloudy day in England ) can't be beaten. I think the tunnel can be just as much fun as freefall, in different ways. There are certain drills you can do in the tunnel that you can't do in freefall - and to some degree, once the full-on adrenaline rush of freefall wears off (as you get more jumps), the tunnel has other advantages over freefall. However, you can't do bigways in the tunnel, you can't go tracking, and you can't swoop your canopy. In the tunnel, however, you CAN push your body a lot harder and really be extremely precise about your moves on the airflow. That's a buzz in itself. I like both equally - I don't think one has to be viewed as 'better' than the other, any more than freeflying can be called 'better' than flatflying. We don't need any more pseudo-divisions in the sport.

Ever heard of a double total where gear was at fault? I haven't.

Anyone have any stats on how rare a double total is? Thx Emma

Like...you've tried so many times to make things work and it's failed, why waste your time again. Better to be alone even if that isn't ideal. It's easier to minimise happiness and minimise pain in the same degree. Today's world is full of the quick fix, the 'get rich quick', the 'Personality ethic', the 'smile your way to the top' belief. Maybe they have a point? If it hurts why bother to go there? A true leader looks outside the basic paradigms of failure they find in life and always seeks a better way. They try to do what they think is the best - to follow principles. The best path isn't always the easiest. It seems easier to say it's all bollocks because there is so much crap out there and so many false, insincere, scared people, but really, it's up to you to choose whether to be different from that or not.

You are a wanker.

A line has to be drawn somewhere. 'Practice' in a virtually identical environment to freefall, ie a vertical column of 120mph air,is about as close to a skydive as you can get. I doubt any skydiver would say that creeping or visualising is more similar to freefall than tunnel. The common sense ruling?

PHIL. Don't try and pretend to be normal. I don't think I noticed anyone else on the team printing off the randoms and colou coding them. And, if you remember, everyone took the piss out of you.... Please - say it aint so?

ICK! That rig is gay, and that chin is BIG!

You told me on Sunday you twat. Sure Airspeed and XL speak very highly of YOU! lol 'Yeah, we coached some Brummie guy with hair like George Michael...He's done a bit of 4way with the MoFoSumminks...' Hey! He's on the British team y'know! Had chicks all over him at Gap!!!

No, you have 457 jumps, I believe? COMPLETELY different kettle of fish. Mind you....who coached YOU?

YIKES! Does anyone remember this thread???? Good to see Skreamer hasn't changed.

Hence my use of the word 'generally'. But I'd put my money on a 2xWorld Champ being a better coach than a 300 jump FS coach at my local DZ. Of course some World Class skydivers don't make great coaches. And not all coaching styles suit all learning styles. Again, word of mouth (generally) is a good indicator, and can help you avoid wasting your money.