Cloudi

I know it's difficult to listen to the "little voice" sometimes, but it can really speak volumes. No one wants to stay on the ground, stand down from that "iffy" group jump, or repack that "questionable" pack job, but experience will make that little voice much more persistent and one that you listen to time and time again. It will save your life if you listen. I've ignored it a time or two myself and was lucky to only experience relatively minor consequences. No more...I listen with both ears now. When you see experienced (especially non-working) jumpers sitting out, that is a very large "hint" that you should too. Glad to hear that your injury will only give you more time to learn, rather than a permanent grounding lesson. We all make bad choices from time to time. The ugliness of skydiving is that some of us don't get the opportunity to learn from them and continue. That's why it is sooo important to learn from the lessons written in blood before us. Don't repeat mistakes already made by others. Wishing you many, many more jumps and many, many more years! Heal quick and go at your own pace. Blue Ones! Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

Please tell me your profile (jump #) needs updating... And to all, what's with this "first incident" and "first recovery" stuff? How about sitting out when things aren't right and not having any injuries to recover from? Sorry if I seem like a bit of a "troll," but we don't want anyone to think incidents are the norm. They really aren't. I know many, many people with thousands of jumps who have avoided injury by making smart decisions. Maybe they're just "lucky." xlh883, glad you are relatively ok and will heal in about 6 weeks. I'm not saying that you did anything wrong, but it sounds like that may have been a good day to stay on the ground? Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

Excellent! Congratulations!!! How does it feel to be a skybaby again? Welcome back! Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

That's great! The Docs in our neck of the woods seem to be up on the most popular way to hurt one's self while skydiving these days. I went after an extremely hard opening for a hurt back and broken finger. He walked in and said (with a chuckle), "Oh, I heard it was a skydiving injury, so I expected to see a broken femur." Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

Thanks. Good to know!

I apologize for the thread drift, but... It sounds like you have it all figured out. I really hope that you do. Focusing on canopy control makes a huge difference in how quickly you progress your canopy skills and getting input from your instructors is very important. Good for you for taking this seriously. Many more skydivers would still be with us now if they had, too. One thing to consider, with your cloak of security at a small DZ and straight in approaches, is how you will handle less than ideal landing situations. They can and will happen. Don't you plan to jump at larger, busier DZ's some day? Now is the time to build the fundamental canopy skills you will need when you venture out. Learning from the mistakes most of us make as we progress is far more likely under a bigger canopy. That's great that you have successfully landed a 150 3 times. That particular canopy also happens to be one of the best flaring canopies in its class. A conservative canopy pilot can still find themselves in situations that require less conservative measures to land safely. Avoiding those situations is the goal, but they can still happen and knowing how to handle them correctly can mean the difference between walking away or being carried away. Can you consistently land the 170 or 150 within a few feet of your target? Do you know what to do if someone cuts you off on final or if you have to make a controlled, low turn to land in a tight spot off the airport? These are some things you need to be learning if you plan to land a smaller canopy safely (or even a larger one!). If you had to cut away on your next jump, found yourself off DZ at an altitude with little time to find a "roomy" landing area, would you feel comfortable landing your 143 reserve? The more you stack things against yourself with a smaller canopy, the better educated and trained you need to be about how to handle more stressful situations...before they happen. With a smaller, faster, more responsive canopy, you have to plan ahead and be prepared for the unexpected. Faster means less time to think about this stuff in the air, so you better be ready. What is "convenient" for you or others should never play a role in your decision making with skydiving. Canopy control or otherwise. Sorry for the lecture. I just hope you truly are thinking about all of these things as you work through your canopy progression. I would like to hear about your skydiving accomplishments, rather than read about you on the other forum. Use common sense. All those people keeping an eye on you will not be able to fly the canopy for you if you get in a tough spot. Only you, your experience, and training will be able to help you out of a bad situation. Lecture over. Back to the thread. The Javelin is a great rig. Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

Oh boy. I'm assuming (praying) that your instructors expect you to make many, many jumps on the 170 and 150 before they turn you loose on the 135. If not, there are some really great articles on the PD website that you should take a look at. Here are just a few that pertain to you: Choosing the Right Canopy (1) Choosing the Right Canopy (2) Wing Loading and its Effects Wingloading isn't the whole story. A small canopy (which 150's & 135's are) is still a small canopy and it will behave like a small canopy, regardless of whether it's a 7 cell or 9 cell, "square," semi-elliptical, or fully elliptical. Those are factors that will certainly influence the performance, but small is small. For your exit weight and experience level, a 170 is pretty reasonable, maybe even a 150, depending on how well you do on the 170 and depending on your landing area conditions (winds, altitude, etc.). It wasn't as big a deal for you to rush through the larger sizes, but now you need to take your time and learn many things before you downsize again. Among other fantastic articles in the Safety section of this website, Billvon has some great suggestions on the steps to downsizing here: Downsizing Checklist Take what I have to say with a grain of salt, of course. I'm no canopy "expert," but I do happen to work for them. I also don't know you and have never seen you fly your current canopy. Take your time. Progression in skydiving is not a race, unless you want to see how quickly it can be over. Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

Are you sure about that? It seems you may have been knocked silly a few times yourself. You forgot how to spell and complete full sentences. I hate to burst your bubble, but ANY canopy has the potential to spank you. Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

Having inherited my Mom's rather large chest...ahem...I think I can speak on this. I have never had a problem with my chest strap being uncomfortable. Before I had my harness resized and the chest strap lengthened (I know, it's comical), there was absolutely no room for adjustment. The only room for adjustment was pretty much secured or unsecured (gave me the creeps having the end of the strap that close to the hardware, let me tell you!). Even then, I never felt like my "girls" were going to get ripped off or anything like that. When gearing up, the chest strap was under them. Under canopy, the chest strap was above them. Maybe it's different for women with implants or piercings, but I never had any problem with the location of my chest strap on any rig I rented, borrowed, or owned. I hope you are able to find a solution for the location of your chest strap if you're having a problem with it, though.

Hide your sheep...here comes bigway! Have fun! Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

Not dumb at all. At least you're using your brain.

YMMV Easy question probably, but what the hell does that mean? Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

I'm not smart enough to comment on the logistics of what you're suggesting, but it seems to me that if the AAD is firing, it's doing its job and putting a canopy out there when someone has "scared" it with a low pull or doesn't have anything out at all. IMO, if you don't want two out, you have options before it ever gets to that point. The AAD is a last resort life saving tool. It isn't meant to do your thinking for you. If you want to prevent your AAD from firing, you simply have to pull well above its firing altitude. The longer your canopy likes to snivel, the higher above that altitude you should pull. Not knocking your suggestions. I'm sure AAD's will eventually evolve in the direction you have suggested, just not sure if it's a good idea. Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

You have a license, so the only thing preventing you from having people to jump with is YOU. I know that may sound harsh, but it's reality. It's up to you to get to know the fun jumpers and make sure they know you. I'm not a complete social misfit, but I'm not the most outgoing person, either. Somehow, I've managed. Of course, it's nice when someone walks up and introduces themselves and offers to jump with you, but it can be rare at some busy DZ's. Not because the locals are a bunch of snobs, but because there are so many students (tandem, AFF, coaching) hanging around who are just there to learn or train and visiting jumpers who have their own jump partners, that the locals may not pick up on you right away. I love jumping with new friends, but I am usually on one "mission" or another while I'm at the DZ. Sometimes I notice someone jumping alone and introduce myself, sometimes I don't notice. Your profile says you are in Florida, so if you're ever at Skydive DeLand and see a "voluptuous," sunburned, blonde girl with an OD rig, that's me. Come say hi!

This is awesome! For once, skydiving wins!

I couldn't find the article. All I saw was BBC FAQ's. Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

THAT'S what it is! Dang ol' butt/head fliers! Seriously, I think it's one part our image (as crazy suicidal freaks), one part economics, one part media, and one part incidents under "perfectly good canopies." Whuffo's probably think our equipment is crap, what with all the fatalities where "the parachute failed" and all. Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

That's why we bring the little redneck kids (gator bait). If the kids don't get eaten, the dogs are safe. Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

Put it back in its cage...and re-name it...whatever it is. Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

This, among other things in JoeG's post, bear repeating. Wise beyond your experience level, IMO. Practice, practice, practice. Don't feel stupid if you have questions. The only dumb questions in skydiving are the one's left unasked if you are unsure. Better to find out on the ground, than having to "self educate" in the air. Visualize your skydive going exactly according to plan, but don't beat yourself up if it doesn't. It's not a race. Learn at your own pace. Breathe. Smile. Do your best. Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

Are you kidding me?!? You were "rednecking" like a champ! The problem was, you had a real (very attractive, I might add) swim suit on instead of cut-offs and a tank top. You confused the wildlife. At least you didn't get eaten by a 'gator. Stupid tourists... Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

Many of the suggestions included in that article helped my openings tremendously! I was spoiled from my larger, lightly loaded Spectre and also had a terrible habit of staring up at my openings (they are just so darned pretty!). Downsizing, then switching to a more responsive canopy let me know right away just how bad my body position had become and how much work I had ahead of me. I had obviously been getting away with all sorts of crap that the smaller, more responsive Sabre2 just wasn't going to put up with. Hey, I wanted a more responsive canopy & I got it! Keeping my knees together and looking straight ahead (using mostly my peripheral vision to check for traffic) during the snivel and inflation worked wonders for me. It makes me wonder just how many others who are having the occasional weird opening could benefit from this? Until I downsized and then switched canopies, I thought my body position was pretty good. Now I know better and by making some small adjustments, my openings have greatly improved and I'm more in control of how my canopy opens. ...of course, my packing still sucks! I'm working on it and getting better, though. It appears the forgiving nature of my Spectre was both a blessing and a curse. Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

Any idea where to find this study on carpet packing/painted concrete packing or who did it? I've never heard this before either. Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

Coach ratings are nice if you can afford one, but I agree that experienced up-jumpers have so much to offer newbies, rating or not. I benefited greatly from jumpers who went with me in my "extreme" newbie days (still a newbie, after all!). Believe it or not, many newbies have the ability to know who is full of shit and who can actually offer them something. For the one's who can't distinguish the difference, there are plenty of instructors who will step in and let them know. These kind souls may not be able to offer formal instruction, but they can certainly bring a fresh jumper to the next level and still be safe. Kim Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

I agree with gmac324 that the line stows seem a bit short (especially for small, slippery HMA). PD recommends stows that are 2 1/2 to 3". http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/hrdopn.pdf Personally, I prefer large rubber bands, double stowed on all of my stows. Like you mentioned, small ones can stretch out and become loose. Large one's, double stowed, will need replaced from wear or will break long before they become loose. They're also much easier to work with.