Ether

When I saw the subject of this thread, I thought you were going to give this link. Quite pretty... Looking for newbie rig, all components...

Me too. While I am not averse to the occasional casual encounter, it is not by any means a normal part of my life. It is far more common for me to be with someone that I am close to emotionally, or at least good friends with. This is the part that baffles me. Your use of the word "screw" seems to indicate a level of contempt for sex, as if in this context it is only a very casual thing. A partner of mine, spending time with someone else that is special to him/her, in no way diminishes what we have together. I remember the old childhood song "love is something / when you give it away / you end up having more" -- isn't sex just an extension of love? PS. I don't mean to criticize your choices in any way; I'm only trying to reach understanding of your perspective. I find differing viewpoints of sex, relationship and intimacy to be quite fascinating and insightful into the human condition.

Yeah, that's one of the reasons why I'm selective. There's a fair amount of trust and respect required, and I want to know that I am respected in return. I don't need to know where exactly it's been, but I do need to trust that I'm kept informed of anything I should know about (and for that judgement to be correct). Looking for newbie rig, all components...

"swinger" is a bit of an overloaded word and tends to carry the wrong connotations -- e.g. rampant promiscuity, casual sex without meaning or emotion. Multiple sexual relationships within the context of something more tangible and emotional is not "swinging". Does your use of quotes mean you do not consider it a real relationship? So why aren't you okay with it? Personally, I just want to know that that dick is coming back clean and happy. If it comes back with a story and some extra skills, so much the better. Looking for newbie rig, all components...

Search the archives of this forum; there are many threads to look at. Dwain's original article is also archived on blinc, I believe. Dwain's super-easy wingloading calculator is: take your naked weight in pounds and add 100 to get the ideal canopy size (in square feet). This will include the "lower weight, lower wing loading ratio; higher weight, higher ratio" factor. Include a +/- 20 fudge for various conditions of the jump (size of landing area, strength of winds, etc). e.g. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=837209 PS. Since you are "looking into getting into BASE", I trust you have read http://www.snakeriverbase.com/GettingIntoBASE.pdf (which was mentioned on this forum again only today)? You don't specify in your profile how many skydives you have... [Standard disclaimer: I don't know what I'm talking about. Confirm everything with experienced jumpers.] Looking for newbie rig, all components...

This is drifting off topic. The original question was not "what is the best BASE canopy" (which is a good question, but comes up often so there is a lot in the archives) but "what is the best canopy for skydiving, if I want to hone my skills for BASE?" Any information or anecdotes in this area specifically would be appreciated. Looking for newbie rig, all components...

I'm in exactly the same boat. I figured that, unless I managed to find an old clapped-out BASE canopy, it would just be a waste wearing out a canopy doing too many skydives on it. Currently I'm looking at getting a Triathalon 195, which at my weight (135 lbs) is also about the right wingloading for a sub-100 jump skydiver on which to practice canopy control and accuracy. Good luck! Looking for newbie rig, all components...

clicky Looking for newbie rig, all components...

There's some really funny comments in the bonfire thread: "At the bottom of the photo is the roof of a building that appears to be no more than 100-150 feet below the jumper. That could spell trouble if the photo is real." "is the dude skydiving, BASE jumping or going through the park on his roller blades... Rollerblading would be the only activity remotely needing elbow & knee pads." Skydivers crack me up! Looking for newbie rig, all components...

The first article mentioned that there is a tower under construction in Dubai that is to be even taller than the Chicago Spire. Looking for newbie rig, all components...

It reminds me of that Swedish building. Quite stylish. I don't know about the wisdom of BASE jumping in Dubai, though... don't they give the death penalty for everything? Or for women, maybe they'd just sentence you to an arranged marriage. That might not be so bad.. find me someone wealthy. Looking for newbie rig, all components...

Yes, I should have added that I haven't yet dragged myself to a skateboarding/motocross shop to look at and try on various models. I'll report back when I've done so, if I discover anything terribly interesting. Looking for newbie rig, all components...

Is Dainese body armour reasonably unisex in fit? It claims to be, but I can see a few places where fit would be problematic for those of various proportions. What is the range of adjustability? Looking for newbie rig, all components...

Citations? I thought John Agnos held that award. Lots of people have gotten busted up doing BASE (some insist that all those that haven't, will do so in the future). Injuries, on their own, are not the mark of a bad BASE jumper. Nor are fatalities, although there are lessons to be learned from every one of both sorts. Looking for newbie rig, all components...

I went through something very similar several years ago, but not with an internet forum (it was a political party, actually..) -- I felt that I had gone through such an awful experience, taken so much abuse, that even after I had "left" I kept showing up at subsequent events to gloat and cause misery (look up "schadenfreude": very apropos). I eventually realized that I was essentially grieving over the loss of something that was important to me -- as soon as I realized this, I was able to deal with it and move on, without having to lash out at those I felt were responsible. It takes time though, but correctly identifying the problem puts one well on the way to being able to heal. Looking for newbie rig, all components...

http://www.cnn.com/US/9702/24/empire.shooting/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Hassan_Abu_Kamal Looking for newbie rig, all components...

Sure, for ten year olds.. Homoerotic humour kind of gets old after a while though. Call me a n00b, but I haven't seen any moderator actions that weren't justified... Personal attacks and naming of sites is just plain uncool. Personally, if stuff is happening that you're having issue with, I'd rather that it be talked about directly rather than sly and vague references be made. Looking for newbie rig, all components...

Four at NRG (#5, #13, #16, #103). Five at TF (#63, #78, #99, #104, #111). Keep in mind, however, that NRG is only jumped once a year (plus the occasional illegal jump), and TF is jumped year-round. Looking for newbie rig, all components...

If watersports don't get your adrenaline flowing, you're not doing it right! Looking for newbie rig, all components...

Yeah, but as I keep getting told, "skydiving is easy". It's so commercialized that you can default on thinking at every stage. In BASE, it's simply not possible to pay someone money to pack for you, to take care of your equipment, to rent you gear for every jump, to hold your hand every time. The barrier to entry is much higher, and not everyone is going to pass that barrier. It's not just a matter of having the time and money, but of having the brains. [That's certainly one of the draws for me. It's a huge challenge that I know most people can't meet.] Looking for newbie rig, all components...

I think that's pretty unfair to Tom, and a mischaracterization of what's going on. Because the money is not his primary motivation, he can be much more selective as to who he takes on, and make sure that when the novice is released back into his natural habitat he's really prepared for it. That's being responsible. Looking for newbie rig, all components...

I don't know of any jumpers on the island, but there's some good folks over here in Vancouver. I doubt there are very many good sites on the island as a whole unfortunately; no not much urban stuff is high enough, and also not very much in the way of sheer cliffs. I lived in Victoria for my first 22 years, so I can help you out with potential locations though; there are a few that are at least worth checking out (and I'm always looking for excuses to go for hikes back home). Looking for newbie rig, all components...

Here's what I would suggest (and what I would do, if I get to your point and I'm in your situation): Take the FJC. Or two. Come home, take some locals out for beer and tell them excitedly about what you just did and what you just learned. Ask for assistance with some local objects. And if they still give you the brush-off, move. Looking for newbie rig, all components...

> Actually more freefall is bad for newbies. Yup, good point. Jumping into dead air is very different from jumping into an 80+ kt wind [and as a skydiving newbie, I still can't even get that right!]. However, a longer canopy ride is generally a good thing, especially on an S -- it gives the jumper much more time to find toggles and deal with "minor" things like offheadings or linetwists that are still going to give a novice a heart attack. > PCA's or staticline jumps are not permitted at BD. I didn't know this, but I can see why. > The landing area is retaredly small for newbies. Hell it's small for a Pro Rated skydiver. I forgot about this one. Especially contrasted with the massive landing zone at TF, this is going to be a big deal for anyone who takes large flat fields for granted and the freedom to always land into the wind. > Nothing good about putting a stopwatch on a jumper and making him/her feel the pressure to get off fast. Screw the stopwatch -- just give them a good kick in the ass! Edited to add: I'm sold. I had previously thought there was a *small* chance that my first jump could possibly be at BD, but now I see that's dumb, even if the timing works out (and even that's probably too ambitious). Looking for newbie rig, all components...

I'm going to play Devil's Advocate for a moment. Why are first time jumpers at BD (876') bad, while first time jumpers at TF (486') good? Higher == more reaction time == good for newbies. Looking for newbie rig, all components...