PLFXpert

He he he....girl's just like to have fun, PLFKING. Pammi, you crack me up girlie! If you're really brave, you could just reach down and feel for yourself and then say "I was just wondering why you keep spinning. I see why now." HA HA HA HA! Well guys, I'll have to check back with you later, I'm off to the pool in this freezing rain to coach swimming. I am a warrior of the elements! If only there were a little lightning to help me get out of it....oh well, I really do love my job

My boyfriend would agree with you Grogs

Hey Froggie, I see you're an "Old Hand" now. Geese, Sangrio can't we come up with a nicer name than that???

Hey Rob, Well, I'm a scuba-diver but I must admit, in the last 7 months I've been a skydiver, I haven't gone scuba diving. I haven't given it up b/c I LOVE it but it is very expensive and right now, I'd rather blow what little money I have on a few jumps. I am PADI certified as well and I can tell you I recommend them highly if you decide to do it. If you decide to stick around Deland, though, most likely I'll be there jumping on the 21rst so maybe I'll see you. Much love and blue skies, Carrie http://www.geocities.com/skydivegrl20/

I have to add to Frank's Bwhaaaaaaaa! That is too funny!

Ha ha ha....why do you think most men dream of living inside that beautiful state? He he he....

He he he....that's funny, they keep telling me that if I keep skydiving, that gravity will make mine grow. Ha ha ha.....just kididng. I love my hand-fuls

Ha ha ha ha, I love ya, Frank, as always!.....okay, so I'll change my answer, after cashing in the winning lottery ticket, we'd be rolling around the bed, couch, kitchen and everywhere else covered in nothing but crisp 100 dollar bills....mmmmmmmmm, now there's a fantasy

Just based on personal experience, I don't think weight has everything to do with what makes someone a "floater" or not b/c at 5'7", 122lbs, most would peg me for a floater but I actually fall pretty fast (for my size.) Obviously I still need to wear weights sometimes to keep down w/ my group but when I fly w/my boyfriend who is 5'10", 160 lbs, I haven't ever had to wear weights (although my rig is bigger than his tiny purse he wears on his back.) It also could have to do with the fact that my freefly suit has very little drag on it. Who knows? My point is just that weight is not everything. Body position plays a role too. My AFF 1 I over-arched big time and like someone else mentioned, I could have touched my feet to my head and I fell very fast. My JM told me to de-arch some and on AFF 2 my fall rate was much different and my body positions in a much more natural arch. There are so many factors that play into fall rate: Body type drag on jumpsuit body position, ext. Now that I've said that, I have a question. I know that on the ground, muscle weighs heavier than fat, but what about in the air? Does that effect your fall rate? Much love and blue skies, Carrie http://www.geocities.com/skydivegrl20/

Since they won't spill the beans, we should all share our own ideas about what we think they're talking about. This whole time I've been reading their posts, I've been imagining they were talking about getting their Virginia's and Ding-a-ling's pierced. It's pretty funny reading their comments when you have your own idea in mind

Hey, I like Real World! Ha ha ha. I wanted to try to get on Road Rules when they came to UF looking for cast members but I was super sick when they came. Now I'm over it but I still don't think it's such a bad deal to get to travel to a bunch of places for free and do cool shit

ha ha ha....no worries, jason. Yes you should start pounding the beer but you'll do fine skydiving. Much love and blue skies, Carrie http://www.geocities.com/skydivegrl20/

Well, I'd like to be scuba-diving with Frank

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.......too sweet! Much love and blue skies, Carrie http://www.geocities.com/skydivegrl20/

No problem, Stich. I'm stoked for you

I guess it's unanimous that it's easier for bigger people but I didn't experience any stability problems either at 5'7", 122 lbs. I think, as always, it has to do with relaxation, no matter how big or small you are. Even if you have that extra belly to keep you stable as they said, you still need to be relaxed. You'll love it so have fun! Much love and blue skies, Carrie http://www.geocities.com/skydivegrl20/

you guys are too funny! I've been fighting evil for years but at least now I'll be dressed right for it

Geese, I think I'm the first to reply to all windtunnel questions so I'm sure most of you are annoyed with that by now but here I go again

I noticed a couple comments made about starting to freefly too early. I agree to a certain extent but a lot of freeflying is just as safe as belly. In my defense, I started freeflying at 30 jumps and have done mostly that ever since but I also had quite a bit of time in the tunnel (not freeflying) so in some cases, people may have had practice in the tunnel too before they begin freeflying. I don't really think any amount of belly-flying can prepare you any better for freeflying. Whether you are super good at RW or can just hang out and stay stable, as long as you can do just that (stay stable) then I don't see anything wrong with learning to freefly at a minimal # of jumps. However, I am still new to the sport and learning stuff every day so if someone has a point to contradict what I said, I'd be very interested to learn. The only thing I see that I don't agree with but there's nothing wrong with it, is not being well-rounded. I know a couple guys that started learning to freefly, mostly headdown, right off student status and now, at a mere 100 jumps, this one particular guy can fly headdown with the best of them but he can't do RW for shit. Even though there's nothing much wrong with that, I personally think it's cooler to be well-rounded. It may take longer to get really good at one particular thing but at least when you do, you'll be really good at a LOT of things instead of just one. Anybody agree? As I've said plenty of times, I LOVE freeflying but since I started, I still make sure to do some 4-way or something for a jump every few freeflying jumps just to stay current. (Although, I'm not exactly *current* right now but hopefully this will be the only time in my life from now on that I'm not. Money isn't everything but it controls 95% of everything you want to do....he he he...my boyfriend always says that and I think it applys here

I've been seriously thinking about it but my boyfriend is NOT game. I also was considering it a lot more at my home DZ where they are my family but now that I'm jumping in Deland....he he he...I wouldn't do it there

Ha ha ha....I'm sure our amphibious friend would look HOT!

I agree, safety is certainly top priority and no-one should ever be timid about asking for a gear check. I ask for SEVERAL every jump. There is a lot to learn, however, that they don't teach you in AFF (and I assume S/L as well, although I did not go that route.) and I'm still learning a million different things that I should be watching out for and paying attention to that make me wonder how I got by w/out knowing about them for my first 50 jumps. I think safety should be more of an issue in cert. courses. It is just as important as learning to fly. The number you presented (and I am not sure if it's correct or not, but assuming it is) concerning 20-25 skydivers deaths a year isn't a bad # however. Don't get me wrong, it is a very sad thing to see anyone in this sport have a mishap and pay for it with their life. I'm simply saying that in the bigger picture, with all the things you could be doing besides skydiving, a 20-25 people a year dying isn't a bad # to deal with and I give the sport and the skydivers props for not having more than that. I would have guessed a lot more. Much love and blue skies, Carrie http://www.geocities.com/skydivegrl20/

Froggie, No worries about a weight vest. I've worn one several times when doing RW and it's no big thang. There are also a lot of other ways to speed up your fall rate such as wearing a super-tight suit. As for camera-flying. I've met one very petite guy (he's about 4 ft tall, I'd estimate) and one very petite girl who are both very excellent camera flyers so no worries! If it interests you, you'll be alright. Much love and blue skies, Carrie http://www.geocities.com/skydivegrl20/ (trying to get a few posts in before I go off to slave at the pool, coaching

Hi Tracy, nice to meet you! So you're into skysurfing, huh? That is why I originally began skydiving sort of. I'm a 20 year old (not too far from being 21, thank God) wakeboarder/surfer chick from Orlando, Florida and I started skydiving last summer b/c I'm into extreme boardsports and wanted to learn to skysurf. That is, before I knew there was SO much more you can do in the sky than just that (when I was a whuffo, I though you either just fell straight down on your belly or you skysurfed.) I still would like to get into skysurfing but I've fallen in love with freeflying. I have 50 jumps (done in my first 3 months off AFF), quite a bit of *tunnel time* (the tunnel is AWESOME) and have only jumped a few times in the last 4 months although have still been at the DZ quite often, I've been out of work and haven't had any money to even feed myself but luckily, swim season starts TODAY so as of today, I'm back at the job, swim coaching, making that good money again and will be back in the sky every weekend starting in 2 weeks and also, thank goodness that now my swim company employs year around so I won't have to ever take a weekend off from skydiving again, I hope

I would LOVE to see a DZ open up in Costa. That would be like paradise in paradise. Much love and blue skies, Carrie http://www.geocities.com/skydivegrl20/