Ion01

I didn't consider the number of people involved. Quantity has a huge effect on price. Also, is there any reason why a full face bmx, with the visor removed, would be bad? Just curious if there are some specific design aspects that would make such a helmet none conducive to skydiving. Also, thanks for the suggestion, I will check out protech.

I am just wondering why helmets that are made for skydiving so expensive, particularly full face helmets. I know the fact that they are often carbon fiber and such is expensive but is it really necessary? You can get some nice full face bmx helmets and such for 60 dollars whereas the cheapest fullface skydiving helmet is 200 dollars. Is there something I am missing besides the materials used and a place for a audible altimeter? Would an openface skateboard helmet be acceptable? Even open face helmets are really expensive compared other sports similar helmets. Why not a BMX helmet? I am just curious. I am missing anything and are they really that much better for skydiving?

Wow, that is really expensive. So it looks like that if one were to simply get a nice radio and head set from radioshack that there really couldn't be any communication until one was under a chute as the vox setting would just send the sound of wind through the radio even with a full face helmet.

I was wondering if anyone has ever tried, or if you think it would work, to do this: Get a 2 way radio which would go in a pocket inside the jumpsuit with a line running up through the jumpsuit to a headset for the jumper. The jumper would wear a fullface helmet and set the radio on vox mode so that the jumper can communicate with the ground. Would the full face helmet dampen the noise enough to be useful in freefall? If not useful in freefall then surely it would still be useful once under canopy. What do you think?

easier or more difficult to fall in the standard belly first position?

For general free fall in the standard belly first position, would a free fly suit make it more difficult or easier? If you read articles on the net you get opposing views. So what do those with experience here say?

I just signed up to start training here in oklahoma. I start in 3 weeks! I had such a difficult time finding a place because of all bogus sites that they set up! Luckly I was thorough in my search for a place to jump and found they were bogus. Here are some of the sites! http://1800skyride.com/Skydiving/Oklahoma/ There is not place in oklahoma city: http://www.oklahomacityskydiving.com/ There is no place in norman oklahoma: http://www.thrillplanet.com/Skydiving/Norman/gift.html http://www.soaringsports.com/skydiving/Oklahoma_Oklahoma/skydiving_in_Oklahoma.html Oklahoma City again: http://www.1800skyride.com/Skydiving/OklahomaCity/gift.html

the value of the dollar is only going to get worse. With two up and coming raises in minimum wage the value of the dollar is going to hurt really bad and will impact everyone and make it more difficult for our country to bounce back economically.

Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it. I will ultimate consult our instructor as you suggest.

Newbie question- My wife and I are going to start training soon and she has EXTREMELY weak ankles. I was originally going to get her some motocross boot as she would break a leg before an ankle with those but I saw some say that you need to point your toes. Why is that? Should I go with an ankle brace that allows her to point her feet but not move them sideways?

Apsolutely! Lets also remember that every child is different, what works for one may not work for another (time-out worked for my brother but not for me).

And what references do you have for all of your statements of fact? Also, taking each sentence and commenting on them is not all that effective in that ultimately you have taken thing out of context rather than taking all the information as a whole and applying it likewise.

Also, although the letter is well articulated, it contains much false information concerning what is taught in the bible as well as many false assumptions. Read the above quotes from the bible. The old testament actually says that disobedient children shall be stoned infront of everyone as an example. We obviously don't follow the old testament today. God and Jesus are also very clear regarding love and punishment. Death in hell being the only outcome of disobidience. This is extreme punishment! Remember, God said that he used to "wink at such inocents, but now commands all to repent."

Let me throw a few things out there first. First, correlation does not equal cause. Point being that if a study shows that a bunch of kids are "damaged" and that the majority received spankings, that doesn't mean that spanking was the cause, only that they correlate. Could it not be that the problem is not that they are spanked but that the spankings are distributed for minor problems, inconsistantly, unlovingly, and/or out of anger? Telling a kid not to do something or you will take immediate action five times before you actually take action, then feel bad and give them what they want is what doesn't work! Kids are not stupid! I am a product, not of only spankings, but of spankins which were done in love and it was always made very clear why I recieved the spanking. Interestingly my brother almost never got spankings. Was this favoritism? Or maybe because I liked time out so then I could be alone and not bothered by my brothers, where as my older brother couldn't stand it. If they gave me jobs to do that wasn't so bad as I like working and accomplishing things, fixing things. I wasn't a trouble but thats cause I knew what was coming when I did something wrong, so I didn't do it. In fact I only remember 2 spankings for this reason. My teachers didn't keep me in line and teach me right from wrong.....my parents did (the teachers are there to teach the sciences and arts and nothing more. It is the parents job to make the kids behave.) I am greatful for the way they raised me and I can only hope to do such a good job with mine someday. Lets also remember that not all psychologist agree that spanking results in problems, when carried out properly.....and really, is it that hard to tell when it is not being carried out properly? or to tell who really is getting what they want and in control of the situation? Is it really so hard to love your child enough to do what it takes to help them to grow up with the proper knowledge for life? or are many to selfish to sacrifice there feelings in order to do the right thing for thier kids? It is painful for a parent, who loves thier child, to properly carry out punishment, but far to many are unwilling to go through this pain for the ultimate good of thier child. They simply choose to ignore so they don't have to deal with the emotion of punishing thier children. They blame teachers, society, and everything else but themselves for failure. I will leave you with a few more things: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, about 90 percent of U.S. parents spank, and about 59 percent of pediatricians in a 1992 survey said they support the practice. According to the academy, effective discipline has three key components: first, a loving, supportive relationship between parent and child; second, use of positive reinforcement when children behave well; and third, use of punishment when children misbehave. According to the National Institute for Healthcare Research, more than 80 percent of the professional publications attacking spanking were reviews and commentaries, rather than quantitative research. When analyzing the small portion of quantitative studies that included spanking, more than 90 percent of these studies lumped together mild forms of spanking with severe forms of physical abuse without discussing why they did so. Thus, the professional organizations which advocated outlawing spanking evidently made their decisions without the benefit of the facts. Mild spanking and severe child abuse are not the same thing. According to Physician magazine, spanking should be used selectively for clear, deliberate misbehavior, especially a child's persistent defiance of a parent. It should be used only when the child receives at least as much praise for good behavior as correction for problem behavior. Verbal correction, time out and logical consequences should be used initially, followed by spanking when noncompliance persists. Only a parent should administer a spanking, not another person. Spanking should never be administered on impulse or when a parent is out of control. Parents sometimes need a time out too. Spanking is inappropriate before 15 months of age, should be less necessary after 6 years, and rarely, if ever, used after 10 years of age. Spanking should always be administered in private. Appropriate spanking only leaves temporary redness of skin, and never bruises or injures. Spanking works, but must be used thoughtfully and carefully in conjunction with other disciplinary measures. Proverbs 23:12Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge. 13Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. 14You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from hell. Proverbs 13:24He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently. Finally, a quote from me when I was young (so young I don't actually remember it.) After watching a child throw a fit in a store I told my parents, "His parents do love him." They asked how I knew that. I said, "because if they loved him they would spank him."