billydelgiudice

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Gear

  • Main Canopy Size
    190
  • Reserve Canopy Size
    177
  • AAD
    Vigil

Jump Profile

  • Home DZ
    Jumptown
  • License
    B
  • Licensing Organization
    USPA
  • Number of Jumps
    175
  • Years in Sport
    4
  • First Choice Discipline
    Wing Suit Flying
  • Second Choice Discipline
    Freeflying

Ratings and Rigging

  • USPA Coach
    Yes
  1. I do agree that snippets of advice from a scattered collective can be less than benevolent. That said, intellect doesn't need to come from actual experience. I don't have to make 2,000 wingsuit jumps to understand the differences in the opening sequence. Also, I think, given the original question I had in this post, it's silly to suggest AGAINST getting a custom container. I included a disclaimer regarding that because I knew someone would bring it up, but it may have been overlooked. Unless I find the exact container I want, and it fits perfectly, I absolutely am getting a custom container as my first and have no reason not to. To me, it's the one thing I should be spending the most money on - something that is made for my body, will hold my canopies, and will be my container for years. At no point soon (years) do I see myself wingloading up to the point of needing a smaller container. I'm already at 1.2 and feel no desire for anything cooler, faster, higher performance, more flashy, etc. I'm not one of the independently wealthy we all see at the DZ buying new gear making 10 jumps a day. I'm scraping, and I think the container is a good place to put the bulk of the money. Well, an AAD isn't too shabby of an idea either.
  2. Well yes, obviously I would correct someone regarding factual information that would be empirical in nature. But empirical information is common ground for any of us regardless of experience level. I've heard plenty of 4 and 5 license-digit skydivers passionately give factually incorrect information, which was later proven wrong in the SIM. I wasn't speaking about you patronizing anyone. Nothing direct there, sorry for the confusion. I'm making a general statement about those who seem to pat us little guys on the head like we're dumb to the world of skydiving.
  3. Sheesh. I didn't mean to start any shit. I don't want to perpetuate a debate. I just wrote a giant post on this subject but it exhausts me. I'll try and sum it up. While I respect and appreciate a certain amount of advice based on experience, PLEASE stop killing the sport for new jumpers. It seems everyone bases their opinion of new jumpers on the number of times that person has jumped out of an airplane before knowing the entire story. And if it isn't higher than yours, you're allowed to belittle that person. You don't know everyone's background. A skydiver with 50 jumps may have thousands of hours in a tunnel, meaning possibly many more hours of freefall time than you have as a D licensee. So when he posts something about head down, you might not know as much as he does. (I know the tunnel and the sky are different, but I'm making a point) I've been a pilot for years and I've NEVER discounted something a new pilot would tell me. 1. He's fresh to the material. I'd be stupid and unsafe to patronize him. 2. Every story has a lesson. If someone with less experience than I have can inform me of something from which I can learn, I'll be that much safer myself. Last week at the DZ, a student with 16 jumps was asked what he was doing before we got on the load. He said, "some freeflying." A freefly coach replied with a series of questions about the student's background, and advised the student not to freefly at this juncture based on his answers. He didn't look at the water gear around his waist and start dishing out a "you can't do that because..." lecture. If we had more of that we'd feel less alienated as new jumpers.
  4. Hey Olympia, I jump at JT too. I was the one packing in the shed this weekend. The only thing I would suggest (and the reason I'm offering advice while not having as many jumps as you is because I've been flying planes for 12 years) is learning about aerodynamics of a wing, which I imagine - and hope - is taught in any canopy course. Being a pilot has helped me IMMENSELY under canopy, simply because I had so much training in how and why wings fly. Changing the contours of the airfoil has massive effects on its handling and flaring a canopy no matter how big or small is the same as flaring an airplane; the physics are the same.
  5. Well it sounds like I'm not alone. Originally I had the straps too loose. I think the fix might be custom gear with wide straps and foam. I will try re-positioning them under canopy. Thanks everyone.
  6. It's a Triathlon 190. I'm definitely sure about soft openings. I've been slammed and for that reason I pack for my usual 800' opening. It's very slow and comfortable. A hard opening would be easy to diagnose but this is a soft opening PLUS painful leg straps. Maybe I just need extra foam in those damn things.
  7. Well to be fair, you have no idea what size I started on, so there's nothing on which to gauge my downsizing to begin with. The SIM, DZOs, and riggers all agree on a downsizing such as the one you listed. Starting on a 200 and ending up on a 170 at 60 jumps isn't fast at all; it's standard. To go from the recommended .7 as a student to a 1.0 by a B license isn't that crazy. A 200 to a 110, sure. Also, my question isn't about downsizing, it's about harness leg straps on a rig that fits great.
  8. On jump run, make sure that your leg straps are riding high in your crotch. Opening shock will slide them high in your crotch anyways, but if they are already high, then you will not get bruised. Ask a local jumpmaster or rigger to inspect your harness fit. Yes, I do this very thing exactly. It's helped a few times but not recently.
  9. "i was told to bend at the waist and pretend i was sitting in a chair and i usually reach behind my legs and pull the leg straps down the back of my legs towards my knees." Won't that increase the risk of falling out of the harness? Even if it's only a slight increase...
  10. I completely agree. I didn't start on a 190, I've downsized slowly to a 190. I'm buying it to fit a 190 and a 170. By the time I can fly a 150 (I'm already loading the 190 at 1.2:1) I'll need to lose a few pounds and gain experience under canopy. I'm not out to impress anyone with hotshot canopy maneuvers. I also think it's kind of weird for someone with 10 more jumps than I have to be doling out downsizing advice.
  11. So I'm doing the whole "selling everything I can to buy my first rig" thing. I'm not wealthy so I can't just dump 4 grand on a new setup. That said, I bought a friend's main and want to spend the bulk of my money on a NEW custom container/harness system. Question is: Until I own new and custom gear, how can I avoid the EXCRUCIATING pain leg straps cause me?? I've jumped many rigs from student gear (Vectors) to brand new Javelins. Right now I'm jumping a rental Racer and the openings are destroying my legs. I cinch the straps down really well. I pack so my openings are extremely slow and pleasant. But once open, shit. Do I just have to sack up and accept that canopy rides are rough on the legs? Does this get better eventually? Honestly it's to the point of really ruining my desire to jump.