stclaire2003

If you start a condolence thread can you be so kind as to give a brief intro so that those of us who hadnt heard can have some minor details? Was it a skydiving accident? Where? Was she sick? Thank you,

I bought my Mirage G4 this year and found myself complaining about the horrible fit and how one side seemed to fall off my body to the point that the right shoulder would slide off when I reached back to pull. .. Well.... it turns out, Im a freak of nature with one shoulder seriously lower then the other and i NEVER knew it. Mirage is teaming up to customize my rig for my freak of a body. They are really going above and beyond to help me out and they are carefully looking at the options to keep me flying straight, even if my rig is altered to the degree that it isnt even. Very cool of Mirage to do this....and it was well out of warranty.

I was really surprised to find that the only DZs in or around Las vegas are tandem only. I would think (being born and raised there) that Las Vegas would be filled with adrenaline junkies. Vegas would be a rockin place for fun jumpers. I called both Jean and Boulder City and both dropzones say the closest place for fun-jumpers is Mesquite. Mesquite? I wish I had money to invest..... Id make it happen.

Today I got the best advice I could have received on this very topic. I was reminded that Although I could theoretically downsize right now (according to Germains chart and my landings), would I really be ready for a smaller canopy in adverse conditions? I havent really experienced anything controversial in the sport yet. I exit at 190lbs and fly a 210. Yes, I could fly a 190 now but what happens when winds shift, or theres a near colision, or something crazy happens? That downsize could mean the difference between a sprained ankle or a broken one. So maybe that larger canopy isnt such a bad thing for awhile. I think for some people, the size of their canopy an ego thing..... Id rather take an ego-hit then 6 weeks in traction. Just sayin......

As for injuries and health insurance, heres my thought: Stupid Hurts. So dont be stupid and you'll likely enjoy the sport for many many years. Most of the jumpers I know have never had more then a bad sprain. (In fairness, I did say "most"). However in the event you hit a gopher hole and end up breaking a leg, have your buddies drop you off to the side of the road and call it in as a hit and run. . If your so badly broken up that the DZ calls life-flight to get you to the closest trama unit then you probably arent going to care about the bill when it comes anyways. Caution is healthy but your concern should be focused more on NOT getting hurt rather then how to pay the bill if you are. BILL SHMILL. Go jump, have fun and be smart about it.

Ok Shropshire..... thanks for your support and insight in answering my plea for help and not being one of these know-it-alls that just posts pointless rudenes for the sake of being superior. Your very right, our LANDING skills are not the same. I bow subserviently to your greatness.

Thanks doll. Im curious why one school starts students out with 190s and another school starts them out on 260's. There must be various schools of thought. Its just od to me becasue her and I weigh the same. Thanks for the advice.

I did my AFF in California and another friend of mine did hers in the mid west. We are the same size and shape however my AFF program started me on a 260, then 230 and down to a 210. Her program started her on a 190 and shes now on a 170. We both have similar weight, skills and jump numbers but she lands very well and I only stand about 50% of my landings. We also both fly sabre2's. I know the larger canopies are safer and more forgiving but I wonder if there are drawbacks to such a light loading. She never experienced the problems completing the flare (hard to stall the larger canopies), and she seemed to penetrate through wind easier then I did. Its entirely possible shes just good and I suck but is it possible that Id do better on a 190? My exit weight is 190. Im not in a huge hurry to downsize but Im wondering if im at a disadvantage with more over my head then I truly need> Thanks.

I will be downsizing in a few weeks from a 210 to a 190 and before I order a new canopy to demo I wanted to see if I could get some advice. Im new to the sport, 40 and female. My biggest concerens are having a canopy that is "forgiving" and also that it is has easy openings. I currently jump a 7 cel spectre and hear that I have the best canopy for thse 2 things. I dont know enough about different canopies but the spectre takes a FULL 1000 feet of freefall to open. Thats just a really long time. I love that it never spanks me but 1000 feet seems like an eternity. Is there any other brand (7 or 9 cell) that is known for soft openings AND tends to be forgiving for a newbie? Thank you.

I am a bit frustrated. I registered with the SOLE intent of buying a canopy and Ive been waiting for the 3-days to lapse so I can see the selers info. Yesterday it said I was registered for 3 days but still wont give it to me and today it says Ive been registered for 3 days and still wont give it to me. What the heck? Im not a scammer and Im not spamming anyone. Im sure the sellers would WANT my email and your more or less preventing a sale. Michelle

Im no expert but I bet most of it was in your head. Lets face it, your first jump is riddled with fear, anxiety and pressure. The ride is crowded and hot and the smell of jet fuel doesnt help either. I bet your body just took all it could of the adrenaline rush. GO try another tandem.... I bet it goes MUCH better for you.

Yes, I was given the 170 and according to the proshop I can use it in my current Mirage G4. It is however the lowest I can go without going to a smaller rig. Im not necessaily in a hurry to downsize. I just have a really nice canopy for free and if I dont really need to buy a 190 then that would be awesome.

Thanks. I agree that no one here has seen me fly. Im looking for a general school of thought from the forum more then anything. As a diligent student, I like to get a variety of opinions. At my dropzones I get 100 different opinions, and they HAVE seen me fly. Yes, I have Germains book The canopy and his pilot and have taken that to heart as well.

I jump a spectre 210. I am 160 pounds undressed. I have 65 jumps and land about 90% of them on my feet. The other 10% isusually on no wind days and I may slide in softly or dip to a knee. Never been hurt at all. The 210 is HUGE and hard to pack. I jumped a 190 once and it was fine but it was a good wind day also. I was just given a spectre 170. Its the same canopy but much smaller. Can anyone here tell me if that is way too steep of a downsize at one time and if you think my weight ratio vs my experience dictates I should jump a 190 for awhile. Thanks.

I skydive because I refuse to live a life of mediocrity. I refuse to let everyday stresses affect my life. I refuse to let fear rule me. I refuse to let my husband have all the cool toys and I refuse to grow old gracefully. Howz dat?