DoubleDogDareMe

Who here would know where I could find old canopies that were still in working order? i.e. the paradactyl, paracommander, ect... "I went to the woods because I wanted to live... I wanted to live deliberately and suck all the marrow out of life... And not, when I came to die, discovered I had not lived." - Thoreau

Thanks "I went to the woods because I wanted to live... I wanted to live deliberately and suck all the marrow out of life... And not, when I came to die, discovered I had not lived." - Thoreau

My experience level was not part of the question. I understand that most questions pertain to someone looking to do whatever they were inquiring about... I'm looking for the knowledge as to why YOU jump with what you YOU wear and WHY you do it. Some folks jump without... Im looking for your personal experience, not coaching. For me, I don't understand why people don't jump with some sort of seal around there eyes to keep wind from coming in contact with the eye but there's a lot of people that do. So, what's your experience with jumping different types of eye ware and in what conditions did you jump it? "I went to the woods because I wanted to live... I wanted to live deliberately and suck all the marrow out of life... And not, when I came to die, discovered I had not lived." - Thoreau

Eyeware: What kind of eyeware do you jump with and why? Can you jump with conventional sunglasses and if so, what would you look for? "I went to the woods because I wanted to live... I wanted to live deliberately and suck all the marrow out of life... And not, when I came to die, discovered I had not lived." - Thoreau

Thanks for this guys. I'm getting more and more excited about Saturday morning!! "I went to the woods because I wanted to live... I wanted to live deliberately and suck all the marrow out of life... And not, when I came to die, discovered I had not lived." - Thoreau

Thanks for all the replies. I have heard a lot of responses - both here and over txt/facebook/ect.. and for most people, they have their own way of looking at it. I guess im getting wrapped up in not having another "safety net" after a cut. To date, I believe it is courage that will make me feel better, not logic. That I can do. It did feel really good when a buddy of mine (ground school instructor and later "coach) patted me on the back and said with sincerity, "Now your a sky diver". I guess I felt it, just wasn't sure WHY I would want to feel it again. I suppose in the end it's not all about myself but those I share it with. The experience shared in the air very well might be the derivative of the comradery between skydivers on the ground. I have spent the last decade chasing companionship - usually things with an exotic nature to them. I figured skydiving was not only fun but the comradeship was palpable - even to an outsider. Though, up until my last jump I have question the cost. So, the week for me is my day job and I will be back out there this weekend. I think between all of you that have answered, not just on dz.com, I think I have found what I am looking for. Thanks OH.. and "jacketsdb23" - your right, that would be a problem! My error "I went to the woods because I wanted to live... I wanted to live deliberately and suck all the marrow out of life... And not, when I came to die, discovered I had not lived." - Thoreau

What I seem to be hearing the most is, "It gets easier. Now that you've done it, you know you can do it. Now there's no question you can't". Any thoughts? "I went to the woods because I wanted to live... I wanted to live deliberately and suck all the marrow out of life... And not, when I came to die, discovered I had not lived." - Thoreau

Just had my first cut-away on Saturday. Right now, I am fine with going back and continuing to jump - im going to jump again, that's a no brainer. My question is more of a personal one: Beyond everyone asking you what happened, expecting you to jump in your car and go buy bear, the superstition behind the bottle for the guy/gal who packed your reserve - beyond all that, what did it mean to you? This is a personal question now, I understand the concept of "getting back on the horse" and im not looking for a pep talk, I want to hear what happened to you through your eyes.. So what did your first mean to you and how did you deal with it? When your next move was that cut-away handle and you realized what was about to happen.. the thought that "after this one, im out of parachutes." Help me understand here. I need to figure this one out. Im fine if you would rather PM me. "I went to the woods because I wanted to live... I wanted to live deliberately and suck all the marrow out of life... And not, when I came to die, discovered I had not lived." - Thoreau

I was the one that bought a logbook the second I got down from my first tandem (Aug 1, 09) and have been at it ever since at Skydive San Marcos. This is me saying hello to all of you in the forums and I wish all of you well as we continue to chase blue skies and progress the sport of skydiving. As a side note, I am needing information about equipment and rig combinations, construction techniques and why some may be better than others, companies and their customer service, ect. Now, I am getting a lot of this information from those at my dz but I want to hear other opinions and beliefs based on their experience in the sport. PM me for my number and we can talk about it when you or I have the time. "I went to the woods because I wanted to live... I wanted to live deliberately and suck all the marrow out of life... And not, when I came to die, discovered I had not lived." - Thoreau