joephus

Amazon gave me some good information on these boards, also Arnold Hohenegger the Chairman at the ISSA ([email protected]) was really helpfully in answering some questions I had about gear issues I was experiencing and procedural type information about exit order and separation.

I'm thinking about getting the Chroma to complement the audible in my helmet. Then I'm left with getting two Protracks. I figure I'll pick one up and just use that for awhile, it won't tell me if I'm out of bounds, but I think it'll work for raining. Luckily, I'm already a computer geek and don't think it'll be that hard to analyse the data. :) But yeah still expensive as I have to buy a whole new container system!

Yeah I switched over to a pull-out with Velcro added to the tuck tab for the pud. I know I've traded one set of potential problems for another, but I feel the potential problems with a pull out system is the better of the two.

Thanks for the info! Yeah I got put into contact with Kelly via another friend, and he mentioned the rigs he's done in the past for speed (I guess they were yours!). I definitely think it looks like the route I want to go. I'm going to need a different helmet as well. I have a full face Revolve, and the ratchet system keeps it in place pretty well even when I've gotten unstable. However, after I reach a certain speed, air just comes shooting up underneath my chin and directly into my right eyeball. It's hard enough that it has pushed my sun glasses off my face half way through the run. Any helmets you've found to work better than others? Thanks again!

Yeah, I looked around their website and it doesn't really have much information that would address my specific questions. BUT, I asked the same questions VIA the contact us form on their website and Arnold got back to me rather quickly. Apparently, no one is really doing anything special, like stiffer tuck tabs or anything on containers. As for exit order, they are recommending speed skydivers go first unless there is an 8 way or larger RW group on the load with strong uppers. Good info to know! :)

With the introduction of Speed Skydiving to the USPA nationals next year, I've started working on seeing how fast I can go. It's seems there is very limited technical information on the discipline since its so small, and all the information I'm finding here and on some other forums is a decade old or older. I'm wondering if anyone on these boards might have any information on what type of containers current speed competitors are using and what (if any) safety modifications they might be using compared to standard container configurations. I learned on a recent run that my Javelin, while free fly friendly, does not like flying at those speeds. Since I like my limbs attached to my body I need to buy a new container, and just wonder what competitors are currently using. Also, I'm wondering what competitors are doing for exit order while training. I've been treating these jumps like a solo-free fly jump and exiting after larger free fly groups. However, I've noticed recently I'm opening at the same time, or even before groups that have left before me. I'm maintaining adequate horizontal separation, but I'm wondering if leaving in a different exit order might be more desirable. Any information from folks that currently competes would be greatly appreciated.

Litany Against Fear: I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

I understand what you are saying however, confrontational seems to be the default setting here and while I don't mind this at all, people who aren't used to it, which is a group of people much large than us, do mind it. I get the motivations. While I'm a low timer, I've already seen people crater and it's something I never wish to experience again. I get it, I really do. However, while I completely understand the motivation, the response is detrimental to this site in general. The only good things I've heard about this site are from people who post on this site and that is a small minority of the skydiving community. Can you honestly say that is a good thing? You and I know this. But, we are the minority. We make up such a small piece of the community it's like asking the mountain to move for the ant. *** FWIW, I think the thread that sparked this one lost its way when people were posting facebook details and going looking for videos and the like. That is the type of behavior that I am saying needs to stop. I've seen things like that happen more than a few times around here.

Yes there is. It's the same manner you speak to people in public when you are face to face. I know you may think you would say things 100% the exact same way in the real world, and who knows maybe you do. But if people acted the same way in real life as I see some of them act here, the rate at which they would alienate everyone around them would be staggering. Again, like Dave I bet you don't have that problem. I bet you have a ton of friends at your DZ that would have nothing but great things to say about you. Sure you might have folks that you don't get a long with so well, but I'm willing to bet you are not universally shunned at your drop zone. Robust conversation in real life doesn't involve insulting people, belittling them, or being a dick in general. Direct communication without pulling punches is possible sans a dickish attitude. Here's what I mean by that. When a jumper screws up at my DZ, he will get a talking to and if that doesn't work they are done for the day. If it doesn't work after that, they are done at the DZ for the next 30 days. If it doesn't work after that they are done for the next year. There is no yelling, belittling, insulting, or arguing. It's straightforward, upfront and honest conversation about what happened, why it shouldn't happen, what will happen if it continues and that is it. Why should it be any different here on the internet? I've had this talk before, and it went something like this. I:"Why did you land over there?" Me:"I had a long spot and it was the closest, safest area I could land near the DZ." I:"Ok, that is understandable, but do you understand why we separate traffic over there?" Me:"So we can keep canopies flying different type of landing patterns and landing at different speed separate?" I:"Pretty much, but next time though if you find yourself on a long spot, you could maybe pull a little higher to make it back to the student landing area, or if its a really long spot, don't be afraid to ask for a go around." Me:"Cool! Will do." I have never in any of my screw ups, had an instructor start calling me an idiot, Jumpy McAwesome, DGIT, belittle me with sarcastic comments of how I believe I have "Mad skillz", or anything remotely similar. These are all things that occur on a regular basis here, from people that don't even know the situation first hand. Not to speak for the management at my DZ, but I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if that type of behavior would get an instructor fired. The question is though, why does this have to be an environment that is so confrontational in the first place? Do we really want to be more focused on defending points and "winning" arguments than we are being an excellent resource for the skydiving community? Just out of curiosity, when was the last time you were at the drop zone, saw someone do something foolish and walked up to them and called them an idiot? It's not just low timers like me saying this. Highly experienced jumpers out in the real world are saying similar things about what goes on here as well. Unfortunately its everyone's loss, not just their's.

I think you might be too close to the trees to see the forest in this case and might not be looking at from a truly objective view point, Dave. You probably do say the same things in the real world, but I bet they have a very different tone and come across very differently when you are face to face with someone. Also, judging by some of the posts I've seen around here, and I mean in general not just you, nobody would want anything to do with someone who behaved like that in the real world. People wouldn't want to work with them, learn from them, let alone skydive with them. I seriously doubt that is the case for you in the real world Dave. I'm willingly to bet in the real world you are a pretty cool guy that's great to hang out with and doesn't come across as being a dick to people. And that is completely the way it should be. When I fuck up, which I have plenty, I would expect nothing less and have received nothing less. The only exception being that my mentors didn't resort to name calling, personal attacks and basically what amounts to verbal abuse to do it. And, I imagine in the real world, you and everyone else here generally don't either. And people see the browbeating he got, saw people posting his personal facebook page, making fun of other jumpers looking at their altimeter too much, lambasting him for videos that weren't even of him, and think "Man this site is awful". I seriously think a lot of people here need to step outside themselves for minute and honestly think about the reputation that type of behavior gives this site. Because trust me, it's not a good one in the world outside of this little corner of the internet.

The problem isn't that people are skydiving bullies around here, it's that they are Internet bullies. I may be a low timer in the skydiving world, but I have been working professionally with Internet services and communities for almost 20 years and what I see around here is all too common in the Internet world. People taking conversational tones, attitudes, and addressing people in manner that if used in the real world, would eventually get them popped in the mouth. For me, I'm used to it. I've been around this block many times before most people even realized the block existed. I cut my teeth on Internet communities way more vicious than this one so I don't mind sifting through the crap to find the gems. However that is not the case for most people. Most people aren't used to it, and will not put up with the amount of vitriol that can be produced around here. This is why the vast majority of experienced skydivers I know in the real world think this site is a joke. If I mention anything about this site other than something I saw in the classified section, people roll their eyes and go "Oh, that site?" and that's the end of the conversation. The Internet board-warrior attitude that rears it's ugly head around here all to often serves only to increase the noise to signal ratio on this site. So sure, people can keep thinking they are doing a good thing by being a dick to somebody, but just keep in mind that for every highly experienced person with a wealth of knowledge to share that posts here, there are 10 out in the real world who wouldn't even bother typing the url for this site because of the attitudes you can find here. For every newbie that might get some help here, there are 5 who have been told don't even bother with the people at DZ.com. Unless of course, they are checking the classifieds for equipment. I think this is a sad state of affairs and truly a shame given the potential resource this site could and should be. But it isn't because some people don't realize you don't have to be an asshole to get people to listen to you.

Thank you so much for saying something! On any other message board on the internet, with the exception of Internet slums like 4Chan, a lot of these post would have gotten the poster banned. But then I read on to see moderators not only allowing this behavior but encouraging it? I'm seriously amazed.

And I think it wasn't. I think it was punitive, rather than instructive, at a time when instruction was needed, and not punishment. So there we have it. Onward and upward. I thought he wasn't grounded for landing in the parking lot, but grounded for doing a low turn on his very next jump after landing in the parking lot. Anyway congrats on passing your AFF man!

I agree, but it is enough of an excuse to waive it from licensing requirements, currently. That's why I brought up the question.

I got a case a beer that this "nature girl" person is actually Kim Gibbs. Any takers?