DudeNZ

Hi UpstateBonehead, Really late to this conversation, but I am interested to find out what you did in the end? left handed BOC? I am very much like you, I had a hard opening on Jump 27 and resulted in a C6/7 herniation and resulting surgery and fusion. In fact I ordered my new rig a week before my hard opening. (Sigh) I am also about the same age, height and weight, so interested in what you did. I have mobility issues with my right arm and have had a few horrific jumps that I have not been able to get to my hackey. (one was a AAD fire, long story, very scary) the other was a coach jump the following week after the incident, and the instructor had to pull. I found tho, I could do practice touches ok in the air. But as soon as I waved off.... My right arm could NOT reach it at all. it was short about an inch or I tried really hard, I could get my finger tips on my hackey, but not fully to deploy. I still have the video somewhere. So instructor pulled for me. I do admit, I came back to jumping too early after surgery. And end up taking 3 years off after those jumps. Also some PTSD along with that. But I am slowly getting back into after 3 years off, but I am not confident in my right arm, even after physiotherapy and constant mobility exercise. I can pull, but its a chore. I was considering going to spring loaded PC with a rip cord that was attached to my right Lats. Which i have no issues getting too. So keen to hear what you did in the end and how is it going for you now. many thanks, Andy

thanks man, put my mind as ease. Got badly hurt a few years ago and it was freaking me out a bit after being away for a few years. Andy

Hi Gang, I bought a second hand rig from a guy who is 5'9 and I am 5'11 closer to 6'0. Now when I put the rig on and tighen it up, the hip rings dont sit on my hip bone. But just above by about an inch. The rig feels good and secure. However I am told by my rigger that the laterals should sit on my hip bone. Container is a Talon FS. Any advice on this? Should I be worried when I go to jump it? Andy

Hi Dragon2 and Cloggy, Many thanks for your assistance guys. I have emailed Alti-2 for advice as the forums seen to be locked down and I cant register. So I will wait and see what Alti-2 say! Blue Skies!

Hey Cloggy, I bought it second hand from a guy in the USA that was leaving the sport about 12 months ago and I just put up with it. So not sure how old it is. But the firmware 3.2.1D and not sure where I can find out if it is the latest. It seems that there is no support at all for these anymore from anywhere. Yes backlight is off. And thanks for the helpful reply. Andy

Hi All, So I have an N2 and find that they suck battery life like crazy. I am changing battery every two weeks.. Looking at the manual I can find anywhere to actually switch it off. Anyone else got any experience with the N2? Is this a fault with the N2 or simply the way life is with a N2? Andy

Did my AFF here and its my home DZ so I am naturally Bias. The clean smell mixed of our beautiful country mixed with AV gas is nothing short of magical. Coaching / AFF and lots of keen sporty's to jump with. Loads seven days a week from a sound 10am or earlier if AFF loads are going. An excellent way to start the day. A PAC750XL to 13000 is both quick and generally pretty quiet. Or jump a cessna 182 load to 12 if you are so inclined. A great place - great people. but remember dont land over the beer line... It will cost at least a box of Corona's.

Hi All, I'm Andy and I have done a few jumps here in New Zealand and I wanted to do my AFF in New Zealand.... 2x static line and 1x AFF and 1x tandem. However my AFF instructor (Bless him!) has gone to northern hemisphere for Summer up top and wont be back until late this year and due to other conditions such as "A Job", Kids, Bills and other stresses of being an older person I dont have the ability to just drop everything and go somewhere else for my AFF in NZ at this moment in time. I would LOVE too, but I simply cant. Being 40+ just sucks some times.

I am prestige level 7... I have spent 6 months getting to this point... that would suck.. really suck..

Ok that is slight embarrasment. But final deathcam with you in it and being taken out by a girl would just be the worst.... The only thing that annoys me about PSN (other then 4 weeks of being down) is that I cant rename my PSN account. I would have liked to rename it to "SkydivingGeek" :-) But sony simply wont allow it...

Rugby?? If you did that in NZ you would probably get a cuddle from the boss for playing a game over the weekend... :-)

My old friend PSN... Oh how I have missed you.... I really have missed beating the shit out of 12 yr olds on Call of Duty Black Ops... I find that Playstation is great.. it helps me to stop thinking about skydiving...

Many thanks to everyone who responded and I know feel reassured about what I am experiencing is perfectly normal. So today's important lessons... * Dont be a pussy, suck it up... * If you like breathing... Dont be complacent... * This is the most fun that I will ever have... ... and the remaining 99.9999% of the population who dont do this dont know what they are missing... Andy again thanks!

Hi All, Just wondering if someone can assist me here as I am sure that plenty of fellow jumpers have gone thru this same experience? I have started my student course and done a couple of jumps and I know I have a great big parachute on my back to assist me down. But as soon as I look at our lovely 206 I start to get that sick feeling in my stomach and that "WTF are you doing??!?!?!" in my head. Now I clear my head quite easily and I sit in the plane crammed in like a sardine and think "Im Doing this" and I always do. Very quickly we get to alti and I sit there looking at the houses getting smaller underneath me and the sick feeling is now worse then before. I look at the closed door and the JM opens it.. I feel like I am going to lose my lunch... I shuffle to the door and assume my exit position... I now exit and very soon a lovely big canopy is above me (Static Line NOT AFF) and sick feeling is now gone. However I go thru my procedures and list and toggles in hand I look down and find my DZ and I know start to get a slight panic from the height. Now can someone tell me if this feeling is quite often normal and will it go as I progress? I really dont want to get to 100 jumps and feel like I am going to puke every time I see a plane...

Thanks Highfly! :-) Really thanks for this mate!