Namowal

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Posts posted by Namowal

  1. Quote

    9 Months 68 Jumps Finally A License. THANKS to my wonderful DZ and to the fantastic folks on the Dropzone.com for listening to me bitch, moan, scream, cuss,and quit on a weekly basis .
    Thank you all for your words of support you all are great I AM FINALLY A SKYDIVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



    Great news! Congratulations!B|
    My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

  3. Normally I have no problem neatly gathering up my canopy, but sometimes this scenario occurs:

    1. I don't have a stand-up landing
    2. Before I'm on my feet , the canopy (220) inflates and drags me*.
    3. I one toggle way down, to stop it**

    Pulling down the toggle stops the dragging, but it seems to result in a mess of lines that's hard to gather and a hassle to untangle. Until I learn to do reliable standup landings, it's going to be a problem. Anything I can do to prevent the mess? Or at least fix it before I hand it off to the packers?

    *I avoid jumping when it's gusty, but I don't weigh much and it doesn't take much wind to take me for a drag...
    **I've also heard the "pull down the toggle to stop being dragged" is a no-no (though the SIM seems okay with it,) but it works.
    My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

  6. Quote


    And... wow! Can it be you read my online skydiving logbook and put all my mishaps into a cartoon? I started at age 41 and always took comfort in the following sentence: Learning curve - due to age - is flatter, but that's counteracted by - age-related - higher number in jumps. :PB|
    Means: Ya gonna do it and next year you'll report about your latest 4-way adventures, I'm sure!


    Thanks. Looking forward where I can do four way stuff. Or should I say, do four way stuff correctly. Right now even keeping level with a single person is a challenge.
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    As for the open knees (to avoid the term "legs spread too wide" :):P:P:P) an instructor gave my a nice tip: Once you're stable, "clap" your feet two or three times, will help you get your legs more narrow to each other.


    I sometimes forget the toe taps. I think what happens is I find myself stable and assume there's no problem. It's not until I see a photo or video that I realize there's a problem.
    My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

  7. Quote


    On the down side, making a tandem jump has become less about starting skydiving and more about extreme-sportz/bucket-list kind of thing.



    I wonder what's the difference between tandem jumpers who go on to AFF and those who cross it off their bucket list? I certainly did my tandem as a bucket list thing, and (immediately) after it was over I was glad I did it, but had no desire to do it again. A second jump? AFF? Get outta here!:D

    Of course, that changed... B| I'm still not sure why.
    My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

  8. Quote

    You will soon notice that on the DZ what you do in the other world has absolutely no importance. I have jumped with trauma surgeons, Marine Lt. Colonels, several PhDs, an astronaut (!), and lots of waitresses & bartenders. All that gets pushed aside when you put your rig on. Everybody's equal.


    It is interesting how diverse the crowd is, and how involvement in the sport seems to trump other differences.B|
    Quote

    And have a word to the person who whistled past you after you had already opened.
    They need to be a bit more aware of what is going on around them, and to get their own tracking right.



    I'm not sure who it was, but in a weird way he did me a favor. It was a "Look what can happen when you don't watch where you're going!" moment- an extra incentive to pay attention when I'm tracking, so I don't become that guy.
    My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

  9. Hey, thanks for all the kind words :)

    Quote


    It is not a race to learn. Some people may learn faster than you. Some people may learn slower than you. As long as you are safe and enjoying yourself that is what is important. This is a great, fun hobby, don't let self-criticism take away the pure unadulterated joy. (trust me, I am self-critical too).


    Good points. Thanks.
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    Also, you are almost to your B license, that's great!


    Holy Smoke in a Twisted Stack... ...how did that happen?:oB|
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    And yeah, continuing to jump a bigger canopy just means that you have more brain cells left to focus on the rest of the jump, rather than being scared of what your canopy is going to do to you this time.


    I plan do downsize eventually, but I'm in no hurry. I don't see myself getting anything real small and speedy. I'd rather have something bigger that I can control than some crazy little canopy that gets me into trouble.

    Quote

    Don't be embarrassed by that in the least. You've done 48 jumps on your own so far and lived; that's kick-ass! On every jump, you should be so proud of yourself for exiting a plane 2 miles up and landing safely at the dropzone. It's an impressive feat in itself!


    It's funny that way. On the DZ I'm nothing special (skill wise, though everyone is nice to me). In everyday world I'm Person With the Exciting (or Crazy) Hobby. Different worlds. B|
    Ah well, at least I'm having fun.B|
    My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

  11. Quote

    Like robbing a bank with a suicide belt!

    Give me all of your money or I'll blow myself up!

    Ah ok...can you please just do it outside. We don't like cleaning up crap like that!



    Or the Phantom of the Opera saying "If my demands are not met, I'll drop the chandelier on myself. So there!"
    My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

  12. Quote

    Some good ideas here. Namowal, I know you said a cold wrap didn't help but I take a bandana and put some ice cubes in it then wrap and put around the back of my neck. It really helps keep my core temp a bit better under control. Just a bit...


    That's a good idea.
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    I've also realized I have to stop giving a crap about how I look at the DZ. It's totally out of my control :)


    That's true.
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    for some reason i thought you were like 19. must be the duck cartoons.


    Well, I bet most people who start out are closer to that age than to mine. In some ways it feels like I'm a 19 year old- learning to navigate in the new world of adulthood skydiving.
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    It also helps to get your hair wet occasionally. Longer hair traps heat in more than shorter hair, and the cool, wet hair will allow for faster dissipation of body heat.


    That's a good idea too. If my hair's damp, will it cause my googles to fog or damage my helmet once I'm on the plane? (Then again, the hot prop wind as I'm boarding would probably work as a giant hairdryer...)
    My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

  13. Quote



    I think you're on to something about being young. When I was in my twenties I could hike all over the place in hot, hot weather. I got sweaty, but it didn't wear me out. Fast forward a few decades and I'm melting like the wicked witch of the west.



    Umm i have met you you are NOT in your 50s:P

    Not yet, but I'll be there in five years. I can already see those pesky kids circling my lawn like vultures....:P
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    and I am way older than you.
    The way I deal is lots of liquid (non booze), I make a 2 litre bottle of Gatorade (my dilution) and I eat throughout the day. I also stay out of the direct sun as much a possible.


    Watered-down gatorade seems to be a popular (daytime) drink at the dz. I'll have to try it.
    My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

  14. Quote

    Being young and used to it are the biggest tricks. I no longer think air conditioned packing areas are for wimps.



    I think you're on to something about being young. When I was in my twenties I could hike all over the place in hot, hot weather. I got sweaty, but it didn't wear me out. Fast forward a few decades and I'm melting like the wicked witch of the west.
    My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

  16. Quote


    Skydive naked. You'll be a lot cooler without a jump suit.



    I knew it was only a matter of time before I'd get this reply. :D

    Actually I've considered skipping the jumpsuit but this would mean

    1. No grippers
    2. Chance of shirt getting untucked and getting in the way of the pilot chute handle.


    Thanks to all the suggestions so far. :D
    My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

  17. Maybe I'm a wimp, but on a hot, humid day, when I'm in my jumpsuit and rig I get so overheated that I damn near need smelling salts. I tried one of those "Cool downz" cold wraps (on the ground, I didn't take it with me on the plane) but it didn't do much.
    It's not the discomfort that bothers me as much as feeling worn out after relatively few jumps. Okay, I guess I am a wimp. [:/](On the positive side, the Scary Door is now my best buddy!)
    Are there some tips and tricks I'm missing?
    My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

  20. Quote

    The safer you make skydiving the more inventive skydivers will become at finding more ways to kill themselves.



    I believe this 100%. People are geniuses at putting themselves in danger. There was a taxicab study where they compared crash rates of cabs with (and without) anti-lock breaks. You'd think cabs with anti-lock breaks would have less crashes, but it didn't happen, because the drivers "compensated" for the extra safety by being more reckless.

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    So what you're talking about would be like going on the "Skydive" ride at Disney World??????


    That reminds me- the "find a way to somehow hurt yourself" phenomena still pops up, even in comparatively safe places.
    When I was growing up, Disneyland had a ride in Tomorrowland called the PeopleMover. It was a tame trainlike ride that went about 5-7 miles per hour. You'd think nobody could get hurt on it.
    Yet it had two fatalities: Each passenger tried to climb out of one car and into another. Both ended up being dragged and crushed.
    I've always wondered if the fact that they were 1)on a tame ride 2) at Disneyland, gave them a false sense of security. Had they been in a rickety carnival thrill ride, they may have stayed put.
    My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.