Stalking the elusive FreeZR

[Vapor 0]

So I'd finally flipped a coin to resolve my Havok/Z1 debate when I start hearing whispers about the Paratec FreeZR. Anyone who demoed one at Perris or Dallas have impressions? Are there *any* US distributors yet, esp. for the new mirrored-visor ones?

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'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.'
- T.E. Lawrence

[diablopilot 2]

Yes, but the Mirrored visor is not yet avaliable. Just the tinted one. PM me for details.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[Vapor 0]

Tinted black on the way! I'll post a review after I jump it. Props to Diablo for the tip -

blue skies

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'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.'
- T.E. Lawrence

[diablopilot 2]

Glad to hear it! Whoohoo!

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[riggerrob 643]

Yesterday I thermo-formed the liner on my shiny-new Havok.
I am so happy!
The main reason I got a Havok was to fit my huge jaw, or was it swelled ego?

[darkwing 5]

We had one at our DZ a couple of weeks ago. It was sweet. I'm currently a Havok owner, but if I didn't wear glasses I'd go for the FreeZR.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[headoverheels 333]

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We had one at our DZ a couple of weeks ago. It was sweet. I'm currently a Havok owner, but if I didn't wear glasses I'd go for the FreeZR.

Did you have trouble fitting the FreeZR over glasses? I made a few jumps on one, and found it to have lots of room for my glasses. I would have bought one, but I found that it moved around too much on my head, especially during opening.

[Ron 10]

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Tinted black on the way! I'll post a review after I jump it. Props to Diablo for the tip -

Tinted and mirror are not that good for RW.

Its hard to see the guys eyes if you have tinted/mirrored lenses. Seeing the guys eyes is very important for keys, and communication.

Tinting can be dangerous in dusk conditions if you can't flip it up, or don't flip it up (I have a Oxygen that I only flip up if it gets fogged).

Mirrors can be anoying as hell to those that dont have them reflecting the sun into others eyes.

But what do I know? I select gear for saftey, not cool factor.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[diablopilot 2]

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I would have bought one, but I found that it moved around too much on my head, especially during opening.

Did you try a different pad kit in it? The sizing is done with removable padding. Sounds like you needed a smaller size at least on the left and right temples.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[Vapor 0]

Now, wait just a minute: I have it on good authority from skymama that skydiving is all about looking cute.
I'm only at 14 jumps, so I plan on taking a while to get solidly in control of my body in FF before serious RW attempts, but you make a good point. I ordered a clear visor as well (which will probably take a while longer to show up from the UK); does it wear on the hardware terribly to swap them out more often than just for scratch replacement?

The mirrored version was a little too G.I Joe action figure for my taste. Off to go consider form over function for a jumpsuit...

blue skies-
W

[headoverheels 333]

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Did you try a different pad kit in it? The sizing is done with removable padding. Sounds like you needed a smaller size at least on the left and right temples.

Yes, I had a full set of all sizes of pad, and did just that -- put a smaller size of cheek pads in. If the chin strap were attached higher up in the shell, rather than just spanning the bottom edge of the shell, it would help the helmet to stay secure on my head size/shape.

[dgskydive 0]

It is really tough to find a helmet that fits everyone. I have had a few people with "flat faces" that don't fit into the Freezr very well. It is the same for any helmet manufacture out there. One companies helemts will fit you better then they others, you just have to find the right company.

the freezr seems to fit people with longer face better. IF your chin sticks out a bit and have had trouble with helmets not having enough room front to back then you will love the Freezr. Everybody that wears glasses loves them unless they have that "flat face".

Dom

[SullyFlyer 0]

I have about 80 jumps and 2 hours of tunnel time on my FreeZR. I love it. It's got the clear visor. It's got great view range for RW. And the helmet is super-quiet. I love the internal pocket for my ProTrack. There is a little square of pad that comes out to make a real pocket so it doesn't poke out into your ear.
I did stop flipping the visor up though. I found the repeated motion loosened the tensioning screws a little, and it was a hassle to tighten them back up. Maybe I'm just lazy.

Anyway, I love my FreeZR.

~
Fear is the thief of dreams...

[Vapor 0]

Nice shiny FreeZR in the mail today; here's to Paragear for getting it out the door quickly. It's a *big* helmet. Not quiet Havok-big, but wide, all right... which I think has to do with the presence of real right padding. Yay.

Fit is great, and much less claustrophobic (for my money) than a Z1. I'll post a review after I jump it this weekend.

Made myself promise an evening of packing practice for each piece of new gear...

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'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.'
- T.E. Lawrence

[Pendejo 0]

I have about a dozen jumps on my FreeZR helmet. The rep I talked to was Ken Krueger with Paratec USA. I found the service to be great! They shipped me a demo to try with in 4 days of calling them. The helmet comes standard with one pad set (there are 5 sizes available). I had to do a little mixing and matching of the pad sets to get a good fit. When I jumped the pad set from the same size the helmet moved around a lot when diving and tracking. When I "mixed and matched" the pads from two sizes the problem completely went away. It has great ventilation across the visor both in freefall and under canopy (very little fogging) and the visor is much easier to get open under canopy. My only complaint is that the lexan (very cool) visor does not come up as high as my Z-1 did. Its kind of a nuisance but it didn't stop me from buying the helmet. It seems to be put together quite well, although so did my Z-1 when I first got it. It will be interesting to see how the elastic and fabric holds up on the bottom of the helmet (my Z-1 didn't come loose for almost 150 jumps). All in all I think its is the best helmet on the market for the money. Only time will tell how it holds up and how the customer service will be (to date the customer service has been absolutely second to none).

Pendejo

Pendejo

He who swoops the ditch and does not get out buys the BEER!!

[Cloggy 1]

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...(to date the customer service has been absolutely second to none).

Pendejo

Customer service??
I mailed Paratec Germany 3 times during the past month: no reply...
All I wanted to know is where I can buy this thing. I called 5 Paratec dealers, but none of them sells the FreeZR.
What does Paratec expect: that I drag myself to their office and beg for a FreeZR on their doorstep??

Bart

[Cloggy 1]

I take back my words... They had a problem with their Internet Provider not forwarding the email.
I just received a mail with many apologies and Paratec sends me a brochure.

Bart

(And I was exaggerating, I sent only 2 emails )

[coticj 0]

So is it possible to order the helmet directly from paratec? I'm also looking for the helmet, and had no luck finding it...

http://www.prostipad.si

[P-dro 0]

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Customer service??
I mailed Paratec Germany 3 times during the past month: no reply...
All I wanted to know is where I can buy this thing. I called 5 Paratec dealers, but none of them sells the FreeZR.
What does Paratec expect: that I drag myself to their office and beg for a FreeZR on their doorstep??

Bart

Same problem here, ordered a Bonhead Mamba, never looked back....

[Cloggy 1]

Too bad, because the FreeZR is a very nice helmet (specially for guys with a big melon like me), definitely recommended. Even in winter it doesn't fog up, comfortable fit, even large enough to fit my glasses inside.

After that initial email hickup (see above), customer service was excellent: I lost one of the side covers and it was replaced and any questions I had were quickly answered.

[P-dro 0]

Too bad? Why? The mamba is the most comfortable helmet i've tried and I have a very big head (24"7).
If stolen, I'd buy another right away.

[Fandango 1]

Hi Everyone
Thank you for your openness and constructive criticism.
Just to explain some of your assumptions.

1. The tinted visor is just a monetary problem. Tinted Lexan in 2 mm thickness is hard to get and very expensive. But we are working on a solution to provide it in the near future.
2. Mirrored Lexan cannot be antifog coated on the inside due to the mirror coating process on the outside. Frosty look, but not practical.
3. We apologise to all customers who had trouble in getting through to us. As we have recently moved to our new factory, our intranet did not always work 100%. If you still have problems, just send us a fax.
4. The FreeZR was actually designed with the spectacle wearer in mind.
5. There is the brand new FreeZR MK2. See all new details on our website.
6. Unfortunately, due to the strong Euro, the MK2 is nearly 400 US $. But I guess Paratec cannot be taken responsible for this.
7. We recommend you to purchase the helmet through our dealer network.

Best Regards and keep it chilled

Stefan Ertler
Paratec

Gardner : She looks fast !
Truman Sparks : Yeah, it's the stripes.

[coticj 0]

Does anyone know, where to get te replacement pads for the inside of the helmet,as mine don't fit very well (i have medium pads, and would need the L ones). I have tried contacting Paratec, but again they didn't reply...I don't have a fax, so I can't do that also.

http://www.prostipad.si