1960darrenh 0 #1 September 30, 2010 I am not currently qualified yet and still a student but I'm confused on a couple of things. There are all sorts of different Jumpsuits and wondered which is the one a newly qualified skydiver that has no interest in relative work would go for? I basically want one just for fun jumping. In the future, I would possibly consider doing CRW or Wing suiting but that's a long way off! Ok now rigs. I am 5ft 9" and weigh 12.5 st. What size chute and reserve should I be looking at, I have no idea how the size system works. I know its difficult to know exactly but just looking at what the size a newbie should go for to be safe.www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=802083746 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deltron80 0 #2 September 30, 2010 Even if you have "no interest in relative work" it's still a good idea to learn how to fall relative to other people before progressing to more advanced stuff. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #3 September 30, 2010 At 175 pounds, I recommend your main canopy be at least 200 square feet or larger until you have over 100 jumps. Some will tell you to go smaller, just "be careful,", but you can't guarantee you can always "be careful." Shit happens. Jumpsuit? Soon you may grow bored with solo jumps, and want to do formations with others. A proper RW suit will help. It needs to be one that helps you fall at the same rate as others. Big boys need some extra drag, little skinny girls need a really tight suit. Free flying and wing suiting are great activities in our sport, but I hope you don't neglect building some belly skills before you move on. I've been sad to see 500 jump tandem master candidates that couldn't dock on a tandem themselves. And if you ever want to be an AFF instructor, good belly skills are a must. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gators1240 9 #4 October 1, 2010 Dont knock RW till you try it. Granted I havent been around this game long but when I first started AFF I had no interest in RW at all. Then I made one RW jump after completing my AFF and im hooked on it. It can be a ton of fun and very rewarding but you have to give it a try first. Now it still may not be for you but thats ok. Just starting out I would at least do some to learn how to fall relative to other people. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpwally 0 #5 October 1, 2010 Thats right, anyone can fall like a lawndart,,,, smile, be nice, enjoy life FB # - 1083 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ciscobird 0 #6 October 1, 2010 Strongly recommend you buy used equipment first... If you're comfortable asking around, try borrowing. That way you can figure out what works for you before making any commitments. Also, it wouldn't bother as much if you damage or spoil your rig on less-than-perfect landings on not-so-ideal days (wet grass/mud). No offense but a newbie is bound to tear or add strain somewhere... I know because I have some to show for it! Still using secondhand stuff... Let's see what I have done... Torn a suit... Torn a couple of holes in my main due to a combination of bad packing and hard opening... Added assortment of odd-colored strains to my bright-colored rig... Put alot of scratches on my helmet... Torn a hole in my glove sliding on the pavement... Popped several stitches on my rig from sitting on black anti-skid panel on floor in the plane... Stretched cordura around grommets trying to close on a poorly packed main. I'm sure I'm not done yet! Hoping for a day that I'll be confident enough to buy brand new... I'm sure somebody has a suit hanging somewhere you could borrow or check out the classifieds here on dz.com good luck! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ciscobird 0 #7 October 1, 2010 One more thing... Don't let yourself be pressured into buying a rig with a main that's too small for your ability. That happened to me, I'm still "paying" for the decision... Before getting my rig, I was using a rental with a 190 main. I was persuaded into getting a rig with a 160 main. It took me a hundred of jumps to regain the confidence in my landing ability (after alot of baseball-type sliding on landings). Not only that, the rig was just tad too small for the 160 main so it was extremely frustrating to pack, especially for somebody with little experience. Get a rig that's packing-friendly and a correct loading main. If you keep it up, in no time you will know what you like and get whatever you want. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #8 October 1, 2010 Re: your main canopy: assuming you'll be shopping for used gear as most newbies do, your main considerations will be cost, proper size/design and condition. Availability and opportunity might give you no choice of color. At this stage, color will almost certainly be a secondary consideration, if any consideration at all. That being said, if you are lucky enough to have a couple/few desirable canopies to choose from, keep in mind, for what it's worth, that brighter-color mains are easier for other jumpers in the sky with you to see (to help avoid collisions), make it easier for people on the ground to see where you're headed if you're about to have an off-DZ landing, and are easier to find if you have a cutaway. Don't get a reserve any smaller than your main. This is to allow you the best chance of survival if you have to do an off-DZ landing under your reserve, with no steering inputs or landing flare, while unconscious or disabled. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
