jumpinfarmer 0 #101 December 9, 2006 I think it is expensive but, so are most sports that require some piece of equipment. I will use snowmobiling for an example. A decent sled will cost from $3,500 to as much as $9,500 and that could be new or used. Then add a helmet for $50 to $450. You then need close a suit will cost from $250 to as much as $1,200 for full leathers. You don't see many people out riding with Carhearts and an old open face helmet. Add to this a trailer to haul it around and then the gas to ride. On a good weekend day when we have snow around here you can pull into any bar or restarant along a trail and see dozzens of sleds parked and very few of them are complaining about the cost of the sport. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtval 0 #102 December 9, 2006 QuoteFor those of you who complain that skydiving is expensive: I know that it's expensive compared to bowling but it's not that bad compared to a fews other "club" kinds of outdoor activities that many people participate in. Would you rather spend your weekends boating? Go find out how much it costs to buy a decent boat and then rent a slip for it somewhere. How much does a Harley cost these days? SKYDIVING GEAR is too expensive...if you plan on doing 10 jumps. the problem is once you pay for your gear you don't save money, you just get more jumps in.My photos My Videos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #103 December 9, 2006 Uh Oh....am I THAT far behind the curve? I need to update...anybody got any '80s stuff for sale? Airtwardo...are you paying attention to this? Quote My gear may be from the 80's....but I bought it NEW! And with only 1800-2000 jumps on it, it's just getting broken in! "Beware the gunfighter with one old gun, he probably KNOWS how to use it!" ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites MagicGuy 0 #104 December 9, 2006 I agree. Skydiving gear IS expensive, but I'm not complaining about it. Look at buying all new gear. $5,000, maybe more. That is a good amount of money.. a down payment on a car, a couple vacations, a few computers. But look at what the gear does. It saves our lives over and over, and we have a whole bunch of fun when we are wearing it. Skydiving gear is expensive, but it's worth every penny. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites airtwardo 7 #105 December 9, 2006 Skydiving gear IS expensive... Quote It's all relative, skydiving gear is a drop in the bucket compared to any 'other' general aviation activity. (other than hang gliding ) Shell out 50-100,000 bucks for an airplane, add insurance, fuel, tie down/ hangar costs, landing fees, the occasional AD and you soon realize that we get to play above the planet for pennies! And let's not forget that you don't have to buy all new gear for 5 grand, you can get a VERY servicable used system for 1/4 of that. ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites MagicGuy 0 #106 December 9, 2006 Absolutely. I'm not arguing with the fact that it pays off, and that it's really not as expensive as other things. But even $2,000, that's a good chunk of dough to drop all at once. Believe me, I'm not complaining about the costs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Zep 0 #107 December 10, 2006 you're right I'd never ride with an open face I think my thermos flask cost more than the whole outfit, cant live without hot coffee Gone fishing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Adriandavies 0 #108 December 10, 2006 QuoteQuoteHow much did a wonderhog, a main, and reserve cost in 1980's? I think I got a fine deal on my gear. My life is definetly worth the 3500 I spent on it, and I managed to get all the bells and whistles. In 1976 my new gear was broken down like this... New custom WonderHog $300 New Strato Star $300 New Piglett2 reserve $300 How I miss the Good Ole Days. 359 Check out www.westegg.com as they have an inflation calculator. According to that a $900 rig in 1976 would be $3089 in 2005 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites airtwardo 7 #109 December 10, 2006 In 1976 my new gear was broken down like this... New custom WonderHog $300 New Strato Star $300 New Piglett2 reserve $300 Quote And in 82 I bought some 'gently used' gear, a wonderhog, 252 lite, Strong 26' lopo, and an AOD. Cost for that was 900.00, and I sold the AOD for 500.00 making the rig cost a VERY manageable 400.00, still have it! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Oneironaut 0 #110 December 11, 2006 Can you think of any other activities where the cost of the basic equipment to participate is higher? Assume we are talking about non-motorized sports, and buying the cheapest new gear on the market. Just for comparison, let's take rock climbing. In 10+ years of rock climbing, I've accumulated quite a bit of gear. Yet I've probably spent less on climbing equipment (which includes some very specialized pieces of gear, not just the basics) than it would cost me to buy the cheapest new rig on the market. Climbing and skydiving equipment are similar in terms of their usable lifetime, and I would guess that the material cost and amount of engineering that goes into each is similar. Admittedly, the jumping market is smaller than the climbing market, but is this alone enough to explain the difference in price? That being said, I feel that the costs of participating in this incredible sport are well worth it, or else I never would have started jumping in the first place."The knack to flying is to fall and miss the ground" -Douglas Adams Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites labrys 0 #111 December 11, 2006 Quotenon-motorized sports, Like sailing, for example? Owned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites airtwardo 7 #112 December 11, 2006 QuoteQuotenon-motorized sports, Like sailing, for example? Bobsledding! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Zing 2 #113 December 11, 2006 Attitude adjustment is a sport ain't it?Zing Lurks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites airtwardo 7 #114 December 11, 2006 QuoteAttitude adjustment is a sport ain't it? Has been for ME anyway! Ever notice how the 'cost of living' hasn't deterred very many from doing so! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RMURRAY 1 #115 December 13, 2006 QuoteQuoteQuote That's a shitty rig for $4,500. Congrats, that's the most ignorant post I've read in ages Thanks! read some of your other posts. pretty much all ignorant... rm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jumpwally 0 #116 December 13, 2006 I too bought my first rig and stuff around that time also,,but do u remember how much we made back then?smile, be nice, enjoy life FB # - 1083 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites sagan 0 #117 December 14, 2006 Just an opinion -- but having only come off student status last year here's some observations about why some newer jumpers may perceive the cost as steep. My current jump #'s are B license 98 jumps (i know, close to beer) 1) When your in student status your still very overwhelmed. Your concentrating on new skills, a new hobby, friends, etc. Your thinking about how to get through the expensive lessons. However it seems like most students haven't thought about it beyond the lessons. It's not get your A and your done with lessons, rentals, gear, etc, and it's $20/jump. I think that's an illusion I had. 2) A jumper at my home dz said it well -- other "extreme sports" that skydiving gets compared with have a very different entry cost. Think skateboarding. Kid sees x games, kid goes to walmart with $20 and same day later he's ripping up his knees on pavement. Not the same thing in this sport. Again I think some people have illusions that it becomes "cheap" eventually. 3) The sport is very multi-disciplined now. Some of which requires specific gear. 4) Emphasis on safety makes some think new gear and more gizmos will reduce the risk. (Debate away) 5) After student status I feel I kinda got dumped out into the real world without an understanding on what I really needed in the next 200 jumps. (funny thing is all i had to do was go to someone and say "i don't have a clue can you talk to me about gear" and everything was better right away) 6) I don't think it's as obvious how much time in the sport one can spend (limitless) and therefore that will require a hefty chunk of change. Does that maybe contribute to some oversight about what the sport will cost per year on going? i.e. get A, get gear = x amount, on going per year making y number of jumps a year is going to cost z factoring in maintenance, beer, jump tickets, coaching/tunnel, etc. 7) Lack of factoring in the long term (similar to 6) but this time from the perspective of current height, weight, wingloading, etc. In my case I could very well justify buying certain items new as I couldn't possibly outgrow them any time soon. I think lighter jumpers tend to outgrow their gear faster? (opinions?) For the record at around 45 jumps i got new container (off brand, less bells), new reserve(due to good deal), aad (vigil for cost, but would have grabbed old cyp1 otherise), and used main. The total rang in under $4K. Given my height, weight, and how i asked the container to be sized it will fit me for 2 downsizings which won't be fully realized until at least 750 jumps given my off student wing loading was already 1.1. Wow that became a long rant. Sorry, thanks for reading it down to here! -Patrick Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next Page 5 of 5 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. 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MagicGuy 0 #104 December 9, 2006 I agree. Skydiving gear IS expensive, but I'm not complaining about it. Look at buying all new gear. $5,000, maybe more. That is a good amount of money.. a down payment on a car, a couple vacations, a few computers. But look at what the gear does. It saves our lives over and over, and we have a whole bunch of fun when we are wearing it. Skydiving gear is expensive, but it's worth every penny. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #105 December 9, 2006 Skydiving gear IS expensive... Quote It's all relative, skydiving gear is a drop in the bucket compared to any 'other' general aviation activity. (other than hang gliding ) Shell out 50-100,000 bucks for an airplane, add insurance, fuel, tie down/ hangar costs, landing fees, the occasional AD and you soon realize that we get to play above the planet for pennies! And let's not forget that you don't have to buy all new gear for 5 grand, you can get a VERY servicable used system for 1/4 of that. ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites MagicGuy 0 #106 December 9, 2006 Absolutely. I'm not arguing with the fact that it pays off, and that it's really not as expensive as other things. But even $2,000, that's a good chunk of dough to drop all at once. Believe me, I'm not complaining about the costs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Zep 0 #107 December 10, 2006 you're right I'd never ride with an open face I think my thermos flask cost more than the whole outfit, cant live without hot coffee Gone fishing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Adriandavies 0 #108 December 10, 2006 QuoteQuoteHow much did a wonderhog, a main, and reserve cost in 1980's? I think I got a fine deal on my gear. My life is definetly worth the 3500 I spent on it, and I managed to get all the bells and whistles. In 1976 my new gear was broken down like this... New custom WonderHog $300 New Strato Star $300 New Piglett2 reserve $300 How I miss the Good Ole Days. 359 Check out www.westegg.com as they have an inflation calculator. According to that a $900 rig in 1976 would be $3089 in 2005 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites airtwardo 7 #109 December 10, 2006 In 1976 my new gear was broken down like this... New custom WonderHog $300 New Strato Star $300 New Piglett2 reserve $300 Quote And in 82 I bought some 'gently used' gear, a wonderhog, 252 lite, Strong 26' lopo, and an AOD. Cost for that was 900.00, and I sold the AOD for 500.00 making the rig cost a VERY manageable 400.00, still have it! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Oneironaut 0 #110 December 11, 2006 Can you think of any other activities where the cost of the basic equipment to participate is higher? Assume we are talking about non-motorized sports, and buying the cheapest new gear on the market. Just for comparison, let's take rock climbing. In 10+ years of rock climbing, I've accumulated quite a bit of gear. Yet I've probably spent less on climbing equipment (which includes some very specialized pieces of gear, not just the basics) than it would cost me to buy the cheapest new rig on the market. Climbing and skydiving equipment are similar in terms of their usable lifetime, and I would guess that the material cost and amount of engineering that goes into each is similar. Admittedly, the jumping market is smaller than the climbing market, but is this alone enough to explain the difference in price? That being said, I feel that the costs of participating in this incredible sport are well worth it, or else I never would have started jumping in the first place."The knack to flying is to fall and miss the ground" -Douglas Adams Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites labrys 0 #111 December 11, 2006 Quotenon-motorized sports, Like sailing, for example? Owned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites airtwardo 7 #112 December 11, 2006 QuoteQuotenon-motorized sports, Like sailing, for example? Bobsledding! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Zing 2 #113 December 11, 2006 Attitude adjustment is a sport ain't it?Zing Lurks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites airtwardo 7 #114 December 11, 2006 QuoteAttitude adjustment is a sport ain't it? Has been for ME anyway! Ever notice how the 'cost of living' hasn't deterred very many from doing so! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RMURRAY 1 #115 December 13, 2006 QuoteQuoteQuote That's a shitty rig for $4,500. Congrats, that's the most ignorant post I've read in ages Thanks! read some of your other posts. pretty much all ignorant... rm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jumpwally 0 #116 December 13, 2006 I too bought my first rig and stuff around that time also,,but do u remember how much we made back then?smile, be nice, enjoy life FB # - 1083 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites sagan 0 #117 December 14, 2006 Just an opinion -- but having only come off student status last year here's some observations about why some newer jumpers may perceive the cost as steep. My current jump #'s are B license 98 jumps (i know, close to beer) 1) When your in student status your still very overwhelmed. Your concentrating on new skills, a new hobby, friends, etc. Your thinking about how to get through the expensive lessons. However it seems like most students haven't thought about it beyond the lessons. It's not get your A and your done with lessons, rentals, gear, etc, and it's $20/jump. I think that's an illusion I had. 2) A jumper at my home dz said it well -- other "extreme sports" that skydiving gets compared with have a very different entry cost. Think skateboarding. Kid sees x games, kid goes to walmart with $20 and same day later he's ripping up his knees on pavement. Not the same thing in this sport. Again I think some people have illusions that it becomes "cheap" eventually. 3) The sport is very multi-disciplined now. Some of which requires specific gear. 4) Emphasis on safety makes some think new gear and more gizmos will reduce the risk. (Debate away) 5) After student status I feel I kinda got dumped out into the real world without an understanding on what I really needed in the next 200 jumps. (funny thing is all i had to do was go to someone and say "i don't have a clue can you talk to me about gear" and everything was better right away) 6) I don't think it's as obvious how much time in the sport one can spend (limitless) and therefore that will require a hefty chunk of change. Does that maybe contribute to some oversight about what the sport will cost per year on going? i.e. get A, get gear = x amount, on going per year making y number of jumps a year is going to cost z factoring in maintenance, beer, jump tickets, coaching/tunnel, etc. 7) Lack of factoring in the long term (similar to 6) but this time from the perspective of current height, weight, wingloading, etc. In my case I could very well justify buying certain items new as I couldn't possibly outgrow them any time soon. I think lighter jumpers tend to outgrow their gear faster? (opinions?) For the record at around 45 jumps i got new container (off brand, less bells), new reserve(due to good deal), aad (vigil for cost, but would have grabbed old cyp1 otherise), and used main. The total rang in under $4K. Given my height, weight, and how i asked the container to be sized it will fit me for 2 downsizings which won't be fully realized until at least 750 jumps given my off student wing loading was already 1.1. Wow that became a long rant. Sorry, thanks for reading it down to here! -Patrick Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next Page 5 of 5 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. 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MagicGuy 0 #106 December 9, 2006 Absolutely. I'm not arguing with the fact that it pays off, and that it's really not as expensive as other things. But even $2,000, that's a good chunk of dough to drop all at once. Believe me, I'm not complaining about the costs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zep 0 #107 December 10, 2006 you're right I'd never ride with an open face I think my thermos flask cost more than the whole outfit, cant live without hot coffee Gone fishing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adriandavies 0 #108 December 10, 2006 QuoteQuoteHow much did a wonderhog, a main, and reserve cost in 1980's? I think I got a fine deal on my gear. My life is definetly worth the 3500 I spent on it, and I managed to get all the bells and whistles. In 1976 my new gear was broken down like this... New custom WonderHog $300 New Strato Star $300 New Piglett2 reserve $300 How I miss the Good Ole Days. 359 Check out www.westegg.com as they have an inflation calculator. According to that a $900 rig in 1976 would be $3089 in 2005 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #109 December 10, 2006 In 1976 my new gear was broken down like this... New custom WonderHog $300 New Strato Star $300 New Piglett2 reserve $300 Quote And in 82 I bought some 'gently used' gear, a wonderhog, 252 lite, Strong 26' lopo, and an AOD. Cost for that was 900.00, and I sold the AOD for 500.00 making the rig cost a VERY manageable 400.00, still have it! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Oneironaut 0 #110 December 11, 2006 Can you think of any other activities where the cost of the basic equipment to participate is higher? Assume we are talking about non-motorized sports, and buying the cheapest new gear on the market. Just for comparison, let's take rock climbing. In 10+ years of rock climbing, I've accumulated quite a bit of gear. Yet I've probably spent less on climbing equipment (which includes some very specialized pieces of gear, not just the basics) than it would cost me to buy the cheapest new rig on the market. Climbing and skydiving equipment are similar in terms of their usable lifetime, and I would guess that the material cost and amount of engineering that goes into each is similar. Admittedly, the jumping market is smaller than the climbing market, but is this alone enough to explain the difference in price? That being said, I feel that the costs of participating in this incredible sport are well worth it, or else I never would have started jumping in the first place."The knack to flying is to fall and miss the ground" -Douglas Adams Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites labrys 0 #111 December 11, 2006 Quotenon-motorized sports, Like sailing, for example? Owned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites airtwardo 7 #112 December 11, 2006 QuoteQuotenon-motorized sports, Like sailing, for example? Bobsledding! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Zing 2 #113 December 11, 2006 Attitude adjustment is a sport ain't it?Zing Lurks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites airtwardo 7 #114 December 11, 2006 QuoteAttitude adjustment is a sport ain't it? Has been for ME anyway! Ever notice how the 'cost of living' hasn't deterred very many from doing so! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RMURRAY 1 #115 December 13, 2006 QuoteQuoteQuote That's a shitty rig for $4,500. Congrats, that's the most ignorant post I've read in ages Thanks! read some of your other posts. pretty much all ignorant... rm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jumpwally 0 #116 December 13, 2006 I too bought my first rig and stuff around that time also,,but do u remember how much we made back then?smile, be nice, enjoy life FB # - 1083 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites sagan 0 #117 December 14, 2006 Just an opinion -- but having only come off student status last year here's some observations about why some newer jumpers may perceive the cost as steep. My current jump #'s are B license 98 jumps (i know, close to beer) 1) When your in student status your still very overwhelmed. Your concentrating on new skills, a new hobby, friends, etc. Your thinking about how to get through the expensive lessons. However it seems like most students haven't thought about it beyond the lessons. It's not get your A and your done with lessons, rentals, gear, etc, and it's $20/jump. I think that's an illusion I had. 2) A jumper at my home dz said it well -- other "extreme sports" that skydiving gets compared with have a very different entry cost. Think skateboarding. Kid sees x games, kid goes to walmart with $20 and same day later he's ripping up his knees on pavement. Not the same thing in this sport. Again I think some people have illusions that it becomes "cheap" eventually. 3) The sport is very multi-disciplined now. Some of which requires specific gear. 4) Emphasis on safety makes some think new gear and more gizmos will reduce the risk. (Debate away) 5) After student status I feel I kinda got dumped out into the real world without an understanding on what I really needed in the next 200 jumps. (funny thing is all i had to do was go to someone and say "i don't have a clue can you talk to me about gear" and everything was better right away) 6) I don't think it's as obvious how much time in the sport one can spend (limitless) and therefore that will require a hefty chunk of change. Does that maybe contribute to some oversight about what the sport will cost per year on going? i.e. get A, get gear = x amount, on going per year making y number of jumps a year is going to cost z factoring in maintenance, beer, jump tickets, coaching/tunnel, etc. 7) Lack of factoring in the long term (similar to 6) but this time from the perspective of current height, weight, wingloading, etc. In my case I could very well justify buying certain items new as I couldn't possibly outgrow them any time soon. I think lighter jumpers tend to outgrow their gear faster? (opinions?) For the record at around 45 jumps i got new container (off brand, less bells), new reserve(due to good deal), aad (vigil for cost, but would have grabbed old cyp1 otherise), and used main. The total rang in under $4K. Given my height, weight, and how i asked the container to be sized it will fit me for 2 downsizings which won't be fully realized until at least 750 jumps given my off student wing loading was already 1.1. Wow that became a long rant. Sorry, thanks for reading it down to here! -Patrick Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next Page 5 of 5 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. 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Oneironaut 0 #110 December 11, 2006 Can you think of any other activities where the cost of the basic equipment to participate is higher? Assume we are talking about non-motorized sports, and buying the cheapest new gear on the market. Just for comparison, let's take rock climbing. In 10+ years of rock climbing, I've accumulated quite a bit of gear. Yet I've probably spent less on climbing equipment (which includes some very specialized pieces of gear, not just the basics) than it would cost me to buy the cheapest new rig on the market. Climbing and skydiving equipment are similar in terms of their usable lifetime, and I would guess that the material cost and amount of engineering that goes into each is similar. Admittedly, the jumping market is smaller than the climbing market, but is this alone enough to explain the difference in price? That being said, I feel that the costs of participating in this incredible sport are well worth it, or else I never would have started jumping in the first place."The knack to flying is to fall and miss the ground" -Douglas Adams Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
labrys 0 #111 December 11, 2006 Quotenon-motorized sports, Like sailing, for example? Owned by Remi #? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #112 December 11, 2006 QuoteQuotenon-motorized sports, Like sailing, for example? Bobsledding! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zing 2 #113 December 11, 2006 Attitude adjustment is a sport ain't it?Zing Lurks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #114 December 11, 2006 QuoteAttitude adjustment is a sport ain't it? Has been for ME anyway! Ever notice how the 'cost of living' hasn't deterred very many from doing so! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RMURRAY 1 #115 December 13, 2006 QuoteQuoteQuote That's a shitty rig for $4,500. Congrats, that's the most ignorant post I've read in ages Thanks! read some of your other posts. pretty much all ignorant... rm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpwally 0 #116 December 13, 2006 I too bought my first rig and stuff around that time also,,but do u remember how much we made back then?smile, be nice, enjoy life FB # - 1083 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sagan 0 #117 December 14, 2006 Just an opinion -- but having only come off student status last year here's some observations about why some newer jumpers may perceive the cost as steep. My current jump #'s are B license 98 jumps (i know, close to beer) 1) When your in student status your still very overwhelmed. Your concentrating on new skills, a new hobby, friends, etc. Your thinking about how to get through the expensive lessons. However it seems like most students haven't thought about it beyond the lessons. It's not get your A and your done with lessons, rentals, gear, etc, and it's $20/jump. I think that's an illusion I had. 2) A jumper at my home dz said it well -- other "extreme sports" that skydiving gets compared with have a very different entry cost. Think skateboarding. Kid sees x games, kid goes to walmart with $20 and same day later he's ripping up his knees on pavement. Not the same thing in this sport. Again I think some people have illusions that it becomes "cheap" eventually. 3) The sport is very multi-disciplined now. Some of which requires specific gear. 4) Emphasis on safety makes some think new gear and more gizmos will reduce the risk. (Debate away) 5) After student status I feel I kinda got dumped out into the real world without an understanding on what I really needed in the next 200 jumps. (funny thing is all i had to do was go to someone and say "i don't have a clue can you talk to me about gear" and everything was better right away) 6) I don't think it's as obvious how much time in the sport one can spend (limitless) and therefore that will require a hefty chunk of change. Does that maybe contribute to some oversight about what the sport will cost per year on going? i.e. get A, get gear = x amount, on going per year making y number of jumps a year is going to cost z factoring in maintenance, beer, jump tickets, coaching/tunnel, etc. 7) Lack of factoring in the long term (similar to 6) but this time from the perspective of current height, weight, wingloading, etc. In my case I could very well justify buying certain items new as I couldn't possibly outgrow them any time soon. I think lighter jumpers tend to outgrow their gear faster? (opinions?) For the record at around 45 jumps i got new container (off brand, less bells), new reserve(due to good deal), aad (vigil for cost, but would have grabbed old cyp1 otherise), and used main. The total rang in under $4K. Given my height, weight, and how i asked the container to be sized it will fit me for 2 downsizings which won't be fully realized until at least 750 jumps given my off student wing loading was already 1.1. Wow that became a long rant. Sorry, thanks for reading it down to here! -Patrick Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
