funjumper101

What's up with the TShirt orders? Does someone need to step up and volunteer to handle it? I volunteer. PM me and we'll get it going on.

The ocean and Hearst Castle are about an hour's drive west. Some nice hiking trails around Cambria (on the way to Hearst Castle). San Luis Obispo has a really cool downtown area; about an hour's drive south. Pismo Beach is a bit further south of SLO; you can drive on the beach there. How old is your daughter? Paso Robles has a nice downtown with shops and resturants. The fairgrounds in Paso has a few events scheduled. http://www.midstatefair.com/pages/3460/September_2006.htm?PHPSESSID=099bf4b7ca8922658fe2c9b2a5800a07 There is a small zoo in Atascadero, about 10 miles south of Paso Robles. http://www.atascadero.org/cs/zoo/ You can rent pedal boats and kayaks at the lake next to the zoo. There is a small aquarium over in Morro Bay. Kayaking in Morro Bay is popular. Watch the tide tables as the currents can make things a bit challenging. The Embarcadero is full of touristy shops and resturants. Go to Giovanni's for great fish and chips and other "to go" food. Hearst Castle is worth visiting. Just north of the castle entrance is an elephant seal rookery. Pretty cool if you have never seen it before. Keep going north and you end up in Big Sur. If your wife is adventurous, she can drive up into Big Sur, turn right on Nacimiento-Ferguson Road, and drive up and over the ridge, through Fort Hunter-Liggett, and get back to hwy 101 north of Paso Robles. You have to stop and present picture ID to enter and pass through the base, but it is no big deal. Google them and track down the number to call for details. Pismo Beach is OK for street cars when the tide is out, less so when the tide is high. If you have an SUV and air down the tires to 15lbs or so, you can go to the end of the beach. If you get stuck with a street car, don't spin up the tires, air down to about 12-15lbs and you likely can drive right out. The nice guy 4wheelers (like me) will stop and pull you out at no charge. During the summer the place is a zoo. It calms down a lot after Labor Day. You can rent quads, dune buggies, or take a hummer tour. Your wife and daughter shouldn't have any trouble finding things to do while you are having fun.

A sad and depressing read. Funny how this kind of journalism isn't published in the USA anymore. Of course, to the righties, anything published outside the USA is not worth reading.

While this is still a viable option, and some doctors still elect to do it, IMO the better 'newer' approach to the autograft is to have a hamstring tendon advancement. It keep the patellar tendon (a major force in knee extension strength) untouched. What they do is take portions of the hamstring tendon (semitendinosis and also gracilis) and bring it forward to attach where your anterior insertions of your ACL should be). A slower rehab, but IMO prevents 1) loss of quad strength (patellar tendon) and 2) better acceptance of tissue...no rejection from donor tissue (cadaver). The surgery starts out being very tight, and the rehab slower, but a better product in the long run. I had this surgery done in 1990. It worked out well for a while. In 2004 I crashed my motorcycle and hit a solid rock wall head and shoulder first. I injured my knee some too. I'll skip the shoulder stuff... it is off topic. When they did an MRI on my knee a few days after the accident, the ortho doc came around to discuss the results. The graft had been re-absorbed and was GONE! The doc said that this wasn't that common, but he had read about quite a few people with these results, over the long term. After the rebuild in 1990, I made the call to quit skiing, racketball, and other sports that beat up my knees badly. I do quad sets every morning as part of my wakeup ritual. I had noticed some instability over the years. I didn't expect that the ACL was gone. YMMV

Robert Randolph and the Family Band http://www.robertrandolph.net/ Gospel roots, KICK ASS music.

Bump

BAS in Byron is about 25 miles from Stockton. Hwy 4 is a "red road", IE, a two lane road. The Parachute Center in Acampo (just north of Lodi) is about 17 miles north of Stockton, just off Hwy 99. Hwy 99 is a four lane freeway. Both DZs are fine places to jump. If you like to collect interesting signatures in your logbook, make a run up to The Parachute Center and get on a load with Bill Dause. He'll sign your logbook if you ask nicely. He only has over 30,000 jumps. (not a misprint)

DVR technology (I started with the Microsoft piece of junk) , and now have a Tivo, is by far and away the most satisfying piece of personal electronics I have ever bought. I don't EVER watch live TV any more. Even sporting events are paused at the first commercial, then fast-forwarded as needed. A kid that has never gone without would definitely be lost without one.

I hope that you didn't use your home address for the FedEx. You never know if the scammers have US contacts. Take a look at http://www.419eater.com/ It is a funny/sad site with a lot of good info.

I agree. The problem I ran into at both DZs on my 20th anniversary was that the manifest gals were much less than cooperative. When I asked them to call and tell them that I was there and trying to jump, I got the total blowoff. They were pissy little bitches. I was polite as could be and very respectful. I didn't pitch a bitch or cop an attitude. After getting the blowoffs I left without making a jump. After talking to the DZOs at a later time, I received apologies and a free jump from one of them. The other was a bit less charitable, but agreed that the phone call should have been made, at the least. I am one of the few up jumpers that talks to tandem passengers before and after their jumps. I always make a point of thanking them for skydiving with us and asking them how they liked it. At DZs that require van rides to return to the airport, I'll drive the van for a load or three with no expectation of compensation. I'll catch tandems when the winds are up. I'll be the one that puts away the boarding ladder and hops up into the plane without it. I don't need to be asked to do these things. I just do them. I go out of my way to be pleasant and reasonable with the folks running the operation. There are enough dickhead upjumpers that are a hassle to DZ management. I refuse to be one of them.

Go back and read and re-read my postings until you comprehend the content completely. With greater comprehension, you would write better responses.

Even in the summer??? Wow. I hate excessive humidity... Thanks for the level headed response.

Please go back and re-read my postings completely. You have missed important content. It will be a cold day in hell before I pay anyone to jump with me due to "lack of currency" on my part. I'll go to Lodi and jump with Bill. Last time I stopped by there I didn't have my gear with me. Bill offered the use of a rig for free. Bill was ready to go do a Cessna load with me. I was on my way to Seattle, and I didn't have the time, or I would have done it.

Bill, did you read both of my posts? I have been a USPA member since 1984. I have never let my membership lapse. As far as I see it, 2001 is pretty new for me. "IF" I had a C license, I would have been current by USPA's rules. Your statement that "you weren't current" is true, by the USPA's new rules. With the stroke of a pen, the rules changed. 45 days really isn't a long time. It happens that my last layoff from jumping was almost 8 months. July 29, 2005 to this spring. Fortunately I know the DZOs at the DZs I usually go to. I showed up, talked to the DZO, and discussed the layoff. I had properly prepared for my return by practicing EPs at home and I got on the next load without a problem. I did a solo, practiced turns, flips, barrel rolls, stood on my head, tracked for a 2500' straight off the flightline, opened, and landed within 5' of the target I selected at 2500'. On the next load we launched a 4way and turned a few points. Currency is more about skills and ability than calendar time. It was great to get back into the air. If I was forced to pay some 200 jump coach 75.00 to jump with me, I would have kept driving to Lodi. If Lodi wasn't 263 road miles and 5.5 hours driving time, one way, I would jump there all the time. As far as how easy it is to take a test, I don't have a problem taking the tests. If there was a DZ closer than 2 hours from me, taking a test would be a breeze. Try scheduling the A, B and C tests for a Saturday night. So far, I have been unable to work it into my schedule, and an ST&As. There isn't an ST&A that lives anywhere close to where I do. I'll get to it soon. I am not happy with the hassles I have gone through, but I brought them on myself. No arguments there. I have been rearranging the priorities in my life so that I can get more involved in the sport again. This may result in some major changes in my life, like a divorce. I hope that it doesn't come to that. I have been jumping way longer than I have been married. The point of the thread is that there are reasons why participation in the sport is declining. The USPAs rules are one reason that mine has been diminished. There are other factors.

I am no big fan of USP, but USPA bullshit rules had nothing to do with you lack of logging or being able to verify your jump history. You chose not to participate in USPA and now it is their fault? Sorry doesn't wash. Here are a couple of quotes from my post - "I have the logged jumps and training requirements for a C license." and "Even though I had video and stills that clearly showed me skydiving successfully, I was turned away." I take it that you missed those parts? Logbooks were presented. Older logbooks with student training info were provided. A current logbook with logged and signed off jumps was presented. The last jump logged was a successful 16 way at Lodi, signed off by none other than Bill Dause himself. It was a Bill load that went as planned. The currently logged jumps were outside the 30 day window that is now required by the USPAs new bullshit rules. By about two weeks, if memory serves correctly. Sorry I wasn't absolutely 100% crystal clear in my explanation of all the details. I am a USPA member and I have never allowed my membership to lapse. I'll admit to having made some bad decisions as to logging jumps and failing to get licensed when I should have. My bad, for sure. Up until 2001, there was no USPA rule against an experienced, but unlicenced jumper being able to skydive. It didn't used to be a problem. It has been since 2001. I usually run into someone I know, or who knows me, when I visit other DZs. It just so happened that on a date that it really mattered to me that I made a jump, I was prevented from jumping due to bullshit USPA rules.

I am trying to stay active in the sport. I did a lot of jumps and never logged them. When I was jumping a lot I was at a non-GM dz. There was a fairly strong anti-USPA sentiment among the people who hung out with at the time. I should have a 4 digit or low five digit D license. As it stands now I never even bothered to get an A license. I have the logged jumps and training requirements for a C license. I'll have to get one as it is getting to be a pain in the ass to jump at DZs that are strict about the new USPA rules. I jumped the jet in 1993. I was doing two point 40 ways at the WFFC that year. A team I was on almost won the 20 way meet at Lodi in 1989. I have jumped in Hawaii, Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, Oregon, and Washington, as well as California. I have plenty of experience and I consider myself to be a safe skydiver. In 2003 I tried to jump on my 20th anniversary of my first jump. Due to the lack of license, the fact that the manifest gals didn't know me, and the DZOs (who I have known for years) weren't around, I was turned away at two different DZs. There weren't instructors around that could take me on a dive. As far as the manifest gals were concerned, I was not competent. Thanks to the USPA's bullshit rules, the anniversary turned to shit. Even though I had video and stills that clearly showed me skydiving successfully, I was turned away. Rules are rules, after all. At that point I very nearly quit. Better planning would have produced better results. It was a spur of the moment, last second decision to blow off work and go for it. I have a life outside of skydiving. I don't have the time and resources to be jumping all the time. It is hard to get away to go skydiving. I have been averaging 10-25 jumps a year. I absolutely wish I could jump more, but life has a way of preventing it. It is very nice that the USPA has managed to make it difficult to keep jumping when time and resources are hard to come by. It is no wonder that the sport is shrinking.

It still can be hotter than Hades. It depends on which way the wind blows. Last week I had temps of 110 in the shade at my house. Paso Robles made it to 115. This week it has been in the eighties in Paso. If an OFR was to happen here, I would recommend scheduling it for mid to the end of September.

A jumper by the name of John Carta used to fly a really scary looking wing suit out at Lodi in the late eighties. John was well known for his base jumping exploits. He died in a plane crash at Clear Lake, CA. If I remember correctly, the wings were made of strips of plexiglass, connected by fabric and screwed together. The thing clattered up a storm as he moved around in the DC3. He jumped that suit successfully several times that I know of. I should have taken pictures of him. Maybe someone else here took some. I know that a lot of the jumpers around then took pictures. Maybe someone will post one. That suit was really freaky looking. At the time I didn't have many jumps. I was surprised that he was allowed on the plane. Bill Dause runs a unique operation.

I completely disagree with this statement. I jump at Skydive Chicago where training is taken very seriously. They charge for their services and I'm happy to pay the rates. I think that my first packing class was $35 for each person that attended, There were two of us... the senior rigger that trained us spent about 2.5 hours with us... Her full time job is rigging for Paraconcepts. I want to be taught by someone who is extremely resourceful... that means they do it full time and will take the time to point out things that many people just don't know - or don't feel is important to teach. In my opinion; you get what you pay for. How can you expect someone to put their heart into something if they're not putting bread on the table by doing it? I'm not interested in getting trained by a part-timer if there is someone who spends 5-7 days a week making themselves available in a consistant manner and asking a very reasonable price for their time. In some cases considerably less money than they would be packing reserves, mains, tandems, or doing other types of work on rigs. I can see how some dropzone's might include it in a package - meaning the money comes in another way - but many dropzones have various business inside of them. At skydive chicago all of the rigging is done by Paraconcepts; and jump instruction by skydive chicago - so packaging up the pricing doesn't work, because both businesses need to pay their bills. Packing parachutes isn't rocket science. There are people who pack parachutes that have never jumped, not even once. If you were planning on being a rigger, or packing tandem mains for $$, paying for a class may be OK. Paying 35.00 per person for something that should be part of the student curriculum is a ripoff, in my opinion. If you graduated from student status without having learned to pack, you got burned badly. Judging by the responses in this thread, it appears that those of us that have been around for a long time don't agree with paying for packing lessons. The newer jumpers are more willing to pay for things that should be free, and encourage other newer jumpers to do the same. One could describe this attitude as part of the deterioration of the skydiving culture. It used to be part of the culture to "pay it forward". That attitude is being allowed to fade out, and it is a bad thing for the sport. If the DZ you jump at has the habit of nickel and diming you with charges for packing lessons, crappy coach jumps, and other things like that, find a new DZ. It is worth the time/money to drive to a place that is more newbie friendly. Even if it means 2-3 hours extra travel time.

Star Farms in Paso Robles, CA is an alfalfa farm and resort that has some really nice facilities. There is a boogie being held there in September. Take a look at the thread in "Events and Places to Jump". The Paso Robles airport is a short distance away. Come on up to the boogie and do a ground survey. It might be a good place to hold an OFR. The folks that run it are pretty laid back. Plus it is only about twelve miles from my house. ;-) I would be happy to assist in the organizing of an OFR. PM me if you are interested.

Thanks for the compliment. You deserve kudos for being a careful shopper and asking around for good advice. Keep listening and learning. You'll do just fine. I always figured that adulthood begins when you start learning from other people's bad experiences, instead of your own.

There is a law. If's it's not a TSO'd dual-parachute system, it's not legal to jump it from an aircraft. Personally, I think putting the pilot in a position where they might have to deal with the FAA for a base jump is pretty selfish. There is a substantial difference between an FAA regulation and a "Law". Violate an FAR and you are subject to civil penalties, IE, fines and/or loss of your FAA certificates, IE, Private Pilot certificate, etc (if you have them). Violate a law and you can get fined or do community service or jail time. Taking advantage of an aircraft operator's ignorance as to what gear is TSOed and what gear isn't is unlikely to make more aircraft available for jumping. Quite the contrary. It is our responsibility as skydivers to be self policing.

Check the classified ads here.

Is this a good canopy for a newly graduated AFF student that weighs 175lbs? What are the flight characteristics like? Any issues, good or bad? Thanks for the info.

I am thinking of having a few of these printed up. begin quoted text>> BLIND FAITH IN BAD LEADERSHIP IS NOT PATRIOTISM IF YOU'RE NOT OUTRAGED, YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION IF YOU SUPPORTED BUSH, A YELLOW RIBBON WON'T MAKE UP FOR IT POVERTY, HEALTH CARE & HOMELESSNESS ARE MORAL ISSUES EXCUSE ME......OF COURSE IT HURTS. YOU'RE GETTING SCREWED BY AN ELEPHANT RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM: A THREAT ABROAD, A THREAT AT HOME GOD BLESS EVERYONE (No exceptions, please) BUSH SPENT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY ON HIS WAR. FEEL SAFER NOW? I'D RATHER HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO SCREWED HIS INTERN THAN ONE WHO SCREWED HIS COUNTRY IS IT 2008 YET? DISSENT IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF PATRIOTISM -- Thomas Jefferson DON'T BLAME ME. I VOTED AGAINST BUSH -- TWICE! ANNOY A CONSERVATIVE - THINK FOR YOURSELF GEORGE W. BUSH: MAKING TERRORISTS FASTER THAN HE CAN KILL THEM DEMOCRATS ARE SEXY-- WHOEVER HEARD OF A GOOD PIECE OF ELEPHANT? DON'T CONFUSE DYING FOR OIL WITH FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM STEM CELL RESEARCH IS PRO-LIFE HONOR OUR TROOPS - DEMAND THE TRUTH REBUILD IRAQ? WHY NOT SPEND 87 BILLION ON AMERICA? FACT: BUSH OIL 1999 - $19 BARREL 2006 - $70 BARREL THE LAST TIME RELIGION CONTROLLED POLITICS, PEOPLE GOT BURNED AT THE STAKE