aquaflamz

I just bought my first rig. The main is a Zero-P Sabre 170. MAN, THAT FABRIC IS FREAKIN SLICK! Your hands stick to it cuz they are sweaty from all the effort put in to managing the canopy. Does anyone have some tips on how to "tame" the canopy a bit so it will "obey?" After it is rolled under and laying in that straight tube shape, I've found laying on it slowly pushes the air out. It becomes very flat but only for a few seconds! (Starting to get mad at this point!) S-folding the canopy is the "fun" part! What can I do to help ease the packing process?

Ok, thanks. That helps a lot. I wouldn't be doing any freeflying anyway. Just RW for now. I only have 10 jumps so far.

I am looking in to buying a used rig. The container is a Northern Lite 3. I think its a legstrap pilot chute deployment. First, is this a good container? Is there any reason why I wouldn't want a Northern Lite container? It can always be converted to BOC deployment if it isn't already right?

Awsome! I just completed my AFF course. They let you pack your own canopy? Was that your first time packing? Wish I could have packed mine! Learning is on my to do list.

I just completed my AFF course. The only level I didn't pass on the first try was level 4, which is holding a heading in freefall. I think my instructor must have told me a thousand times..."extend legs and arch!" Once I did that, freefall actually became a second nature, it just clicked all of a sudden. You will just all of a sudden get the hang of it and think to yourself, WHY WAS THIS SO HARD BEFORE?! The four key things for AFF jumps are: Pull, Pull at a safe altitude, Pull stable, Land Safely. The best advise I can give from my recent experience is have FUN and be CONFIDENT. You can't think about what you NEED to do after you jump out that door, you need to know WHAT YOU ARE going to do before you even get into that harness. That makes the rest pretty simple.

Thanks for all the info!

I am having a bit of trouble holding a heading in freefall for any length of time. The reason I didn't pass my level 4 AFF. (thats ok though) I only weigh 134lbs, and I'm about 6' tall. My fall speed is only 106mph! Does anyone think that heavier people have less trouble controlling freefall than light people? There is so much less weight in my torso pulling me down, plus I have long limbs that make big changes with very little movement. I know the key to freefall is RELAX, but in my case is there anything else that might help me fall more stable?

My first jump went great today! Had a PERFECT breeze to land into! Jumped out at 13,000, arched 5 secs, circle of awareness, pratice pull, forward track for 5 secs, "no more" head shake at 6,000, wave off and pulled at 5,000. Made a stand up landing on my first one. Not a bad landing if I say so myself... Its off to level 3 and 4 tomorrow. Hey, this is fun!

It all started when I was in 2nd grade and rented a book from the school library titled "Skydiving." That was 12 years ago. Now I have two tandems and 8 minutes of simulated freefall in a wind tunnel under my belt. I am finally gonna start my AFF training here in a couple of days. W00T! Any last minute advise from people that have completed their AFF and achived the A license? BLUE SKIES

Thanks, that gave me a bit of releif about rental gear. With anything thats rental, I know that it is only as good as the previous person took care of it. (If that makes any sense.) Some people don't care about things if its not theirs, thus treat it with less respect. Thanks for the info!

I have some questions regarding stuff after my AFF is completed. First, I don't have a lot of money to buy my own gear right away. So I'll have to rent it until I can save for a complete rig and equipment. Are there any things I should look out for in rental equipment? Is there anything bad about it other than it prolly won't fit me like a glove like a custom rig will? Also, how much does rental equipment cost? Is it usually charged by the hour, per jump, half/full day?

I've done two tandems. On my first one, my right thumb felt a little numb after the jump and for about a week more. Prolly because the tandem harness isn't as comfortable as a solo harness and cutting off my circulation in my legs. (Not GOOD!)

Hello everyone. I am going to be starting my AFF training in around a couple of weeks. Very exited about it! I just wanted to ask you other experienced skydivers a few questions. Is there anything that you recommend I need to do before I start? Sign up for some type of insurance or something like that? I know I'm required to sign up with the USPA before (I think) the fourth AFF jump. I have read through that book by Dan Poynter and Mike Turoff: "Parachuting, The skydiver's Handbook." (A couple of times, and will again) I also have two tandems under my belt as well as around 8 minutes of solo freefall experience thanks to a wind tunnel. www.perrisskyventure.com I will probably be taking my instruction at a local airport from a small skydiving school here in Palm Springs, CA. They are listed under the USPA Group Member drop zones list. I am going to arrange a time to make a personal observation like the USPA recommends. What good skydiving school characteristics should I look for while I'm there? What makes a good one? For all of the real experienced skydivers out there, what advice would you give me before I start AFF? Is there anything you would have done different when you were at my level to make skydiving more safe? Thanks a lot for taking the time to read this!