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As a brandy new skydiver and recent student, I don't pretend to know the stresses you instructor types are under, especially dealing with the many different types of people and temperaments that come through the training pipeline. In fact I've quoted myself many times saying that you wouldn't find ME riding shotgun along a first jump student, with no idea whether or not he is going to totally freak right after exit... That being said, I can't condone the above mentality... I do understand the need for forceful reinforcement of the DECISION - CUTAWAY - RESERVE RIPCORD mentality... as one of my jumpmasters likes to say, skydiving is the ultimate experiment in self-reliance... but to intentionally omit pertinent information regarding the equipment that will be strapped to a person's back, when he will be alone during his journey back to earth is a mistake that could cause more damage that its worth. For example, I was very much a fan of the training program at skydive elsinore... I will forever recommend my instructor there to anyone who values my opinion. My only real critique on the program is that certain information got left out of the program (specifically things like cloud cover requirements and the specifics to the operation of the RSL)... it wasn't intentional I am certain, however it just got left out... and then on level 2, the instructor did a review but didn't cover those things... then on level 3, that instructor likely assumed those things were covered in level 1 and did cursory checks on things... and so on and so forth, until I was way into my solo jumps (like jump 19 or so?) and was talking about my upcoming license jump when I was asked about something I didn't know and should have... How many students have been affected by this type of thing? Has it caused any injuries? Who knows... but then again, can anyone say for certain that a student is alive and kicking today because his instructor told him an AAD was a jump counter? We did more emergency procedure drills than I care to remember during my school, and I understand why. To that extent, the bottom line was before my first jump, when my instructor looked straight at every student in the class and asked a direct question, to which he required a firm answer, which was, "Can you do this to save you're own life?" This is obviously a highly opinionated topic with good arguments all around, but I am a firm believer that a solid understanding of all safety equipment and safety procedures is exreme sports 101, and to deceive or misinform on this subject is inexcusable. Thank you for you're time.

Well that concerns me... I'm new at flying altogether, but I would like to feel comfortable with the rig I buy, even in the sit position should I try it, so this is a good point to bring up. There are also some options on here from buildarig.com that have older Talon 2 harnesses... I've read about people having problems with the reserve pin flap coming open during a sit, but otherwise these have pretty much shining reviews. Any thoughts?

Hey everybody! Thanks for reading my post!! Well I finally got my A license a couple weeks ago, I've got about 35 jumps so far, and am looking to buy my first rig. I've seen some good options around, and one in particular that keeps coming up is the Altico Dolphin container... Basically I'm looking for opinions on this container... I've read the gear reviews on here, and they are mostly good although there aren't many... but I've never seen one at my DZ, and that makes me a little hesitant.. Does anybody have a strong (preferably educated) opinion about the Dolphin as a starter rig? Would it just be smarter/healthier/wiser/cleaner/etc to just stick to a more mainstream brand and try to find a javelin or mirage or something?

I apologize if this is deemed to be in the wrong forum, I know its gear related but it IS more of a safety question IMHO... Anyways, my question is concerning AAD misfires. As I understand it, because of the pressure variance and turbulence that occurs in the door of the aircraft, its possible to fool an AAD into firing off while you are spotting.... is this a common thing, or more of an urban legend? I don't see much in the way of proof that this is a real problem on the fatalities database, nor do I hear much about it... Are there particular brands of AAD to watch out for? Particular settings to be careful of?

Well, he claims that the rig he is jumping is a bit small for him (and he is a large guy), so that his chest strap is barely fastened at all anyways...not much slack... so he opens it, although loosening it was what he was talking about.

I was at the drop zone this weekend working on jumps 18-20 (so almost up to my A license now) and came across something on conversation that I am curious about. One of the other guys, a recent A licensee with a total of about 30-35 jumps has decided that he should advise us newer guys... He asked what I was flying and I told him (a Navigator 240 currently), and his comment was: "Ohh.. its time to downsize! Just go to like a 220 or 210 and when you get under canopy, just undo you're chest strap and it lets the parachute open up wider and controls easier!" Now... I'm nowhere near naive enough to take any of this advice, so no need to post replies like 'don't do it!!" My real question is about opening the chest strap under canopy... this sounds to me like a potentially dangerous practice... is it commonplace? I know that you do it in preparation for a water landing so you can escape you're harness, but to be doing it for control purposes?

Why would a drop zone offer no AFF training? Is this normal for drop zones? As someone who just completed AFF, I have to say that I highly recommend it... I have no idea what tandem progression entails though, I have never even heard of it. I guess my question would be how much experience do you get as a canopy pilot if you are flying tandem rigs? Or is this worked into the system somehow?

As a new jumper and a new addition to the forum boards, it makes me happy to see topics like this come up. I have a whopping grand total of 16 jumps at the moment, and I'm currently on a Nav 240 at 5'11 & 185 lbs. I think the original concern about people convincing new skydivers that they will "get bored" and that they won't fit in unless they are flying a bath towel is valid in that it does exist, but is perhaps a bit exaggerated and misdirected. These novice skydivers, like myself, are all fully capable adults... and like many sports or activities, there are some people who are prone to be risk takers and some who will opt for a cautious approach. To lay blame at the feet of anyone but the person flying the canopy is a mistake... I think that if you wish to address an issue such as under-experienced canopy pilots having landing problems/injuries, then address it as simple responsibility and accountability. If a fellow novice plows into someone on a landing run, he can talk all day about how he was "peer pressured" into flying a small canopy, but ultimately he is going to be held solely responsible for that decision. Some people will ALWAYS brag, and hand out their own brand of advice to new skydivers. To try to combat this would be like pulling teeth (very deeply rooted ones)... in my opinion, the focus should instead be on promoting responsibility and accountability to the new skydivers, in hopes that the idea of making educated, intelligent decisions prevails over a desire to impress people and fit in. Thank you for you're time.

What is a skyhook?

Good morning! My name is Brian, I'm 27 and recently separated from active duty in the Navy submarine force... I moved to southern California a little under 9 months ago and recently took up skydiving. I did my AFF levels 1-8 at Skydive Elsinore, and am a big fan of the place. I have no yet jumped at Perris, partially because I paid for a package deal at Elsinore so I'm working through what I've already paid for... I'm up to a total of 16 jumps now, working as a solo student on my A license card. I'm also an avid scuba diver, motorcycle rider, and skier (although I moved here from Hawaii, so I haven't been skiing in about 5 years). I'm always on the lookout for people who have similar interests and enjoy social group activities, especially since I'm new to this area and don't know many people yet. Well, I have a couple of posts that I'll put up in the appropriate forums, so hopefully I'll hear some good opinions and info. Thanks for reading this, and if there are any Elsinore skydivers out there who could use another face to talk to at the DZ, feel free to let me know! -B

Good afternoon everyone! I've been skydiving for a couple weeks now, just finished the AFF course at Skydive Elsinore here in California, and now I'm on solo student status working on my coaches and requirements for the A license. At the moment I have 16 total jumps. My question this morning is regarding gear, and gear choices... since I've been doing my training at Elsinore, the only gear I've used is the student gear. I was doing some online research into different brands and reading reviews, and one thing keeps coming up thats confusing me... some manufacturers are making rigs that they call the "student" version of their main line... What exactly does this entail? I mean, I understand that the student gear is designed to be "more forgiving" in certain ways... but what ways are these? What are the sacrifices of going with a rig like this? Would buying a "student" style rig be something I regret in a year, or is it a necessary step in the proper training cycle? Also... I'm a fairly avid scuba diver, so I can talk all day about the differences between a "good" regulator and a "bad" regulator, such as the quality of parts, adjustments, reliability and ease of breathing.... but so far in skydiving I don't necessarily know what I should be looking at in gear... specifically in a container and main/reserve canopies. Are some made with better stitching and materials? Are some streamlined for different types of pilot chute deployment, or different types of flying? What are the big deciding factors that people use to choose between brands? I appreciate you're time and input, thanks! -B