manseman

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Everything posted by manseman

  1. manseman
    While the statistics might not be terribly useful to decide if your next jump is going to be worth the risk or not, they're pretty much the only way to discover systematic changes in the sport as a while. The relationship between the number of jumps ending in fatalities/injuries and total jumps made will definitely say something about the direction the sport is heading in terms of safety. And while jump number n+1 isn't automatically more dangerous than jump number n, making two jumps certainly puts you in greater risk of getting hurt or killed than just making one. If reality was oversimplified to the point where getting killed on each individual jump is actually 1/133333, then about 7% of the people trying to make 10000 jumps would get killed somewhere between their first and their 10000:th jump.
  2. manseman
    That's a healthy dose of irony right there ;) From the first post: Clearly, there is more to this than high school physics.
  3. manseman
    Part of the reason why you deploy that high during AFF is to give your instructors a chance to assist you, then turn and track and finally deploy their own parachutes, so don't get too hung up on comparing numbers.
  4. manseman
    Sounds simple enough, but it doesn't really explain anything about flying hd in the tunnel, right? Your "skin" is being pushed away from the ground but your blood will still be pulled towards the ground just as if you were outside of the tunnel. Also, people inside an aircraft falling out of the sky don't seem to automatically fall at the same speed as the aircraft they are inside, so maybe your explanation is a bit too simplistic.
  5. manseman
    Landing your reserve is not just like any other landing. There's more adrenaline, less altitude, possible injuries, a canopy that flies differently than your main, with different flare characteristics that you might not even have had a chance to test before the actual landing. I'd say bigger is better and anything else is secondary.
  6. manseman
    For me, a headstand or handstand is much more taxing in every way than just hanging upside down. I'm guessing that's the difference and that flying hd is simply more like hanging from your knees than standing on your head/hands. Standing requires a lot of muscles to be activated.
  7. manseman
    Well, that does in no way mean that base and wearing a camera for regular skydives requires the same skills, attitude or level of experience, or that the risks involved are at all similar. It just means that neither activity is suitable for a beginner. Also keep in mind that a skydive is very, very short. 200 skydives is about 3 hours of freefall. And almost everybody wears a camera eventually while almost nobody goes into base.
  8. manseman
    isn't the best way to continue the discussion. Feeling is a pretty bad gauge, let alone asking someone if he feels ready Let me try one last time then, just for you. 1. Non-jumper is puzzled by the 200-jump recommendation. 2. I suggest that by making a few jumps and actually experiencing the stress he will perhaps become less puzzled.
  9. manseman
    isn't the way to convince him. My point is that it's quite hard for someone who hasn't made a single jump to get involved in a meaningful debate regarding the effects of wearing a camera in freefall.
  10. manseman
    It does take a bit of focus. Both in the air and while preparing for the jump, on the ground and in the plane before exiting. Make a few jumps and then let us know if you feel that you have any focus to spare in any of those situations.
  11. manseman
    It'll still affect your hearing in the plane and under canopy and there are plenty of situations where a visor problem (fog, ice, blood, can't get it to open, can't get it to close etc) takes a bit more concentration to deal with than a pair of goggles would. So yes, it could be a problem. The less experience you have, the more dangerous are all the seemingly minor things that frequently happen. That's why beginners are made to keep things as simple as possible.
  12. manseman
    In smooth, steady winds... Maybe 17-18 mph or so. Possibly a bit lower. The urge to jump no matter what is fortunately declining every season.
  13. manseman
    Don't put off getting an audible. L&B Solo is good (An optima is fine too if you really think you need the extra features, it's not that much more expensive). As for the visible altimeter, as most people here I suggest an analog one. No batteries, extremely simple operation, harder to mis-read in freefall. If you eventually decide that you really, really need to know if you're at 310 or 300 feet, get a digital one as well. I always had a spare analog in my locker and did all my jumping with a digital alti until I started to do AFF-jumps and was forced to read my alti frequently and quickly in freefall. IMHO the analog is way, way better for that purpose and I'm glad I kept it.
  14. manseman
    You need a pull-up bar to do pull ups. You need some sort of rack to do bench presses. Of course it's fine to use equipment you need. The problem is when people use the cage for pure convenience and refuse to move when someone actually NEEDS the cage. It's really not about any superior right to anything, it's just about being helpful. I used to work out in a gym where there was one single olympic bar and a number of bars with pre-loaded fixed weights. A person was using the olympic bar, unloaded, to do presses as part of a cirquit workout. I asked if she'd mind using one of fixed-weight bars instead, but she just replied something like: "No, I like to use this one" and popped her earplugs back in. Yes, she got there first and I have no superior right to the olympic bar just because I want to deadlift, but how about some cooperation with the people you share the equipment and space with?
  15. manseman
    Equipment like squat racks or power cages are there because for some exercises, like squats, they are essential. Arguing for using them for curling just because it's slightly more convenient for you is kind of like arguing for using handicap parking spaces just because it saves you a few steps. Also, if you have problems lifting the bar you are about to curl 4-6 reps with off the floor you should probably stop wasting your time with curls...
  16. manseman
    Be as prepared as you can and make sure you haven't left any questions or concerns open. Focus on breathing and positive thoughts. I always have the same jitters if it's the first jump in a while, if it's the first jump in a new location or if there is something decidedly unusual or (to me) new about the jump. After three AFF jumps you are still very much in the first-time-everything-is-new mode. As for the door, I imagine it's possible to somewhat ignore the fact that you are going to jump up until it opens. That's when the curtain opens for the show and you can't avoid it any longer. I heard somewhere that a couple of very experienced jumpers wore heart rate monitors for a few jumps and that there were spikes when the door opened and just before deployment.
  17. manseman
    I think you need to get out more. You would probably be shocked of how poorly the local population in most parts of the less fortunate areas of the world is treated compared to wealthy western visitors.
  18. manseman
    Bullshit. This was pure and simple greed to appease big spenders. I don't see how that is bullshit or in contradiction to what I said. Businesses usually aren't about charity or letting others express their political or religious views at your expense. As I said, the DZO tried to find a way where everybody would keep jumping. What's your solution?
  19. manseman
    It sounds like the DZO was simply trying to find a way that would work for everybody. And surely there can be a major difference between wearing a symbol expressing your support for something and wearing one that expresses your non-support and the other way around depending on the topic. Is "Get God out of America!" no more provocative than "In God we trust"? Is "Equal rights for women, now!" no less provocative than "Iron my shirt, bitch"?
  20. manseman
    Haha, yes. Put your boxers on your head and rub your junk on the ride up. Seriously, the correct way is to wrap yourself in toilet paper and light it on fire as you leave the plane. Just be careful not to get a boner as that will increase your wingload a lot.
  21. manseman
    You'd better get used to that for just about everything in this sport. ;) Since solid facts regarding which aad is safer seem tricky to come by, you could simply pick the brand that the majority of aad users where you jump use. That way you are less likely to miss safety bulletins and more likely to get help with your device when you need it.
  22. manseman
    Well, you could also buy a logbook and simply forge the signatures. The chances of getting caught are likely minuscule. I suppose the main reason for a dz demanding to see written signatures (except for students) would be legal. I guess a proper looking book with signatures and stamps and whatnot is a good thing to bring if you show up all alone and unannounced at a dz where you don't know a soul, expecting to get to jump immediately. I don't know how often people do that, but I think I could make a reasonable guess.
  23. manseman
    Ah, yes. Slightly embarrassing mistake but I seem to be in good company ;).
  24. manseman
    No, it should fire at about the same altitude. Expert Cypres vs. student Cypres out of the box would be 225 meters vs 300 meters. http://www.cypres.cc/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=131&Itemid=94&lang=en
  25. manseman
    I don't disagree, but if it boils down to deciding who is more likely to be saved by an aad, if not assisted, in this scenario my money is on the student.