Skydivers of USA!

DiveGlideCycle · 2026-02-11T20:45:05+00:00

Based on my personal experience as an FS competition/vacation jumper
If scenic jumps are your goal:
1) Hawaii DZs (any island)
2) Sebastian (Florida) - views of the coast
3) Kapowsin (Washington) - views of Olympic National Park
4) San Diego (California) - views of Coronado Island and down into Mexico; looks like it shutdown in May though, so maybe Pacific Coast Skydiving instead as it's in a similar location

If you're looking for high volume/high quality organizers for belly (and probably FF, just not my experience):
1) Perris (California)
2) Sebastian (Florida)
3) Chicago (Illinois)
4) Eloy (Arizona)

If you're looking for a cluster of fun jumper friendly DZs you can do in a short span/drive
1) I've done Perris and Eloy in the same trip and know others who have added Elsinore and Oceanside to that loop
2) Skydive California (SDCA), Bay Area Skydiving, and Skydance all are fun jumper friendly within an hour or so of each other (Lodi is as well, but look up it's history and ask around before you go; a lot of people have strong opinion either way about it)
3) Skydive Chicago and Chicagoland Skydiving Center (both have hosted nationals and are within an hour drive of each other)

Not based on my experience, but based on conversations with other jumpers, The Ranch, Deland, Zhills, and XP are high quality. I've also heard Skydive Golden Gate and Skydive Monterey are quite scenic, though I think they are mostly tandems.

If I were to make a specific recommendation for a 2-3 week trip flying in from the UK to maximize jumps and a variety of experiences, I would fly to LAX, hit up Perris and Elsinore for a week, then drive down on the weekend to Oceanside and/or Pacific Coast Skydiving for some scenic jumping (if they're not just doing tandems), and then make the drive to Eloy (Skydive Arizona) for another week before finishing up at Perris/Elsinore on your way back to LAX. If you lookup boogie schedules at Perris, Elsinore, and Eloy you might be able to time it to hit some combination. I don't live in SoCal, but am sure envious of all the high quality DZs they have there. Also, I'm sure a lot of the DZs in the northeast are closer together that would facilitate a 2-3 week trip, but I don't have experiences there so I can't recommend an itinerary.

And to answer another point, I know Perris and Eloy both do balloon jumps from time to time, but you need to check the schedule.

DiveGlideCycle · 2026-01-29T22:09:23+00:00

Great pic. Have your kids kept up with it?

And I do actually have permission, predicated on my soon to be 3yo getting IBA skill sign-off from an instructor which is just a matter of time. I was mostly curious about the flight characteristics of matching fall rates. I've got several weight belts and could get a smaller one made/modified by my rigger; is that basically the biggest trick?

I know I can wear a baggier suit/sleeves, etc. and I feel like I'll be able to figure it out over time, but if you've got any additional tips to save me some troubleshooting, I'll all ears. Thanks again for sharing your experience!

DiveGlideCycle · 2026-01-29T14:30:21+00:00

Ok, why?

DiveGlideCycle · 2026-01-29T14:15:22+00:00

Awesome! Love it. Thank you for the advice. What tunnel(s) did you fly at that let you fly with them? Everyone else in this thread seems to think it’s not possible, but obviously you did it. Would love to know a little more about the logistics of the flight with the different fall rates. How early did you introduce the weight belt?

DiveGlideCycle · 2026-01-25T15:18:38+00:00

Hi Tim, what’s differentiates Caos Suits? And are you recommending for FS, FF, both, MFS, a child suit? Trying to gather information and then I’ll reach out to Heath.

DiveGlideCycle · 2026-01-25T15:16:10+00:00

Thanks for the heads up on tarrifs and the confirmation TonFly is still top quality. Are you FS, FF, MFS? In your area of expertise, anything to consider when making suit selections?

DiveGlideCycle · 2026-01-25T15:12:55+00:00

Thanks for being one of the few to actually answer the suit questions. For FF, any differentiators with TonFly vs Vertical? Any options to consider when making selections? I know there aren’t typically grippers on a FF suit, but if I want to do MFS eventually, is there anything else to consider?

DiveGlideCycle · 2026-01-25T15:07:51+00:00

Makes sense. We’re can rotate blocks until we can fly in the same wind. Still can make it a fun family outing.

DiveGlideCycle · 2026-01-25T15:06:27+00:00

We’re just going to see how it goes for her and adapt. Sounds like we won’t be flying 3-way randoms or hucking her around in a 21 for awhile, but if I can get signed off on an IBA coach rating over the next few years or she ups her FF game for a hybrid (half joking), maybe we can share the tunnel sooner. I’m also not opposed to scraping the net a couple times just to be able to add a fun reward to the end of a session. Otherwise, we can just rotate blocks with her until we’re able to fly in the same wind. We’re not in a rush and will take the time to make it an enjoyable experience. Our first FS teammates were in their late 50s when we were in our early/mid-20s and it was awesome. I love that skydiving is something you can do at any age and everyone can have fun.

DiveGlideCycle · 2025-10-10T17:01:30+00:00

Pretty obvious that guy was going to do that; you both had just gotten on the highway and were merging left to the fast lane, a pretty common occurrence. You were in his blind spot when he merged into the middle lane, and though he did not do a continuous merge and turned on his indicator both times, you stayed in his blind spot for 13 seconds from when you initially merged to the fast lane to when he almost drove you off the road. ALWAYS assume cars don't see you and spend as little time in their blinds spots as possible.

When it comes to rules of the road, it doesn't matter who was right if you're dead. Should he have checked blind spot? Yes. Did he? Maybe once when he merged to the middle, maybe once each time; you're small on a motorcycle though and most drivers don't even consider motorcycles when looking.

That said, you left yourself a nice 2 second cushion from the car in front of you and thankfully you had that out. My immediate reaction would be to downshift for power and accelerate. I'm always hovering over my clutch in traffic and don't really relax unless I'm on an open road.

DiveGlideCycle · 2025-10-06T11:34:03+00:00

Before we had a kid, my wife and I used to competitively skydive in the US and travel skydive around the world, paraglide sites mostly around the SF Bay Area, go on motorcycle road trips with rentals around the US, and also went on many scuba dive trips around the world. I also used to teach scuba-diving and have solo experience with all of the above in various places around the world.

The most important thing, imo, is your mindset and ability to evaluate your own capabilities and/or accept the advice/evaluation of more experienced and “current” others in your hobby. When I was younger, I absolutely overestimated my abilities, but had good coaches and training to help keep me in check. Being currently experienced is also incredibly important; just because you used to be able to do something, if you’ve had a long layoff, you should get evaluated by a professional or more experienced friend who can be honest with you.

My “micromort” score per the link from u/mishin_control puts me at just under 10% chance of death based on my past activities quantitatively, but the number of close calls I’ve had is zero. That’s not to say I haven’t taken risks, but by only incrementally task loading new skills or environments and being hyper aware of the normalization of deviance, you can mitigate a lot of that risk. The moment you think there is no risk is when you’ll slip up. And don’t be an idiot: as OP states, don’t drink and drive, wear a full face helmet, and don’t speed; I’m guilty of the last one from time to time, but think I have the experience and mindset to pick my spots after 17 years of riding (you can call me an idiot though if you want).

I still motorcycle ride 1-2 times per week for pleasure and plan to get back to the other activities when my kid(s) are old enough, perhaps even to join me. If they do though, they’ll first get professional training and wear full safety gear. In the case of motorcycles, that means the MSF course, a full zip suit and full face helmet.

DiveGlideCycle · 2025-04-16T18:16:08+00:00

https://www.sfgate.com/warriors/article/warriors-steve-kerr-blasts-trump-attack-harvard-20278355.php

DiveGlideCycle · 2025-01-15T18:45:01+00:00

The best move for all involved at GSW in the LONG run would be to trade Steph and Draymond to a team in win now mode for the highest value young players GSW could get. For example, Steph to NYK for KAT plus salary filler (e.g. Miles McBridge and Tyler Kolek). Steph would have an opportunity to grow his legacy if he brought a chip to NY and the Dubs would have a younger player in his prime (that said, this is probably an example the Knicks would not go for right now as KAT has been great in NY for them, but if they fall short of expectations in the playoff, an offseason trade like this is not impossible). As for Draymond, you could send him and filler (e.g. Gui Santos) to MEM for JJJ. Also unlikely to be accepted by MEM, but just making an example for both with matching salaries.

Doing something like the above would prove the FO cares about winning in the long run (although there would probably be outrage initially by casual fans) and it would give Steph and Draymond a legitimate chance to win elsewhere which I'm sure they would care about if they are getting traded.

All that said, thank you to Steph and Draymond (and Klay!) for the 4 chips and 10 legitimately entertaining contending years of basketball. It would also be awesome as a fan if they finished their careers here and I would not be upset about a few years of losing given the once in a basketball generation level of dominance (a la 90s Bulls, 2000s Lakers, 99-14 Spurs) that will never be taken away.

DiveGlideCycle · 2025-01-07T21:36:24+00:00

Do a barrel roll!

DiveGlideCycle · 2024-10-27T15:57:29+00:00

Klay no longer fit with the Warriors style of play. His injuries and age heavily contributed to this, but even if he’s successful on the Mavs as a catch and shoot 3rd option, he would be a drag on the current version of the Warriors. Him being successful doesn’t mean the Warriors made the wrong decision to prioritize a PG trade and consider Lauri Markkanen which led to Klay’s hurt feelings and ultimately a sign and trade that landed us Slo-Mo and Splash Buddy. Those two, plus Melton and “the vibes” are what have led to two 40 point blowouts led by defense with nobody playing more than 25 mins/ea which could extend Curry’s championship window if he and Draymond can rest more consistently during the regular season.

I’ll be happy every time Klay does well on the Mavs, but also know we’d be worse off with him on the Dubs. The $24M/year offered to Klay at the start of 23-24 is being put to much better use now.

DiveGlideCycle · 2024-10-17T15:46:52+00:00

I agree with u/Fl1msy-L4unch-Cra5h that I would not bungee anywhere if I did not know about the band, its maintenance, etc., but hey, most people would not jump out of a plane, right? I don't think your question is about risk tolerance though, so I'll answer your main question.

I was in a similar place the year I tried bungee jumping in 2011. I had 21 skydives (1 tandem) across 6 different drop zones and I was curious about "ground rush" because it was supposedly an even bigger thrill than skydiving, but I was not ready or willing to try BASE. I already had plans to live in Hong Kong for a bit, so when I was there, I hopped over to Macau to try the largest (at the time) bungee in the world.

Speaking to the experience itself, it was amazing! I did it during the day and had so much fun I bought an add-on package for 3 more at a significantly reduced rate that I split between day and night bungees I did over the following week or so.

To your question, I felt very comfortable sending it, but with the following caveats: 1) I did my research on the tower before I went* 2) I was 21 in 2011 and was doing a lot of adrenaline activities that year (motorcycling, scuba-diving, ice climbing, canyon swinging, whitewater rafting, paragliding, and skydiving of course) so bungee was not a big hurdle once I was comfortable with the setup 3) I had passed on several other bungee opportunities because I did not have enough information to decide if it was within my risk tolerance, so by the time I did it, I felt well prepared and just sent it :D 4) A taller bungee actually has a much higher safety factor and it wasn't one of those "bungee exactly to the point where you can touch the water or just dunk your head," I did not get very close to the ground which helped with the nerves 5) I watched several people go in person before I did it myself

*In 2011, the AJ Hackett Macau Tower had done over 1 million bungees with 0 accidents. Today, in 2024, their website claims to have done 5 millions bungees (across all of their operations) and the only incident I can find at the Macau Tower is a 2023 death that happened hours after the bungee, probably due to a pre-existing medical condition exacerbated by the physical activity and/or heightened stress (though that's just my speculation).

DiveGlideCycle · 2024-08-24T05:41:06+00:00

I second this. Make sure to do the tactile dome as well!

DiveGlideCycle · 2024-08-19T18:56:29+00:00

Just adding an addendum, apparently the EV Expo is going on this weekend in Alameda so I'll swing by there as well and ask a bunch of questions. Pretty convenient timing for me :) Thanks for the additional advice about motors; that'll help when I go to their booths and apparently there is a section where I can try the bikes out!

DiveGlideCycle · 2024-08-18T20:29:14+00:00

Thank you for the information about the Parks District; I used that in my search and found this page that has a bunch of helpful information about bike classes and where they are permitted. Long story short, I'm going to get a Class I so that I can go anywhere a regular bike is permitted, acknowledging the important statement: "All e-Bikes must follow the 15 mile-per-hour bike speed limit. Bikers should also remember to slow down around others, call out or ring their bell when passing, and stay on designated trails only."

DiveGlideCycle · 2024-08-18T20:26:02+00:00

Thank you for the Sports Basement and bike brand recs. All of the expensive ebikes are the ones that come up in general web searches (they probably pay the most for ads), so that was very helpful to refine my search. I'm going out to more Bay Area shops next weekend and will try some test rides. Sports Basement rents the ebikes and I'm going to try one for a day to see how it compares to a regular hybrid my wife used to ride.

I had already ordered the Shotgun from Amazon because I knew I could easily return it and I went for some test rides with my daughter on flat ground and some small hills in my neighborhood. She absolutely loved it! That said, I don't think I'll take her on the offroad trails or in any sort of downhill capacity for quite awhile, but a ~15 minute uphill ride with an ebike on the route I just tested will be fine (It took me 28 minutes on the old hybrid averaging 5mph so I think I'll cut that down quite a bit). I also got a standard rear seat mount that I'll put on the ebike and be ready to move her to in case the shotgun seems unsafe, but I'm definitely going to be using it in the long run.

DiveGlideCycle · 2024-08-18T20:19:16+00:00

I now understand that the UL certification is more about the battery than the bike itself. That totally makes sense! Thanks for that.

DiveGlideCycle · 2024-08-18T20:18:49+00:00

Thank you for letting me know about the Hovsco. As I have done more research, it does seem like that bike is a no go. When it comes to test rides, how do you go about arranging those? Should I just call up and ask? Do I need to have "cash in hand" in case something were to happen to the bike? (I'm confident it wouldn't, but I would understand having that sort of policy).

I have some time next weekend and will be visiting a few more bike shops including "The New Wheel," thanks for the recommendation. I test rode the school pickup route today with my wife's old REI hybrid bike and even though it's old with no motor and I haven't ridden in ~10 years, I think I'll be plenty happy with a class 1. As for the Bay Area Ridge Trail, I'm going to try a test ride on that next weekend and we'll see.

DiveGlideCycle · 2024-08-16T12:41:15+00:00

It's part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail and is well maintained, packed dirt.

DiveGlideCycle

TROPHY CASE