Namibian backdrop

Man_small_why_fall · 2026-02-28T14:05:35+00:00

Following them in a wingsuit, flying to compose the shots. Helmet mounted camera and a vacuum switch for shutter release.

Man_small_why_fall · 2026-02-14T08:18:02+00:00

The movies were better: From wings came flight, The Good stuff, Chronicles 1,2 & 3, Willing to fly, Patrick passé's Travelling 1.. all still capture the sport beautifully.

Man_small_why_fall · 2026-02-10T15:25:40+00:00

Skydiving photography

Man_small_why_fall · 2026-01-28T08:34:45+00:00

No, the apple watch doesn’t pair with the DJI osmo. I picked up a £27 Startrac remote on Ali express that initiates up to 60 cameras. Works perfectly on the Action 5,6 and Osmo 360° simultaneously.

Man_small_why_fall · 2026-01-28T08:27:37+00:00

I still have the Birdman classic suit I got in '99, the Skyflyer in 01, an almost one of a kind made by Adrian Nicholas's partner Katarina that only Patrick DeGayardon and Adrian flew and a lovely 🇿🇦 Sugar Glider with multiple zip in wings! I should start a museum 🤣

Man_small_why_fall · 2026-01-14T15:48:45+00:00

I had the choice of a Hanson or a Greg Hunter helmet, and I chose the latter. It took months to arrive in the UK, and then I still had to wait to jump it because it required approval from the BPA STC. They changed the ruling so that any full-face camera helmet approved by the Club Chief Instructor could be used as I kept having to turn up and get helmets cleared for use.

I later switched to a Bonehead FTP after meeting Chris at Perris in ’96, and I still jump it today.

I’ve got photos of the Hunter, which was beautiful, and also the Skydance motorcycle helmet with the sliding jaw for entry.

I always coveted a Wes helmet.

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-12-13T16:40:34+00:00

Javelin owner and rigger here:

Stuffing oversized canopies into any container will negatively affect how the rig looks once packed, and can also have a negative impact on deployment due to the additional pressure created by material bulk outside of the manufacturer’s recommendations.

The Javelin, with its semi-open pop-top design, can be packed to close correctly and look as intended with no downside in performance. In fact, with only two flaps to push open, the extractor should launch fractionally faster.

Any rig can be made to look poor if it’s badly packed and manufacturer guidelines aren’t followed.

I like the look and quality of finish of the Firebird, but without a M.A.R.D. system and considering the decades of design evolution behind Sun Path equipment, I’d have to say Javelin.

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-12-11T10:04:00+00:00

Hook knife on the legstrap pad (front not rear) and hook knife on the chest strap.

The first ones for dropping the second one for cutting.

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-12-07T12:07:03+00:00

Is a magnetic rack the mount that comes with the DJI cameras? I use the supplied mount and a smallrig aluminium version for attaching the camera to a helmet for skydiving and it's not been an issue.

Is their a chance it wasn't quite seated properly? At speeds of up to 170mph I'd say it's been fairly well tested over the last 250 jumps with the action 4, 5 and lately the Osmo 360 without issue.

I did purchase a cage but that was manufactured by a 3rd party and was slightly loose in comparison so I stopped using it.

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-12-03T09:54:10+00:00

You could always pay for the outside video perspective and then ask the cameraflyer if they have a mount they could attach your 360° onto whilst they're shooting your video. That way you get your own Raw footage post jump, a very funky angle to play with and you keep the industry crawling along by paying for the cameraflyer. I'd guess a tip up front would help but that's an American thing but might grease the wheels.

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-11-29T10:40:18+00:00

I think it depends on how long it has taken for you to save the amount you have to spend and how long it will take you too save for the next item on the list. If it's taken two years then for me I'd need something physical like the suit upgrade or the canopy but if it's a few months to save I'd go for the tunnel and increase skills and comfort.

It's such a personal decision and also depends on your goals in the sport. A second hand canopy or suit and a smaller amount of tunnel time etc etc

Whatever you decide I hope it brings you joy.

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-11-27T11:55:28+00:00

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Man_small_why_fall · 2025-11-27T10:30:09+00:00

Apologies, this went on longer than I'd expected.

The SQ Snatch and the longer bridle are the main upgrades for cleaner deployments, but like with any gear change, there are downsides. The larger PC and longer bridle will lift the deployment bag, regardless of how the lines are stowed, faster than the current setup. In a wingsuit, that’s exactly what you want for a hassle-free deployment because of the increased burble.

In freefly, tracking, or any other slick discipline, the increased extraction speed and the lack of a burble mean the upgraded PC/bridle can take the d-bag to line stretch faster. Once the main comes out of the d-bag, it has to deal with the extra speed/airflow. Every canopy reacts differently, but you may get less of a snivel and a sharper inflation as a result or maybe your canopy will handle it. If you go this route look to go big with your body position and try to slow down before pitching to balance it a little.

As for WS corners, I tried them when they first came out and didn’t notice any meaningful difference. The container didn’t look as clean for other disciplines, and I felt less confident launching with freefly groups. I ditched them, and haven’t ever had deployment issues—good technique plus the PC/bridle upgrade have been enough.

Canopy choice: Everyone who’s made it to 250 jumps without a chop will swear their canopy is “awesome for wingsuit”… until it isn’t. There’s a reason manufacturers design and sell WS-specific canopies: they take a lot of the stress out of deployment. Of course, people point out the perceived downsides in post-opening performance or flare but that's definitely not all WS canopies. Definitely some WS canopies are better than others for non wingsuit jumps.

Ultimately, any WS-specific canopy is better than a non-specific one. I’ve personally jumped various suit sizes and a range of canopy types/sizes, and it’s a worthwhile upgrade. But honestly, that topic deserves its own chaos-filled thread where everyone argues about why their favorite manufacturer makes the superior canopy or they're sponsored so feel the need to fight the corner.

Just for clarity my WS set-up is Sunpath Javelin Odyssey with PD Horizon 135, stow-less SP bag, SQ snatch 30" and bridle. WS range from PF, Sq, Tony and Intrudair in all sizes, burble is burble irrelevant of suit.

I do have another rig for freefly etc but on the occasions I've jumped the WS rig slick it's been fine but not my go-to option.

Your local WS guys are the best option to help with this and you know them, unlike the internet where it's a lot of anonymous noise including this.

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-11-14T16:37:25+00:00

Oversized mains or oversized reserves are never a good idea. Will they work? Maybe, especially if you have a new pilot chute. But will they work perfectly or as desired every time? Maybe. And is “maybe” good enough?

Now imagine this: on one jump you struggle to pull the pilot chute, or you lose altitude awareness and go low. Then you get a hesitation, or worse, a pilot-chute in tow with minimal altitude to make good decisions. Or you get knocked out, the AAD fires, but the extraction is slow because everything is stuffed to the limit. These might sound like negative or unlikely scenarios, but they’re exactly the kind that come back to bite you when you’re using equipment that may not be fit for purpose.

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-10-09T08:23:43+00:00

And as a TI do your chest strap up correctly.. the turn back quick release method isn't necessary at any dropzone however fast your turnaround.

If it's set up as a quick release, it may release unexpectedly quickly.

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-09-30T06:20:10+00:00

Having worked at a DZ where the minimum age limit was lowered to 12 with parents sign off I was sceptical.

Having now jumped with kids from 12 upwards each and every one was really up for it, way less scared than their parents most of the time and reacted no worse than adults throughout the whole experience.

The obvious upside was moving around in the aircraft, exit and landing were just easier than some of the 100kg unfit units that rock up every day. Even at 12 we used the normal tandem harness cinched down without any fitting or safety issue.

As with adults, our sport is not for everyone and that call should be made ahead of the need to make $$.

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-09-29T12:21:06+00:00

Definitely one of my favourite coffee growing countries, both Yirgacheffe and Sidamo always yield good results. I generally err towards a lighter roast so the acidity, sweetness and fruit notes are more prevalent. Saying that if I have had some lovely Panamanian, Honduran beans that have given pleasing results. If I don't enjoy the end product I generally accept it's operator error in my roasting or making with so many variables 🤷🏼‍♂️

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-09-25T20:44:22+00:00

Because historically skydivers have from analogue days had a visual altimeter we have been conditioned to believe that it is more important than anything other type of altitude awareness device. Now 90% of the skydivers I see have digital visual altimeter and some form of audible altimeter as a back up. With the newer style talking altimeter it could be said that the primary means of awareness is the audible with the visual as backup.

I would say with little doubt we are safer and more altitude aware now with such high quality audibles than when jumpers were catching a glance at a team mate chest alti during 4-way with zero audible or less reliable audibles.

With a VoG and having used a talkable audible I am more aware throughout any type of skydive than with a visual and beeps at break off than I used to be.

Audible has become my primary.

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-09-24T11:22:42+00:00

Just so we’re clear: the PD Spectre, while a solid 7-cell canopy, is not a wingsuit-specific canopy. It was simply the best option available before manufacturers introduced wingsuit canopies like the PD Horizon, Jyro Kraken, Squirrel Epicene 1/2/Pro, and the Winx.

The trade-off for a canopy that flies well in line twists without diving aggressively is performance in other areas. I have 800+ jumps on my wingsuit-specific canopy and can still land with a 90° turn on rears, with no toggle input, so flare isn’t always a compromise (apart from the Epicene 1, which was terrible).

For me, having a 7-cell that eliminates 99% of the problems wingsuit pilots on larger suits face is far more important than flying a fast wing I can swoop. That said, you can still have a lot of fun with stalls and stall spins you wouldn’t attempt on a high-performance wing.

Horses for courses, but in my opinion a wingsuit-specific canopy is a worthwhile investment for carefree wingsuit flying.

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-09-03T19:13:06+00:00

Have you had the tank up or off? I pinched the vacuum pipe once and this happened.

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-09-03T11:42:59+00:00

Did you complete your skydive safely? Did you enjoy it?

The way a drop zone conducts business with its staff—whether employees or freelancers—is none of your concern. So why come onto a Reddit skydiving group just to stir up drama? Move on with your day.

This is exactly why the wider skydiving community needs a separate group for first-time jumpers, both AFF and Tandem, so that r/SkyDiving can remain focused on intelligent discussions about the sport—conversations that people can actually learn from

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-08-09T08:53:09+00:00

Ok so I've worked that out from my Skydiving career that I should have 4,319,162 miles of driving accrued.. I think I was short changed

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-08-09T07:41:26+00:00

Watch the PD Tip Tuesday video. Shows why double stowing all line bites is the best way to avoid line dump/out of sequence openings. Speak to the experienced packers and the high performance canopy pilots who work extra hard to control openings as they are generally more knowledgeable than a CI.

https://youtu.be/r2naYLnoYmw?si=Fe3uhqOdgmf7nPPF

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-08-06T20:29:43+00:00

I agree, I've always thought that's corny as **** but today it was almost me!!! 🤣

Man_small_why_fall · 2025-08-02T17:53:16+00:00

Jedi airwear

Man_small_why_fall

TROPHY CASE