Rant & Rave Blog

Check back here for all the gear sales from skydiving gear manufacturers and ChutingStar throughout the holidays!

Discounts usually are a rare thing in skydiving, and even more rare in the current supply shortage climate. We're focusing on making sure we have available items in stock and shipped to you by the time you need it for your next jump. Currently for the holidays, ChutingStar has the following sales and ways to save listed below.

Here's the rundown on current deals:

• Discounted stock of all PittZ Freefly Suits & Pants
• GoPro Camera Discounts
• 10% off Icarus S Fire, X-Fire, Sky and oM main canopies, plus 5% of an Icarus NANO reserve
• $30 off the ChutingStar Gear Bag through Jan. 1
• UPT Stock Containers
• PD Europe Used Canopy Sale
• 30% off the base price of any In-Stock Wings Container
• Top 11 Ways To Save $$$ @ ChutingStar!

Deal Details

Here are the links to more info and the ordering process for these deals from ChutingStar:

Performance Designs Europe has a batch of "pre-loved" canopies that are looking for new homes at reduced prices!

See the list below with all the currently available canopies, as of November 26, 2024.

If there is a canopy that you want to purchase, contact ChutingStar at this link, and we can confirm availability and the pricing for you.

Firebird, which manufacturers the EVO container and RUSH reserve, now has a stock list of available containers for a quick turnaround time.

Ready In stock rigs usually take 2 weeks to ship, Stock rigs in production take around 4-6 weeks and custom orders take around 6 weeks (all times as of November 25, 2024, and are subject to change).
Turnaround on RUSH reserves are around 4-6 weeks

Following canopy sizes will fit containers noted above: L 210-170 SF, M 135-170 SF, S 120-150 SF

The base price is the same as custom, $3750, but you get it faster than a custom order.

For more details and/or to place an order, contact ChutingStar at this link

Below, and above, are photos of the stock container patterns.

While ChutingStar may seem to some like some huge corporate monster of a company, we are a group 7 people serving the skydiving community out of one location in Marietta, Georgia. For the most part, we're available 24/7 in some manner be it in the shop, on the phone or online.

Since 1999, we've mostly been able to provide seamless support by staggering breaks for our staff and covering for each other's "specialty" so that you rarely know when one or two of us are gone for a few days.

Many skydiving manufacturers have a summer and a winter shutdown that may be a week or more. ChutingStar has always stayed open during those times to support skydivers with info, advice, parts and gear. That will be changing slightly this year.

For 2024, there will be a couple of larger staff breaks to give our group a breather. This will delay custom orders processing and some shipments, but we've scheduled these breaks around holidays and manufacturer shutdowns where we are limited in what we can do at that time anyway.

The Parachute Industry Association has released Technical Bulletin TB-266 that gives its interpretation of the FAA regulations for sealing a packed reserve container. This bulletin addressed the common use of lead seals, which are banned in some countries due to environmental and health issues.

The PIA Rigging Committee completed a review of other available materials being used outside the United States, and found these to work just as well as lead seals while satisfying 14 CFR 65.133.

14 CFR 65.133 Seal. Each certificated parachute rigger must have a seal with an identifying mark prescribed by the Administrator, and a seal press. After packing a parachute he shall seal the pack with his seal in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendation for that type of parachute.

The popular speaking audible altimeter from Freefall Data Systems has an available update for improving the sound quality, volume and reliability of its built-in speaker. Reports of failing speakers was determined to be a firmware issue, which is resolved with a firmware and sound file update.

If you have a SonoAlti 3V unit with a firmware of 1.0 or 1.1, this firmware update is for you. To find out what firmware version you have, press the button adjacent to the speaker with a paper clip to hear the firmware number.

UPT has stock Vector sport rigs available, some discounted. These never last long, so here are the details (as of November 25, 2024).

The images above and below (click each to enlarge) have more details on each container. Contact ChutingStar to confirm availability, get final pricing and to place an order.

Vmag, which makes the magnetic breakaway GoPro mounting system, has released an updated version that includes an integrated button lock. The Vmag V2 now requires a center button on the mount to be pressed to release the camera from the base mount. This will help prevent an accidental release from bumps and knocks to the mount or camera.

For the next year, from March 2024 to March 2025, Vmag is offering a trade-in exchange program for those that have the original Vmag mount. For $35 USD plus shipping, you can send in your original Vmag mount and receive back the V2 version. A new Vmag V2 is currently $140, so this is saving you $105 if you were planning to upgrade.

It's time to boogie, boogie, boogie, boogie, boogie! And the ChutingStar Crew will be out there with you at drop zones all over the US, providing all the support and goods you could ask for.

The one and only Laura Bales is packing up the van with demos from Larsen & Brusgaard (altimeters), Cookie (G4 helmets), Alti-2 (altimeter mounts), Square1 (KISS helmets), and many more. Laura is available for container, canopy and jumpsuit orders as she'll be able to measure you up and walk you through the ordering process for any of your custom gear needs, including the helmet sizing kit for the Tonfly TFX Full Face Helmet.

With most skydiving helmets over $200, and the most common at $500 or more, it's a smart investment to protect your helmet when you're not using it.

Most skydiving helmet bags also have additional pockets to carry your smaller skydiving gear and helmet accessories together so you're able to keep everything in one place whether you're at the drop zone, the wind tunnel or traveling around the world.

Henry Kochen of the ChutingStar Crew took some time to show off a few of our most popular helmet bags this week to show you which helmets fit and the features of each.

Check out this video as well as a video from Mike Gruwell on the new Cookie Flight Bag, and then click the links below for additional info and ordering information.

Skydiving Helmet Bag Overview from ChutingStar.