beginners where to buy skydiving gear

(Originally published in Blue Skies Magazine & then updated periodically)

You’ve talked to your local instructors, scoured dropzone.com and Facebook, clicked through the gear shop web sites and even ventured into the risky eBay waters. Yet that first rig continues to elude you. Although you’d love to go all new, the cash isn’t there. So finding something used or continuing to rent seems to be your only remaining options.

But your thoughts keep coming back to a container that fits like a glove with all the latest, greatest options. So how do you combine the two?

Why not a brand new harness/container built to your body measurements and filled with used canopies and a used AAD? Not only do you get a rig with the latest technology, but also one that fits you properly. And you still can keep your costs low as you find a used main, reserve and AAD.

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(Published in Skydiving Magazine and Australian Skydiver Magazine)

I spend as much time talking to new skydivers about how and where to buy gear as I do actually rigging, instructing and skydiving. There is a good amount of basic gear information that applies to all new skydivers. If the new skydiver had this basic knowledge first, it would make finding the right gear easier, faster and a safer transaction for all parties involved.

So what does the new skydiver looking for gear need to know?

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