Re: [Anvilbrother] Pin v. Velcro
I've split this off into it's own thread.
You can search through the forums for endless opinions on pins and velcro.
My opinions are not necessarily representative of the majority of BASE jumpers today, but for what it's worth, here's what I think:
A pin rig on a 430' A with 1 second delay is going to be fine.
The areas where pin rigs are a little weaker than velcro are generally packing and closing (it's a bit harder to close symmetrically, which really only matter when you first start, and it's possible to pack totals if you don't know what you're doing [it's pretty much impossible to pack a total on a velcro rig]).
I prefer velcro rigs for beginners for those reasons.
I don't really think there are many problems with velcro rigs at terminal. I wouldn't use them for wingsuit flights, but for delays of 15 or less, I think that they're going to be fine. I've tracked on my back at terminal, wearing a velcro rig (without a tuck flap) and had no real fear about doing so.
I'm uncertain as to where the "velcro is bad for aerials" thing came from. I can't really see a reason why this would be the case with a properly fit and closed velcro rig (same as with a properly fit and closed pin rig). In fact, with body position changes, the pull tension on a pin rig can vary dramatically, where the pull tension on a velcro rig will stay pretty much constant regardless.