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hi!

I am Gabriel from singapore. Any base jumpers in singapore?
been wanting to start base jumping for a long time. Recently had to stop racing motorcycles so i decided to go with base jumping! i

Before i start, singapore is a horrible place to do anything infact and i am going to australia to take up my AFF first. and clock 200 jumps ( hopefully soon )

Having done many sports like BMX/fishing and stuff. People are usually selfish about spots and teaching people. So my main concern is that i will end up not finding anyone to base jump with or to mentor me and might end not not being able to learn or jump at all.

i would actually like to travel around looking for people to join and was wondering what the community is like.( Mostly Australia, Malaysia, Thailand and indonesia )

Australia is a very difficult place to start BASE, because many of the sites are quite technical.

It sounds like you have a good plan for starting skydiving, though.

if my focus is just base jumping, should i just rent equipments for the 200 skydives i need?

or would getting my equipment be recommended?

coming from racing i think experience is important in a sport like this. Dont want to start of on the wrong track.

Australia is also an expensive place to skydive and the scene is tiny and practically dead with your chance of finding a willing mentor slim to none, I mean this is a nation that cant even pull off there fs bigway record in their own backyard. If you really want to start off on the right track go to the USA.

Do you intend to continue skydiving over the long term?

If you just want to BASE jump (and not continue skydiving) you're probably going to be best served by buying an older used skydiving container and reserve and then either putting in a new or used BASE canopy (depending on your budget). It's great if you can skydive with your actual BASE canopy. But be aware that you'll be putting a fair amount of wear on your BASE canopy, so if money is an issue you may want to consider a used BASE canopy as the skydiving main. If it's no big deal to put the jumps on the BASE canopy, then I'd just go with the one you'll be using for real.

Renting equipment for 200 jumps is probably just as expensive as buying it (and more expensive than putting together a cheap starter rig with used canopies).

I took up skydiving for the sole purpose of jumping at BridgeDay. I bought a used, basic skydiving rig that had a reserve, and used a Raven III as the main. The only 9 cell canopy I ever flew was during AFF.

Starting out in BASE you will jump objects that are more forgiving as far as the LZ goes. The longer you BASE jump, the more you will want to jump objects that require better canopy skills than in the beginning. I would recommend start skydiving with out setting a limit on skydives. Simply because there is so much to learn.

I have seen 200 jump guys crash and burn bad on their first few BASE jumps just because they had 200 useless skydives.

The more jumps you make in a short period of time, the learning curve is in your favor. And it can hurt you. 50 BASE oriented skydives will prepare you better than 200 skydives with your buddys trying to race back to the ground. It's easy to land in a field big enough to land an airplane.

Plus, if/when you get hurt BASE jumping and have to take a year off of jumping, you'll want to hop out of a plane a few times to know off the rust.

Buy a quality second hand rig for skydiving and the same when your ready to base. Invest wisely in Internationally recognised gear and it will always hold its value. (PD, Javelin etc) Waiting around for some one else to lend or rent you a rig so that you can progress will screw your mind. Set out with a goal of independence and autonomy, jump a rig that is yours and packed by you.
Enjoy both sports to the full, they have much to offer and avoid the petty prejudices of minority people.

thanks for your help guys! i will go get my AFF and see if i really like it :)

still have to find a few friends nearby to join me. Can't travel around alone jumping on my own now!

if you pay all my travel expenses, i will be your friend till the end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i am just a student. Saving up for the gears alone is a killer for me :(

Save money for a good ecucation first, then get a well paid job. Affording skydiving and BASE is much easier after that...

V

And when you have a good education and a well paid job, you realize that you don´t have time anymore to do the activities properly. That´s the dilemma of these things, when you have time (=you are not working) you don´t have the money and if you have money (=you work) you don´t have the time. Having both is not easy state to accomplish.

But maybe then you can afford an insurance...

V

But if you don´t have time to jump you don´t need one. :)

This is some of the best advice I've ever seen for a new jumper.

It's much nicer to be the guy who has two rigs and is on every load then the guy who spends all day packing other people's gear so he can afford one jump at the end.

Having too much money gives people the false impression of having too much to live for, then they don't jump for fear of loosing it. Strange world, ain't it?

Lucky barstards!

Poor C**ts, they miss living and Oh... the two touching vertebra and three pinched discs that I currently have!

But as even you accomplished it, it's not impossible then :D

V

Alright here i go: dont waste your money on a worthless education, take your cash, come up with an ingenious business plan, and start your own gig. Work for yourself as much as you need to, then go play hard. Not that ive had the smarts to do this myself, but i wish i could have

At least the honesty is refreshing!

might sound a little weird. but i wanna get into the sport before i want to actually settle down, find a job and stuff. hah.. by then theres too much to risk

thanks for all your comments :)

i will just see how my skydiving lessons go!