Unless skydiving with the goal of flying a wing suit it can not compare to actually flying a paraglider.  I tried several times to like skydiving and it just bored the beans out of me....  AFF jumps were even dull.  I wanted to jump a wingsuit but I just don't want to get in the 200 jumps my local DZ told me I needed.  The sheer repetition and drudgery of it would be maddening.   

 

Quote from: Skybarney on January 25, 2014, 09:31:12 AM
Unless skydiving with the goal of flying a wing suit it can not compare to actually flying a paraglider.  I tried several times to like skydiving and it just bored the beans out of me....  AFF jumps were even dull.  I wanted to jump a wingsuit but I just don't want to get in the 200 jumps my local DZ told me I needed.  The sheer repetition and drudgery of it would be maddening.   

Ultimately the main difference is that you fly a massive elliptical wing.  Im sure you've done the comparison on where to put your money, but i agree, if you want to have fun under the canopy, a paraglider is multiple times more fun (seems, ive never done it). but if you really wanted to fly, a wingsuit is probably the purest form of unpowered flight your gonna get, its the only reason i got into skydiving to be honest (well that and base, but thats another story).

I do agree though, skydiving is actually really really boring if you are just jumping out of an airplane. the only way to kill the monotony of it is to start doing crazy shit with your canopy, which is much less forgiving since its so much smaller,or start working with other people in formations.

Friday Freakout: Low Wingsuit Cutaway, No AAD, Open By 500ft

Just found this video, but shit like this is why you should a minimum of 200jumps. this guy seems to be pretty seasoned though. no AAD, no RSL, and a shit ton of nerve to keep cool while frolocking in the sky.

Funny thing about a paraglider is that you have to have even more nerve to fly mountain thermals or go cross country.  I have spent over an hour fixing malfunction after malfunction in big 2500 to 3000fpm thermals in the Owens valley.  Why an hour?  I was afraid to get close enough to the ground to land....

The wingsuit inspires me and I was thinking fo doing for my 50th B-day.  Might ride to Tierra Del Fuego instead.....

Quote from: Skybarney on January 26, 2014, 09:57:52 AM
  I was afraid to get close enough to the ground to land....

Why?

Turbulence was so bad I was taking full collapses right after fixing the last one.  Below 300ft. the reserve does not work well so I stayed up and just took a beating for a while.