Tandem jump and choosing gear

I am seriously considering my first jump as a tandem of course. It naturally follows that I am looking at gear. The choices and types of gear is staggering. Hopefully I will know much more after my tandem jump. Has anyone else dealt with this problem of too much information?

As a tandem student/passenger, all that information is practically irrelevant for you. Your DZ will provide you everything you need for that jump.

If you look just out of curiosity, yes, there is a lot of information, but you shouldn't try to soak up everything before your first jump, it will overwhelm you and you are likely to misunderstand things.

Welcome to the sky.

Yes. It's really overwhelming, really fun and cool and totally irrelevant.

For a tandem, you need nothing. 

For initial AFF, you need nothing. You may want to get your own goggles, gloves, helmet and altimeter fairly soon. Your instructors will provide guidance for that and the DZ will likely have them for sale. Yes, you can probably get a bit better price online somewhere, but supporting the DZ store is usually a good idea. 

As you progress, you will get more and more knowledge of the gear and what you will want. 

I'm not trying to put you down, but what you are doing right now is the equivalent of someone who hasn't even started driver's ed trying do decide what options to get on a Hellcat or a Shelby.

Don't mean for this to sound harsh, but stop. You're already asking questions about a used rig in the classifieds. Stop.

Go do a jump (you know tandem is not the only option for a first jump, right?), decide if skydiving is really something you want to pursue and can afford, do a couple student jumps and then start worrying about what gear to buy.

11 hours ago, tidewater scot said:

I am seriously considering my first jump as a tandem of course. It naturally follows that I am looking at gear. The choices and types of gear is staggering. Hopefully I will know much more after my tandem jump. Has anyone else dealt with this problem of too much information?

No it doesn't naturally follow that you are looking at gear. Cabin fever has me being overly blunt so here it is. It is super awesome that you are excited about skydiving, but you need to chill the fuck out, otherwise it will naturally follow that you will progress to be a student that is hard to teach and abrasive to other jumpers and instructors alike.

You don't need to read about gear, you don't need to read about anything else about skydiving other than reading the drop zones website to understand what to wear the day of your jump (athletic sneakers, comfortable clothes that can get dirty, layers depending on temperature).

There isn't too much information, because none of it is intended for you to be reading at this point in your progression. Learn as you go, from the DZ and its instructors. 

Have a wonderful time. Limit your reading for the next 20 jumps at least.

Your first tandem jump will provide a huge emotional and sensory over-load.

That is why few schools still offer solo first jump courses (static-line, IAD or Accelerated Freefall).

Worry about equipment details later.

Your local instructors will spoon-feed new information at a rate that the average student can absorb. Local instructors will also quiz you frequently to confirm that must-know information has sunk into your brain.

Take the learning process in small steps.

Thanks to all for the input. No more reading for a while.

Somebody's got to disagree: (not about the equipment--definitely don't try to buy equipment too early and no reason to worry about it now. I waited a year and just over 100 solo jumps, because I wanted to try out a few different canopies before deciding, and am super-happy I did.)

But I did read this book right as I was doing my first AFF jumps. When you can't jump and are itching to do so, this is a little bit of a substitute, and it won't send you down the wrong road, in my opinion:
https://www.amazon.com/Parachute-Its-Pilot-Ultimate-Ram-Air/dp/0977627721

9 hours ago, tidewater scot said:

Thanks to all for the input. No more reading for a while.

Woo Hoo - thanks for listening.

The problem we see with new jumpers that "read ahead" is they learn it incorrectly or learn things that are simply wrong. Then we spend time getting them to unlearn it. 

The instructors will teach you what you need when you need it. If you're above average they'll give you more, if below average it comes at a slower pace. All designed to not overload the student to the failure point.