The first in a series

09.2023 Blog

Addressing how the Australian Parachute Classifieds Website came to be, current state of development, what’s in the works, and a couple of tips from the Originals (OG’s)

The idea

It started when I completed a few B-Rels skydives and I wanted to buy my first beginner skydiving rig. To find said rig, it was recommended that I search through Facebook pages for a skydiving rig that matches my dimensions and ability (or lack thereof). Sounds simple right? Simply annoying more like it.*‘Insert (-.-) face*

Australian skydiving gear buy sell and swap Facebook pages were overrun with international canopies, parachutes and the odd rig which presented a few issues for any newcomer, like me, looking for their first rig. To name a few – I don’t trust international sellers, the exchange rate is cooked, people would often dis the gear for sale, and I couldn’t filter out the gear I didn’t want but more importantly struggled to find what I was specifically after without scrolling for hours wasting my time while eating stupid amounts of chocolate.
Or is that just me that has an issue with chocolate?

There had to be an easier way, but Gumtree wasn’t it, Trading Post wasn’t about it either, and Ebay AU? Not a chance. After asking a few fun jumpers what their thoughts were about the skydiving classifieds website and being told that it would be a much better option than word of mouth or Facebook marketplace, I thought, I’m the guy, why not?

I reached out to a couple of friends who had started their own business and website e-commerce journeys and gathered some advice and guidance before I started the website. With zero web design experience, but 100% consumer experience, I knew what I, as a beginner skydiver looking for my first rig, wanted from an Australian website for skydiving gear. I wanted it to be easy to filter by item(!), location, price and I wanted the advertisements and the sellers to be checked for authenticity. So I went about making just that, and it turns out that is what other jumpers wanted as well.

The journey in making the platform and networking has taught me so much more than just how to start a website and what to look for when buying my first rig. I’ve learned a great deal from from some amazing people in the sport which is what I want to share with everyone else getting into the sport, through a series of articles and interview.

I reached out to a couple of friends who had started their own business and website e-commerce journeys and gathered some advice and guidance before I started the website. With 0% web design experience, but 100% consumer experience, I knew what I, as a beginner skydiver looking for my first rig, wanted from an Australian website for skydiving gear.

I wanted it to be easy to filter by item, location, price and I wanted the advertisements and the sellers to be checked for authenticity. I didn’t want to be scammed out of money by some fake seller so I made sure there were measures in place that ensured that all advertisement was checked before being posted and again after being edited.

The journey in making the platform and networking has taught me so much more than just how to start a website and what to look for when buying my first rig (which I’m still yet to do). I’ve learned a great deal from from some amazing people in the sport which is what I want to share with everyone else getting into the sport, through a series of articles and interview.

State of development

With any new business or website, the slowest part is getting the word out and generating traffic. You’d think with a few Facebook posts, a free classifieds listings website for skydiving gear in Australia would be enough wind under the canopy but it’s just not.

What I didn’t realise before starting this journey is that it had been attempted before, that fake and fraudulent classified listings are on the rise and the Australian skydiving community is sceptical with people selling used gear and I myself, am most definitely one of those people. Life saving gear is not cheap which reinforced to me the need for there to be a trusted, dedicated platform for new and used skydiving gear in Australia. Ensuring that the gear advertised is from the Australian continent, the listings were triaged and checked for authenticity and so were the sellers.

I’ve received feedback from people advertising and looking for used skydiving gear on the Australian Parachute Classifieds website to help refine processes to make the experience easy and simple. I am always open to feedback and always appreciate an email or message on social media.

The feedback has been amazingly positive with only one person on a Facebook page raising concerns (IYKYK) but that person did raise good points about the necessity of having your gear inspected and fitted by a quality rigger. More on this in another article.

Along the way, I’ve spoken with Koppel from Mee Loft, Greg from Parachutes Australia and Rory from Precision Rigging (just to name a few OG’s) which all have their own niche positions within the Australian new and used skydiving gear market as well as rigging capabilities. Speaking with those gentlemen has provided me with some amazing insight to the difficulties of their positions and professions but also with some valuable knowledge for things to look out for when buying your first rig.

Part of the series of articles/interviews will be to address some important topics brought up by these OG’s who service the Australian Skydiving Community as well as their recommendations as well as the do’s and don’ts when it comes to buying your first skydiving rig and looking after your gear.

As for what is to come, there’s something great in the works and some of you may have already picked up on the subtle hint on the Australian Parachute Classifieds Facebook page! I’m so proud to announce we are sponsoring an upcoming event. This is just a start and I hope that APC can continue to sponsor events in the future which is the ultimate goal of mine. I would love to be able to be a part of Skydiving events around Australia.

From the Originals

If you’ve held interest and are still reading along, well done and thank you. If you skipped to the end? Then well done ya cheeky bugger, you’ve skipped to the dessert.

In an effort to help newcomers and veterans, I intend on releasing interviews with the seasoned ‘Originals’ that I’ve spoken with along the way and those I will reach out to in the near future. Having spoken to some OG riggers, there is a massive divide between riggers and the APF with some regulations and processes that affect the rigs that you all wear. Hopefully through this series of interviews, we can shed some light on the challenges of being a rigger, legislation, why things cost the way they do and why it is important to have your gear serviced and checked.

For now here’s a couple of tips from the community.

For beginners buying your first skydiving rig, the recommendation from riggers and seasoned jumpers is to save your money and buy used. But don’t save too much and buy cheap! Reason for suggesting not to buy new, is because you’ll downsize as you become more competent.

Caveat. If you’re buying used, have the new rig inspected by a reputable certified rigger for defects, repair and service advice prior to buying, which is where the ‘not too cheap’ matters. While it is with them, have your rig properly adjusted and fitted to your body. Your torso is not the same size as someone else the same height so it won’t always be a good fit.

After all, it is life saving gear!

For the more seasoned jumpers, do your rigger a favour! When packing and sending your gear to your rigger, put a note in with your contact details and return address! A common gripe among riggers and it happens so frequently. Also, place a piece of cardboard on the top and the bottom of your rig so when they cut open the box, they don’t cut the rig, parachute or whatever else is inside the box.

Hope this provides some valuable insight and information and I look forward to what is to come!

– CT

Reach out!

Corey@australianpc.com.au or fill out the contact form

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