How much would it ruin your skydiving weekend if your rig and gear bag were stolen?
If you have or you’re thinking of buying your own rig, here are some tips to help avoid this situation, and on minimising the damage if this happens to you…
#Don’t leave your rig in your car
I think of my rigs as backpacks with a pile of cash in them. They are small, worth a bunch of dollars and are supremely portable – hell, they even have shoulder straps! That makes them easy targets for a thief. Tip number one for not getting your gear stolen: don’t leave in in your car! In my 17 years or so of skydiving, 90% of the time people get their gear stolen, it is from out of their car, whether at home, in a hotel parking lot or at a dropzones. So don’t leave it unattended in your car. If you have to keep it in your car, keep it in the trunk, and ideally put it there in a way that the whole world doesn’t see that you are putting a rig in there.
#Insurance
If you own or have just got a rig, I HIGHLY recommend that you get it insured. You may already be covered under your homeowner’s and/or renter’s insurance policy. Most of those policies will have some sort of provision for personal property that is not in your home. All policies are different, so do some research and find out what you have. My last homeowner’s policy had coverage for ‘personal property’. So if my house burnt down, that’s the money to buy new clothes, furnature, computers etc. At the time I think it was 150K, and that policy allowed for 10% of that amount as how much personal property they would cover off the premises. Thus, they would cover up to 15 grand worth of anything I had outside the house, so effectively my rigs and gear were insured up to $15,000.
I just changed my policy, and the new one has my cameras and my rigs individually insured as camera and sports equipment. I think I have $25,000 of coverage on both categories, and it costs me like 40 bucks a year in total for the coverage. Talk to your insurance agent and make sure you are covered. Also, make sure it is covered for replacement cost and not depreciated value. Include everything in your gear bag; jumpsuits, altis, audibles, helmets, GoPros, etc
If you rent, and don’t have renter’s insurance, you should consider it. My last policy was about 120 bucks a year and covered $150K in personal property.
##Don’t Rely on Other Insurances
Some people may think that their car insurance policy will cover them if their rig is taken from the car. Of course policies vary but having done a quick check online, most seem to state that they will cover the damages to the car (broken glass etc) and the stereo. Everything else they had listed (wallets, phones, GPSs, personal electronics, etc) they said your Homeowner’s Insurance should cover. So I doubt they would shell out 7 grand for your rig if they won’t pay for your iPod.
Also, car insurance won’t help you if your lose your main after a chop, or if the airport loses your luggage, or it gets stolen from a place other than your car. Along the same lines, I know many airlines will pay you for things they lose, but the limits are really low. The last time I checked the recompense for lost baggage was $400 bucks max unless you buy travel insurance from the airline.
#Make records
Take pictures of your gear, the serial numbers, and save receipts, especially if you buy used gear and can’t just call the manufacturer for proof of purchase. The burden of proof lies with you if your gear gets stolen. A copy of your packing data card can help too – it usually has all the serial numbers for main and reserve canopies, harness and AAD. It is handy to have a separate copy of the data card, as if you keep it in your rig or your logbook holder it will probably be stolen along with your gear. While you’re at it, scan your skydiving licences, memberships (and passport/driving licence) so if you are victim of a theft it doesn’t completely stop your activities. You can also make a short ‘paranoia video’ of all your equipment as additional proof – a useful bad-weather activity that allays boredom and also reminds you exactly how much stuff there is in your bag.
In summary: look after your gear as though it’s the most precious thing you own – what else saves your life on a regular basis?
Article from Skydive Dallas Student and A-License Group on Facebook, with thanks to Skydive Dallas
