Body Armor

[DexterBase 1]

I am jumping the Dainese Wave2 Jacket. I've pounded in pretty good wearing it and I've walked away from landings I probably wouldn't have otherwise.

Things I like:

*Articulating aluminum honeycome spine protection.
*Plastic chest, shoulder, elbow, and forearm protection.
*Padded upper arm, ribcage, and shoulder blade protection.
*Mesh construction that's cool when it's warm out.

Things I don't like so much:

*Shoulder cups restrict flexibility a little bit. I don't have a problem reaching toggles, but I imagine some jumpers won't like this slight restriction. I know at least one jumper has removed his but I like the protection so for now, I'm leaving mine on.

*$390 price tag.


So, what armor are you jumping and what do you think about it?

[fab777 0]

I jump a snowboard jacket by dainese. Plastic spine protector ( which is basically what I wanted, for I like using my legs ), soft lower chest and back of shoulder protection.

That's not as heavy as a biker's armor, but basically, I wnat to protect my back. I don't feel it at all when wearing a rig on.

And I pretty much like the embedded reflector for those rescue device, just in case I get caught uunder the snow while being out for a jump...

Fabien
BASE#944

[3ringheathen 0]

We talked about this a little bit Friday.
I've got a Six Six One top that looks similar to yours. The spine is a series of smaller plastic pieces. Probably more flexible, but not as strong.

I'd like to compare them side by side some time.

Mine was just over $100 new, but I don't know if others will be able to find it as cheap. One of my DZs TIs used to be sponsored by a bike shop. He's giving us a deal as a result.

Oh, I'm probably going to remove or trim the shoulder pads, too.
-Josh

If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me*
*Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

[FIREFLYR 0]

!!!~ For people jumping motorcycle type body armor:!!!
If you go down ONCE! wearing it , it Will NOT! protect you a second time...like it did the first! A visual or tactile "inspection " cannot reveal the interior effects of the impact, it will most likely only show a few scratches. Motorcycle armor is meant to sustain ONE impact, and the damage is internal.
Yes, it cost you $400 , and it will cost the same to replace. But jumping with it again causes a false sense of security.
The honeycomb type especially.
Play safe!!!
~J
I personally wear knee /shin guards, a snowboarding helmet , and a Dainese spine guard,sometimes elbow pads too.(The boots are a given).

"One flew East,and one flew West..............one flew over the cuckoo's nest"
"There's absolutely no excuse for the way I'm about to act"

[DexterBase 1]

What type of impact would you be expecting to replace the spine protector afterwards?

[FIREFLYR 0]

Quote

What type of impact would you be expecting to replace the spine protector afterwards?

Basically any impact that would have hurt had you not been wearing it is grounds for replacement. ....it's easy to rationalize " well it's suposed to protect me, that's why it didn't hurt" But it does that by crushing the internal components(like crunch zones on a car)
~J

"One flew East,and one flew West..............one flew over the cuckoo's nest"
"There's absolutely no excuse for the way I'm about to act"

[DexterBase 1]

Interesting. I did a rough PLF onto ground that was covered with volleyball size boulders (Streambed). Without the Dainese, I'm pretty sure I would have sustained some nasty injuries. I wear body armor because I feel that you're less likely to be injured landing on rough terrain if you PLF and let the armor take it. At almost $400, I'm not too inclined to replace the armor after one landing like this. Do you think it's necessary?

You obviously know more about this equipment than I do, so I value your opinion.

[skreamer 1]

Quote

I've got a Six Six One top that looks similar to yours. The spine is a series of smaller plastic pieces.

I've got the same. I didn't like the idea of the rivets on the back of the plastic pieces pressing against my spine so I cut up some thin high density foam (el cheapo blue camping mattress) and inserted that. Doesn't add bulk but does add some extra cushioning. I cut it a bit long so I can tuck the bottom under my Bomber undershort for extra tailbone protection.

Will

[JeNnEjEnN 0]

I wear the spine/back armor from high velocity gear (http://highvelocitygear.com/armor.html).
It fits great under my rig, and isn't too expensive. It also comes in 6 or 7 plate sizes, which is great for me, since I am tall...
I also tried their full body armor, but I didn't like it because it was too bulky (it didn't really fit me right, probably because I am a girl ), and the shoulder pads restricted movement. Pretty much it would have just been a pain to wear & I didn't think I'd get much use out of it.
The spine protector is really great though

-------------------------------------------
"Scars remind you that the past is real..."

[tafarezz 0]

I recently got legs muscle weakening... it sucks but do you think there is any type of leg armor that will help reducing the damage of a bad landing ?
(i mean during skydiving, no intention to base beeing muscle sick)

[skreamer 1]

Quote

I recently got legs muscle weakening... it sucks but do you think there is any type of leg armor that will help reducing the damage of a bad landing ?

I have no idea. Maybe a physio or doctor who skydives (and understands your condition) could give you some knowledgeable advice.

Will

[base736 0]

I jump the full-body Dainese Shuttle Pro suit. First time I ever wore it, I had a malfunction that I'm quite certain I wouldn't have walked away from without -- and likely wouldn't have walked again at all (search for "tailgate.mov" on skydivingmovies.com). I really didn't figure I needed it before the jump, and was only wearing it because what the heck, I own the stuff. I've only done one jump without it since, as the object wouldn't allow me to take my Dainese with me.

The price tag is a little higher than just the jacket, but I've worn the suit for an entire day before without it ever getting uncomfortable. The suit helps keep the armor bits in place, which is a particular bonus for the kneepads, my experience being that regular kneepads tend to drift quite a bit.

[wzettler 0]

I was thinking of getting these: http://www.kneedraggers.com/details/35-ICON05-2

A motorcycling buddy of mine got them and says that they are very comfortable...

I think when Jesus said "love your enemy" he probably meant don't kill them.

[FIREFLYR 0]

I'm not an expert on body armor by any means,but I do know that it is meant to keep you out of the hospital,once.If it did,It was worth the price. Basically if it's been down, it is "suspect" but still better than nothing. I'm sure Dainese has a website, you might E-mail them for a better answer than I can give.
~J

"One flew East,and one flew West..............one flew over the cuckoo's nest"
"There's absolutely no excuse for the way I'm about to act"

[DexterBase 1]

www.dainese.com

[velocitygear 0]

Hello.

John Franklin with VelocityGear here to add some info. on protective apparel you might find interesting and informational.

There aren't any personal protection standards available in the USA for motorcyclists or otherwise . We suggest purchasing protective apparel that has actually been tested by a CE certification agency in Europe. These tests separate unproven products from those that are proven in a laboratory type setting.

Here is a quick rundown on CE ratings:

EN1621-1 applies to shoulder and elbow guards and is the highest current CE standard for these areas.

EN1621-2 LEVEL 1 applies to back protectors and is the starting point for quality back protection

EN1621-2 LEVEL 2 is a high performance back protector standard and absorbs 50% more than LEVEL 1


There are many companies that sew fake CE labels into their product and try to claim CE certification, a good example is 661. A truly CE verified product will have not only a CE tag sew into the garment but will also carry certificate numbers that can be emailed to Satra (one UK testing agency) to check for CE compliance.

Dainese is a well known company with ties to many extreme sports. They are a high dollar company that most believe is the pinnacle of protection. Unfortunately, that is not the case. More importantly all of their back protectors usa an aluminum inner core that is only good for one impact. Theoretically, a person could step on the back protector with enough force to crush the inner core. Their back protectors are only CE certified to Level 1 of EN1621-2. It is our opinion that the consumer should get more than a Level 1 rated one time use armor for over $300.00.

When you purchase a Dainese product you purchase the "name" as well as the mass advertising this company is known for.

We ask all of our customers do do their research before purchasing a piece of protectve apparel and recommend always purchasing CE verified product.

With that being said, our armor is the lowest cost level 2 armor available anywhere in the world. You cannot buy a more protective piece of apparel from any manufacturer.

Whatever you do, DO YOUR RESEARCH..........

The Lowest Cost Level 2 Armor in the World.
European Tested and Approved

www.highvelocitygear.com

[NickDG 23]

Not to be Martha Stewart, but this is a good thing . . .

Nobody was much interested in Battle Gear (as we called it) before Dick Pedley hit a building in downtown Los Angeles. . .

#19 Richard (Dick) Pedley, BASE 263, 1989
http://www.basefatalities.info/

After that helmets, pads, and boots became di rigueur for BASE jumpers, even while we still skydived wearing only frap hats and sneakers. I mean, I'd already been jumping for twenty years when I bought my first helmet.

In the early 1990s, I wrote a story about battle gear for BASE that included a reference to a pair of shoes, I termed "Ranger Evaders," and I got an e-mail from a Park Ranger that said someday those shoes would fail me, and they'd get me.

Well, they haven't gotten me yet. . .

NickD BASE 194

[Treejumps 0]

Would anyone be interested in a rig with the spine protection built into it? It would be easy to sew it right into a new rig. A retrofit would be possible as well, but not as clean as building a new rig with it. Then you would never forget your protection.

[NickDG 23]

This is coming. But it's not that easy. I know there are BASE Manufactures thinking of this, but the problem is, they don't want to over complicate the rig. After all, what good is being perfectly intact, when your dead . . .

NickD BASE 194

[hookitt 1]

In my opinion, probably not. At least commercially. You'd have to make the spine protector extend lower so it can cover your tailbone as well.

Also, if you're stashing your stuff after jumping off an urban object, leaving the body armor concealed under a shirt is much quicker and easier than stuffing the armor clad rig into a stuff sack.

I'd suspect the rig would have to be very custom to keep the armor where it's potentially needed most during canopy flight.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[NickDG 23]

Be Careful . . .

There's another angle to all of this.

If we launch BASE jumps clad in impenetrable armor, and then spread our wings and fly like sailplanes, is it even BASE jumping anymore?

Fly your body, man . . .

Nick,
(Working on Naked BASE)