personal guidelines

[happythoughts 0]

Skydivers tend to like to push things to that edge. Part of it is personal thrill. Part of it is "Hey, watch this".

If you fall off your skateboard, you fracture a wrist. Fall off a dirt bike and break an arm. Skydiving is a lot more unforgiving than that. You can break all your stuff at once.

Today there was a guy who spanked into the pond. Feet hit, knees in deep , a flip onto the back , back onto the front side , sink. Very wet and cold.

General consensus? He had been too low on his turns all day. He got out of this one with a limp and wet gear.

Here is where I'm going with this. Skydivers tend to have the "You can't tell me what to do" attitude. Ok, let's go with that. Let's set some little indicators for yourselves. Monitor yourself.

Guideline 1:
If you splash in hard, add 20 feet until you can consistently do it right for 25 jumps. No hurry, right?

Ask someone experienced to observe/video you doing a regular landing. Get some opinions from someone that you respect. Someone that you will not misconstrue as "getting on my case". Agree to listen to them.

Guideline 2:
Generally, no one will tell you. If a lot of people are mentioning it...think about it.

Today, no one had told this guy that he was too low on his turns. They figured that he'd figure it out. Most people on the dz aren't going to tell you.

Guideline 3:
There is no hurry. Anyone can become a canopy-wahoo-swoop-god. Anyone can do it. I recommend a few classes from people who know what they are doing. I'd like people to become very good flying their canopies.

Guideline 4:
Don't ask me. I am a so-so canopy pilot. I jump on the weekends. Ask people who work at the dz and jump every day.

Conclusion:
I would like all of them to survive long enough for them to buy me my favorite drink one evening and talk about skydiving, my favorite topic.

Any thoughts?

[happythoughts 0]

No replies at all? Don't ya hate it when people start talking about skydiving?

[sdgregory 0]

I agree with you. I am a serious risk taker and use to be a blatant know-it-all.

A few broken bones and close calls changed that. I just started skydiving this year and I am in no hurry. I listen and take advice that is meant to keep me safe to heart.

Of course I want to swoop the canopy some day and fly a wing suit and do a big way and etc.

But I know that all things will come in time. And when I feel the itch to want to be stupid I tell someone and they smack upside the head which clears my mind. I want to do this for a long time. I appreciate all of you who look out for us newbies. You save us from ourselves.

[gmanpilot 0]

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Generally, no one will tell you. If a lot of people are mentioning it...think about it.

That is a fantastic point. I would say if only one person says something to you, several others are thinking the same thing.

_________________________________________
-There's always free cheese in a mouse trap.

[Faber 0]

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Today, no one had told this guy that he was too low on his turns. They figured that he'd figure it out.

which he did...

sorry but if a person is a yahoo who wants to play at the edge then let him/her.If they are doing somthing serval times that concerns you then tell them that it concerns you.

Its a grown up sport,we all know what we are playing whith,if some one cant see his/her limit.. sorry then the person shouldnt be in the sport.that simple..Which dont help YOU from beeing the one that has to look at the injuryed as the person lays there...

that said i do belive most person who has been injuryed knows why,and what they did wrong.

Belive in the persons,and hope that the guy you saw learned his lesson so it wont get worse

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[kallend 2,150]

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No replies at all?

Say something controversial, then. Motherhood and apple pie doesn't make for a good debate.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[ACMESkydiver 0]

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Ask someone experienced to observe/video you doing a regular landing. Get some opinions from someone that you respect. Someone that you will not misconstrue as "getting on my case". Agree to listen to them.

Guideline 2:
Generally, no one will tell you. If a lot of people are mentioning it...think about it.

Today, no one had told this guy that he was too low on his turns. They figured that he'd figure it out. Most people on the dz aren't going to tell you. Any thoughts?

...exactly the reason why I ask. I don't know if anyone will tell me unless I ask and give them permission to tell me straight up...

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[happythoughts 0]

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That is a fantastic point. I would say if only one person says something to you, several others are thinking the same thing.

In a business class in college, they told us that only 1 out of 25 people will complain about a bad experience in a restaurant. The manager says "How was everything?" and you say "fine". Secretly, you tell everyone you know how much it sucked and that you'll never go back there.

It is probably a combination of things. Confrontation or criticism is never well received. A lack of interest in being involved. Thinking the incident was an anomaly.

I always start the conversation as "What do you think went wrong?", then follow it with "Has this happened before?... often?" Lead them into evaluating the situation and arriving at their own conclusion.

I have been jumping at my current dz for over 8 years. I have only found it necessary to speak to the dzo about 1 jumper in all that time. That was for unsafe practices. Three people had already beat me to it, so he was aware of the situation.

WFFC is a little more hectic. People are anonymous and on vacation. There are more problems, but people are ok with discussions once they understand how many people are there. The need to be more cautious than usual.