Too scared to do CReW?

[darkvapor 0]

Sorry to make this into a poll.. But they get good responses and a higher sample number... Anyways..

How do you feel about CReW? It seems that so many people are scared to even try. I have about 20 CReW jumps so far, but I love it. I have my own Lightning on the way, and I will take every given opportunity to go up and do some CReW.

It also seems like the few people that try it turn out to love it just as much. I know it's not the largest discipline, so some dropzones probably don't have a single crw dog in sight.

Sure, there is an added (or perceived) risk. But I'd venture to say that the CRW fatality rate is lower than, or atleast eqaul to, the skydiving fatality rate. It's not every day you hear about a CRW dog hooking his canopy in.

In fact, I have learned more in 1 crw jump about flying my canopy than I could in 20 regular freefall jumps. It's rather scary to have a conversion with someone with hundreds of jumps, and they have absolutely no clue about advanced canopy control. It seems most people only understand: left toggle = go left; right toggle = go right; together = FLARE!...

Thoughts?

If you got hooked on it after a jump or two, chime in and share your experiences. Maybe we can get a few people to try something they otherwise wouldn't. If it scared the hell out of you so that you quit, share that too.

[vonSanta 0]

It seems most people only understand: left toggle = go left; right toggle = go right; together = FLARE!...

There's MORE?!?

Santa Von GrossenArsch
I only come in one flavour
ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

[bbarnhouse 0]

I would like to try CRW in the future and have discussed coaching with the dawgs here. Am I afraid? Well like they say:"What could possibly go wrong?" Apprehensive yes, afraid no.
If folks are interested in basic CRW, and are attending the Holiday Boogie in Eloy there will be a seminar on the subject.
Cheers and "Chawangaaa! Fly baby fly!"

[Designer 0]

Did some serious crew when we had only 3 types of parachutes(squares)back in the late 70,s.Have no interest in buying a canopy just for crew.Will borrow 1 and jump with anybody!

[Tonto 1]

What about "Used to do it but all my friends died so I stopped." as an option to your poll?

I did "serious" CReW for 3 years, and one world meet. Just kinda lost it's bite for me after that. Stopped CReW for 7 years, then did a few again this year.
It's still fun. Nothing more.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[prepheckt 0]

I've done it and its fun...but no crew dawgs around...

"Dancing Argentine Tango is like doing calculus with your feet."
-9 toes

[Steel 0]

I have a few CRW jumps and would like to get a CRW rig so I can do it more often. That being said I think it pretty scary. I don't know anybody with 100 CRW jumps who hasn't already had a wrap. The throught of a wrap really sucks because its then must be a coodinated cutaway which I see much worse than simply making decisions on your own. I think somebody who chooses to do CRW must do so understanding that eventually they will have a problem. Its not if its when and that sucks.

If I could make a wish, I think I'd pass.
Can't think of anything I need
No cigarettes, no sleep, no light, no sound.
Nothing to eat, no books to read.

[Push 0]

It could be fun and I would try it if I had an experienced partner, but I doubt I would go and buy a special canopy for it, let alone an entire rig. I have a Triathlon now, so I can use that.

-- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo
Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you.

[Pammi 0]

I did it as my graduation jump...granted it was at around 30 jumps (I sucked at falling stable). Loved it, did it twice :) Can't wait to try again!

Pammi

[feuergnom 29]

maybe the answer depends on who you are asking - freeflyerz, newbies, skysurfers, vidiots....
i wouldn't want to cause i don't have the right canopy to perform crw. and i have to admit freely that crw scares me indeed. but being scared in this case is another form of knowing the lack of skills i don't necessarily want to obtain...

The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle

dudeist skydiver # 666

[HRHSkyPrincess 0]

Made my 'first' CReW jump at #62 or something. Have since done some 2 stacks, a couple of 4 stacks and a downplane (LOTS of fun!!), but since I bought a 'new to me' canopy I'm less enthusiastic. Don't want this canopy to risk being sliced and diced. If I had the dough, I'd buy a CReW rig/canopy and do it often. It's fun and challenging. I choose to do CReW with experienced CReWdogs because I'm not. Big Blue Skies!!

*****************
Attitude is everything!

[usedtajump 1]

Before I did my first CReW jump I was somewhat frightened of the whole concept but after that jump, that all went away and I was in to it for a while. When it got to where you had to have another canopy to get on decent CReW loads, I gave it up. Hell, I already had two rigs for RW / instructor jumps and also owned two tandem rigs. Yeah, all I needed was another rig

The older I get the less I care who I piss off.

[quack 0]

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I have a few CRW jumps and would like to get a CRW rig so I can do it more often. That being said I think it pretty scary. I don't know anybody with 100 CRW jumps who hasn't already had a wrap. The throught of a wrap really sucks because its then must be a coodinated cutaway which I see much worse than simply making decisions on your own. I think somebody who chooses to do CRW must do so understanding that eventually they will have a problem. Its not if its when and that sucks.

It's also a slower speed issue (relatively speaking) and that, combined with having a hard deck (no docking after hitting 2000 feet) gives more room to deal with anything. An advantage to doing any kind of CRW is that you should have less fear around a larger number of canopies in the sky - kind of like driving on the interstate.

But you have to understand, mental illness is like cholesterol. There is the good kind and the bad. Without the good kind- less flavor to life. - Serge A. Storms

[freeflir29 0]

Quote

There's MORE?!?

Yes...he left out right rear riser.....left front....HOOK IT!!!!!! CRW never really fascinated me. Kinda like RW. I've done some light impromptu micro line CRW.

[indyz 1]

I was scared at first. There was another guy at the DZ that I would fly close to, then it turned into bumping end cells. I was usually the first one to back off. Recently we started doing stacks and planes (Spectre and Sabre canopies), and it doesn't really bother me to be close to another canopy any more.

[greybeard 0]

i made about ten crw jumps ten years ago and loved the heck out of it. of the ten, i experienced two wraps, and due to the skill of the instructor, flew away unscaved and un reserver-deployed. what i learned is that crw requires very skilled and knowleded intruction, with particular attention devoted to canopy size and flight caractaristics and compatabilities. i know thats a mouthful and trust me, the real guys make it all sound so easy. it's not. this discipline is probably the most precise and complex of the skydiving arena. i would encourage every skydiver to learn and understand, at some level, this discipline. but, be very careful to get the best tutoring available.
i've found that the crw dogs in my area are not only the best of the best, far and few between, but also completely absorbed in their dedication to competition, and thusly not too available or proan to training, exibition, or skills camps. too bad for all of us. i'll keep working on these crw guys and gals to maybe donate some time and energy to spreading their skills.

[Shark 0]

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An advantage to doing any kind of CRW is that you should have less fear around a larger number of canopies in the sky - kind of like driving on the interstate.

I concur.

Shark
CCS-1242

[greybeard 0]

the most respected S & TA on our drop zone happens to be a top dog crew dog. if this a prevelent trend across the globe, it ought to tell you something about the discipline.

looking forward to the seminar at skydive arizona holiday boogie.

[bodypilot90 0]

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Have no interest in buying a canopy just for crew.Will borrow 1 and jump with anybody!

get a spectre and enjoy

[NoShitThereIWas 0]

I have discussed CReW with some folks and it sounds like a real interesting discipline. Myself, being totally CReW inexperienced thinks things like Downplanes look fun. One day talking to a friend of mine, he told me everything I needed to do to do my first downplane since he was going to take me. We still haven't done it yet ... He was explaining how one person holds on to the other person and decides when to let go of the other person. Then when the person does let go after all that speed, one person most likely will be facing upwind and the other poor sap facing downwind.

So that part might be a bit interesting on a windy day but its all good, just do it on a no wind day I guess.

I think as soon as I learn a little more about CReW from experienced people, (a fair enough amount in that I feel comfortable enough that I am not going to kill anyone including myself) I would definitely be interested in trying some CReW.

Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires."

Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

[Skyrose7 0]

I am no CReW expert, but whenever we set up for a downplane we try to arrange it so we are both crosswind. I haven't had to land downwind doing CReW yet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The mind is like a parachute--it works better when it is open. JUMP.
MaryRose

[klingeme 1]

I video for the Dawgs and a couple weekends ago got my 4 stack award after the practice part of the jump was over. And I do this with my Stiletto 120. Toadsuckers are GREAT guys.

Mark Klingelhoefer

[beowulf 1]

"crw requires very skilled and knowleded intruction"

Spelling aside I have found this to be very true. I now have 12 CReW jumps and feel like I have learned a lot, but I also have a lot more to learn. I never realized just how techincal CReW is. It requires a lot of skill and knowledge of how canopy's fly. Now when I look at a picture of a 28 way diamond I have an idea of just how much skill each of the canopy pilots need to have in order to complete the formation. It's a lot harder then it looks!