Riser Twists with camera

[Lastchance 0]

Last Sunday I did a four way with friends. Had a great jump. On deployment I had the hardest opening I've rver had. Not exactly sure why. I had started to pack outside in the wind and decided to take it inside. Did a routine pack and I'd like to say that I'm not a trash packer. I do take my time. Anyway on opening my chin was pinned to my chest. I could not bring my head up to see what I had above me. I was in a right hand spin. After 3 attempts I finally gave it everything I had to free my head and was able to do so. I wear a Bonehead rat hat helmet which is very wide. Now I can see whats going on. I had two twists in my risers. I kicked out of them and at that point I was still in the spin. The reason being that I had blown the left brake stow loops and my left toggle was jammed in the slider grommet. There was barely enough on the bottom side for me to grab but after a couple tries I was able to pull it back through. I had deployed at 4000 so all this was completed before 2800. Now for the point of this story.
I had been flying a camera since aprox 50 jumps. After reading so much on DZ. com about all the safety implications of it and with my low numbers, I took my camera and bracket off at the beginning of this season. If I had still had it on my helmet on this jump, at the very least I probably wouldn't have been able to free my head. At the most I could have broke my neck. So to anybody out there with low numbers thing of strapping that camera on think about it again and read the posts on this subject. And thanks to all the folks out there who gave me the advice that I finally heeded.

I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands.

[catfishhunter 2]

Thanks for sharing that people are listening :)

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[Armour666 0]

thanks for the share. Leads right back in to this one http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2965848;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;

you just gave and execlent example of keeing your self out of trouble and being able to tell others about it. I've thought about the whole numbr of jump # do do certing things was kinda rediclious but as I get more experience it shows how bad my thinking on the subject was and just how valid the the recomendations are.

SO this one time at band camp.....

"Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most."

[Jeff.Donohue 0]

A question for the experienced camera flyers: if he had a camera mounted, what a skilled camera flyer have done differently to handle this situation?

I'm assuming cutaway on the helmet (assuming it has one). Any others?

[brettski74 0]

Just to clarify... Was it a "hard opening" as your third sentence implied (ie. bruising, bleeding and/or other mild blunt-force trauma signs), or was it just a deployment that was hard to deal with due to the line twists pinning your helmet?

Your post sounds like you're assuming that line twists is a side-effect of packing. While a hard-opening is going to be due to pack job, line twists are just as likely to occur because of your body position during deployment. Have you ever taken some jumps to concentrate on what's going on with your body as you deploy the parachute?

I rarely get line twists, even when my pack job is a little rushed. On the few occasions that I do get line twists, it's usually on a jump where I'm a little distracted (eg. analyzing a bad jump, excited from an awesome jump) and probably more sloppy during deployment as a result.

[2shay 0]

Do you think this could have been avoided by jumping a smaller helmet that is not so wide and bulky? I do. I jump a mindwarp when not jumping camera (which is not that often), and I jump a rawa camera helmet most all the time, and have had 0 problems in hundreds of jumps. both helmets are small and sleek. I really think you should have the least amount on your head as possible and I feel the camera should be enclosed to reduce snag points. Just my 2 cents. Hope everything works out for you.

don't try your bullshit with me!!!

[Lastchance 0]

It was actually a hard opening. No bleeding or bruising, but hard enough to ring my bell. On the verge of seeing stars. It could've been body position, but I'm not sure. We had just finished a four way and I pulled in place, so I didn't track before deployment. I've had line twists a few times but never at my risers.

I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands.

[Lastchance 0]

You are right. The Rat Hat is very wide but I've never had a prob with it before. I bought it for a camera but I'm not flying one. I do agree though, the smaller the helmet, the lesser the snag potential.

I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands.

[Rover 11]

On a camera jump a few years ago I grabbed the risers as taught to deal with potential linetwists.
As it turned out I got them but because of my camera wings - big belly, big wings - I couldn't lift my arms high enough. The resulting twists jammed both my thumbs against my helmet and I had to extract them with a certain ammount of force. Ended up with bloodblisters under both thumbnails. Guess the only consolation was that they both hurt equally.
Since that time after I pitch I reach down and unclip my wings before doing anything else.

2 wrongs don't make a right - but 3 lefts do.

[VideoFly 0]

Thanks for your information. With so many new skydivers jumping cameras, it is important to point out some of the potential concerns. When my chin is pinned to my chest with risers strapped tight against my camera, I stabilize my body position, carefully grip my risers making sure I don’t get my fingers stuck, pull my risers apart while trying to figure out which way the twist is going, and try to fly and kick out of the twists. I wear a wrist and chest mount altimeter and check one of them to make sure I am at a safe altitude. I also prepare to cut my main and then helmet away if necessary, but have not had to do that in these situations. It’s a rotten feeling to be pinned that way and it is important to remain calm. Thanks again for keeping us informed.

[hookitt 1]

I read your post in the brake fire thread. Just in case, heres my reply

Hope that helps

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

[popsjumper 2]

Quote

...And thanks to all the folks out there who gave me the advice that I finally heeded.

Being a newbie camera flyer myself, I can't comment on your situation but I would like to say:

That one statement alone tells me you are one of the smarter ones. I just wish it had included "initially" instead of "finally" but in the end, you got it.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Fast 0]

Quote

A question for the experienced camera flyers: if he had a camera mounted, what a skilled camera flyer have done differently to handle this situation?

I'm assuming cutaway on the helmet (assuming it has one). Any others?

I don't think I would have cutaway my helmet. The problems he had were, hard opening resulting in a brake fire which may have contributed to the line twists, or might have not.

If my head is pinned down I'm gonna start trying to kick out of line twists, its the only thing that is gonna pin my head down like that. Keep checking altitude and work it out or cut away my main. Once the line twists are out then it is just a matter of popping the other brake.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[The111 1]

Quote

If my head is pinned down I'm gonna start trying to kick out of line twists, its the only thing that is gonna pin my head down like that. Keep checking altitude and work it out or cut away my main. Once the line twists are out then it is just a matter of popping the other brake.

Ditto... the only negative in this situation is that you can't see your linetwists. I get linetwists one in 50 jumps maybe, jumping wingsuit with a LOT of camera on my head. But I remember which way they spin up, and then I spin myself in the other direction (while staring at my feet). If it ever doesn't work... bye bye canopy.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com