CrazyThomas 0 #1 January 19, 2003 Basically, when a person jumps day in, and day out, I feel the person tends to forget how dangerous it is, and gets fooled into feeling it is safe. Everyone worries about staying current, and USPA makes rules about it. True, you may need to stay current to perform safely on a 300 way, but to make a solo skydive, I feel currency is just politics. Skydiving is like riding a bike. come on, we all remember....look, reach, pull. Oh, but when we get current, we stop looking at the pilot chute handle, and simply wave off, and then dump. I know, it is different when flying highly loaded ellipticals, or doing CRW, or any other "complex" skydiving discipline. Currency....that reminds me of things I cannot yet understand. Like a video camera man getting into a plane without his/her rig on. I have seen this once, and could not comprehend how a person could forget an item such as a parachute when they are going to make a skydive. And I know he was current. I think a lot of people are way too worried about numbers, and lose focus on safety. Yeah, this is Mr. Safety talking btw. The more current I was jumping, the more comfortable I got. Pretty soon, I started to forget that even a properly packed parachute can malfunction. I got used to good openings, and found myself less and less concerned with emergency procedures. So here is the question I pose. What is more dangerous? Lack of currency, or complacency? Peace, Thomas Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,588 #2 January 19, 2003 In a simple situation (e.g. solo skydive on a docile canopy), I'd say complacency. For exactly the reasons you outline. In a complex situation, lack of currency, because the currency gives you the ability to deal with the "simple" in the background. Lack of currency is probably easier for someone on the outside to identify and fix or regulate. Safety day is an attempt to address complacency, in a way. This is a really good question about safety day time. Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #3 January 19, 2003 QuoteSkydiving is like riding a bike. come on, we all remember....look, reach, pull. Oh, but when we get current, we stop looking at the pilot chute handle, and simply wave off, and then dump. um, most people have BOCs and cannot see the handle anyway, so we always just reach back for it w/o looking. what kind do you have? Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ECVZZ 0 #4 January 19, 2003 QuoteSkydiving is like riding a bike. come on, we all remember....look, reach, pull. The problem comes in when you have a mal, and have to take a little extra time to decide what to do with it. That extra few seconds it takes to make a decision because you're not current with mal procedures may cost you big in altitude, and in a high speed mal it's even more critical. Bottom line: If you're not current, take the time for recurrency/refresher training. The time spent on the ground may just save you enough time in the air to save your life! G. Jones "I've never been quarantined. But the more I look around, the more I think it might not be a bad idea." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matttrudeau 0 #5 January 20, 2003 A lot of people do concern themselves too much with currency. I recently made three jumps in florida after about a 10 week layoff. I was the only one in the plane checking my handles and reviewing emergency procedures. It is very easy to get complacent in this sport when you skydive every day. But when you take a longer layoff, you really start to think about safety on every skydive. I believe complacency is far more dangerous than non currency. If you haven't jumped in five years, well, that's another story. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CrazyThomas 0 #6 January 20, 2003 QuoteQuoteSkydiving is like riding a bike. come on, we all remember....look, reach, pull. Oh, but when we get current, we stop looking at the pilot chute handle, and simply wave off, and then dump. um, most people have BOCs and cannot see the handle anyway, so we always just reach back for it w/o looking. what kind do you have? Excellent point. Last year I had my skydive rig converted from ROL to BOC (for head down, and stand ups). The first few jumps were a little different at pull time. I thought it would be just like my BOC on my BASE rig, but it was definitely different not having a large wad of PC sticking out to grab. Isn't that why it is recommended to make small changes and try them out one at a time? I think another problem comes when students and low timers (aka: myself) are taught the tricks from people who have 1000's of skydives. Well, it may be great for someone who jumps every weekend, but maybe there are some things NOT to teach less experienced jumpers? Of course, as always I could be wrong. Yeah, and you are right. It is awfully hard to see that PC in the BOC. Of course, there isn't much else there to mistake it for, so that helps. Peace, Thomas Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig 0 #7 January 20, 2003 On a good weekend I usually get in anywhere between 5 to 10 jumps. From December till the end of March jumping gets sporatic cause of the weather up here in the midwest so currency can get hard to come by (although this depends on what and individual considers current). Right now I feel pretty un-current since I have not been able to make a jump since the end of November. When I am jumping on a week to week basis I don't feel a sense of complacency. I do a complete gear check before every jump and go through my procedures as well. I am also aware that on any particular jump I could end up with a mal. I like to think that if there is any doubt that my abilities are not up for a certain dive and safety is compromised I will step down. A few people, (non skydivers) have commented that they feel I think too much into a situation. As far as my take on currency, anythink over about 3 weeks and I feel "out of the loop" so to speak. I agree with Wendy about the "background" thinking when you are current. When I an going to make a jump after being on the ground for more than several weeks I often feel more nervous than usual. I don't think I feel this way because I was getting complacent before, but because I am not "current" by my standards. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MissMissy 0 #8 January 20, 2003 Well, it's only due time when you'll be vortexed to reply.... First, I do not know everything about skydiving. Second, the following is only my opinion so please take it in stride. I know for myself that the jump numbers do not matter, however, I truly love to fly. I do what I can to be in the air as much as possible and that may mean getting comfortable with my currency. But I will ALWAYS check my gear before the first jump of the day, before I get on the plane and before I exit as well as I mentally review certain procedures in my head such as exit separation and malfunctions. Not everyone sees me do my handle checks or sees me prepare for my jumps because their eyes aren't always on me. I'm not implying that others with many jump numbers do the same, but the danger comes when we start assuming and not communicating problems to the source. If you see jumpers carelessly running to a plane without a rig... shouldn't we say something? No currency could also be dangerous, especially with those with lower jump numbers. Maybe a review of a canopy flight plan or reviewing malfunctions isn't such a bad idea. And it's not a bad idea for those who are current to just slow down for a moment. But when you 'live' the sport, i have to admit it is different (but being an example is being more conscience about it...) Let's not get too caught up in the problem, let's make a stand together to make solutions. **What Crazy Thomas says, we shouldn't take lightly... we should promote our sport as a safe one. Realize it or not, when students see YOU, they watch what YOU do... mine as well be a good example and show them that you care, lots of jump numbers or not! It's those that don't care that give this sport a 'bad' name (especially for those who choose to do this for a living). But, we're all have our own perogitives... thanks for reading... and i don't know if this makes any difference...?? take care & fly safe! missy--- Missy Nelson **Learning Never Stops** Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CrazyThomas 0 #9 January 21, 2003 QuoteWell, it's only due time when you'll be vortexed to reply Yeah, I guess so. You force me to with statements like this: Quote**What Crazy Thomas says, we shouldn't take lightly... I thought I had covered my ass with all my stupid statements that came before this. Do I have to start putting disclaimers back on my posts? Can't we all just disregard CrazyThomas, and consider whatever he writes to be udder crap? All I really do is haphazardly guess at things, and really I don't know Jack Shit. I know a Mr. Off, but not a Mr. Shit. Maybe I need to show you the video of me being dribbled like a basketball when I was still a baby? please don't say I had a good idea. I am only allowed one good idea per month, and I have already used 3 up. So, I'm waiting for April to come around. Peace, Thomas Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freefallfreak 0 #10 January 21, 2003 Quoteconsider whatever he writes to be udder crap? Uhh, we flying with cows now?? Tee-hee... FFF There once was a lad named James, who had a passion for idiot games...he lighted the hair of his young love's affair - and laughed while she peed through the flames. "Upon seeing the shadow of a pigeon, one must resist the urge to look up." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #11 January 21, 2003 I tend to agree, but I will say that scientific tests show you do lose muscle memory after a certain amount of time off, so it's good to jump periodically to retain that. The biggest reason that I think some currency issues are stupid - the "big" dropzone in my area charges $100 for a recurrancy jump. Now that's stupid! If you're gonna force recurrancy, you shouldn't rip people off for it - pay your slot, your evaluators slot, give them an extra $10, and you have $50 at most. Note that all of the above statements are said in complete ignorance - I have never had to do a recurrancy jump.Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
