Using Swoop cords

[Clownburner 0]

Leaving aside the religious debate of IF you should or shouldn't use swoop cords: My new jumpsuit has 'em, and I'm going to try 'em.

Those of you who've jumped with me know I fall pretty darn fast, so maybe it'll help.

The question is: What do I do with them, exactly? With my suit on and all-geared up, the swoop cords dangle 8 inches out the arms of my suit. I think they're too long and need to be tied back or trimmed or something, I'm not sure. Anyway, at the current length, if I grab them my arms aren't long enough to pull them taut.

I know the theory is that you pull them tight and it blouses out the little armpit areas so you catch more air. Lovely. Do you straighten your arms to do that? Do you put 'em on your thumbs and twist your wrists? I can't quite figure out how they are supposed to work.

Your input, as always, is appreciated.

7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez
"I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

[Hooknswoop 19]

Someone can show you how to adjust them, but a key safety point, put them OVER and gloves, altimeters, etc, so that you can remove them quickly and easily to get to your toggles.

Derek

[bmcd308 0]

Make sure that when they are adjusted they are adjusted when you are arching. I borrowed a swoop cord suit one time where they felt OK on the ground, but once I got out of the plane I fell at like 20 mph.

----------------------------------
www.jumpelvis.com

[bsoder 0]

Mine are adjusted so that they're extended when I straighten my arms out, but not when I'm in a regular boxman-type position. That way I have the go-slow ability if I need it but it's not all the time.

Also, I replaced the nylon ribbons that came with the suit with ones that I sewed tube stoes to the end of, the idea being if they catch on something the tube stoe will break before my thumb does.

[Blahr 0]

I have them but have never used them. I have this fear of going to deploy and putting the handle through the swoop cord loop and having a horseshoe.

Has that ever happened to anyone?

[SkydiveMO 0]

When I started jumping I used my swoop cords to their full advantage. As they say I have a “natural arch”. After logging a few jumps with the cords I became more aware of my body position and technique and was able to ditch the cords. They are a great tool and can really help slow your fall rate. The risk is you may restrict your movement, make sure you can reach your toggles. I had my cords set so I was able to reach the toggles and never needed to pull them off under canopy. A nice trick is to install plastic clips onto your cords allowing you to unclip them under canopy.

[diablopilot 2]

I'd be happy to show you how to use em'. What kind of suit?

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[r2hubert 0]

Quote

Someone can show you how to adjust them, but a key safety point, put them OVER and gloves, altimeters, etc, so that you can remove them quickly and easily to get to your toggles.

Derek

That's funny I do the opposite. I put my swoop cords under my gloves, but I know I can reach my toggles and in case I can't (if my arm length change in free fall ), I can use my hooknife. The reason why is that I don't want to get stuck on the plane if my swoop cord get caught on the peg.
Food for thought....

--
Renaud SMA #9
"Mind is like parachute. It only functions when it's open."

[JJohnson 0]

One of the great things about cords is their ability to teach clowns like me to stop reaching for grips.....unless you enjoy looking at formations from your back.

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"

[EDYDO 0]

Mine are adjusted to stay loose unless I really reverse arch and bow up. I can reach everything under canopy without removing them. I rarely use them, but they have saved me from screw ups several times.

Ed

[inextremis 0]

I use them on a large winged, but otherwise conventional suit, for camera work. I'm not a fan of having them outside gloves because of entanglement with pilot chute, (esp hackey or whatever else is on pilot chute apex), or with rivets and other junk on the aircraft. You can put them under gloves, but then there is the issue of reaching up to get your slider or a stuck soft toggle. A good compromise is to tie them in a loop and slip the loop over your velcro closure on your cuff. The cuff is very easy to peel open if you have "reach issues," but there is much less entanglement hazard. Shorten the loop so that the cords tension when your hands are at about 10:00 and 2:00, assuming your head is 12:00. Best if you can reach both your slider and toggles without screwing with the cords or cuff. And if you choose not to use the cords, make sure they're WAY down in your sleeve so they don't come out in midair. Blue skies.

[mjosparky 4]

James,
I should be a Elsinore this weekend, grab me and I will show you.
I make my own swoops and use bungee cord for part of them. It allows for a greater range. One thing people forget about when using swoops, part of going fast is being able to stop. You can carry more speed longer if you have and know how to use swoops.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

Swoop cords over gloves no matter what - I have needed to ditch mine too many times, and I would have had some serious issues if I was unable to remove them. I've had the cord inside the suit slip knot itself from climbout to launch and attach to my shirt just around my elbow limiting my reach, I had additional guide rings installed after the cord inside my suit snag on something and wouldn't budge...during a spinning line twist I was somehow limited on my reach (I can steer my risers and fire my brakes with them on) until I removed them. I have had the loop catch on the floater bar a couple times and each time either the cord or the loop broke...I have had people dock on me hard enough to snap the cord as well. Your jumpsuit will fly funky if one cord can stay tight when the other one is broken. Do not slip know the loop over your hand.

Don't forget you will have an increased burble in a drag suit that has cords. I've had a few hesitations because I wasn't mindful of my deployments.

You wan't to have both slow and fast range - the cords should only go tight when you push your elbows out or arms out wide. I found in the tunnel that I can keep my swoops on using mantis and just adjust the position of my elbows to get them tight or keep them slack.

If you can walk to the plane, and sit in the plane with the cords on without them being tight and restrciting your movement. Make sure you can reach your risers/toggles with them on, or can ditch them fast enough to deal with a problem.

It will take a couple jumps to get it right - but always side on the side of too loose as you are adjusting them.

Wait until you get to use them in a track! Arms out a bit to keep them tight and give you a bit of wing really gives you some lift!

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[Vapor 0]

Okay, my new swoop-corded suit came in yesterday (yay Bev!) and I'm having the same placement/length issues. The 'plastic clips' sound potentially cool: what kind of clips? Clipped where?
TIA

Blue Skies
W

----------------------------------------
'Of course it hurts. The trick is not *minding* that it hurts.'
- T.E. Lawrence

[bsoder 0]

I assume your bev suit came the same way mine did- with plastic buckles to attach the coords to the suit, inside somewhere around the forearm/elbow area? I think he may be talking about those buckles.

I found that the cords slipped in the buckles, so I finally sewed them to the right length.

[SkydiveMO 0]

Quote

what kind of clips? Clipped where?

My Bev suit came with platic clips, or buckles, that connect the swoop cords inside the jumpsuit at about the elbow. You can pinch the clips through the jumpsuit material to unlock them giving yourself full freedom of motion. This system works great, my jumpsuit is a little older so I don't know if Bev still offers this feature or not. It shouldn't be hard to buy some clips from the hardware store and rig a system up yourself though.

Quote

I found that the cords slipped in the buckles, so I finally sewed them to the right length.

I had to tack the cords at the proper length also, they're rock solid now.

[steve1 5]

This sounds like a great idea but I'm just wondering how safe this would be. If you have tight fitting cuffs that won't pull down, and if they were attached inside the elbow, you'd get the same affect as the conventional swoop cords. I'm just wondering though, what "could" happen if they were set too short and you couldn't reach your toggles couldn't this cause some problems? I've only used swoop cords a couple times, and haven't made up my mind on them yet. Thanks for the input,....Steve1

[steve1 5]

My mind is working really slow tonight. If the swoop cords were too short and attached inside your elbow, and if you had velcro cuffs, all you would have to do is unfasten the velcro on your cuffs. I like the idea of not having the loops to worry about. I think I'm going to sew some in and give them a try...Steve1

[billvon 3,090]

>Swoop cords over gloves no matter what . . .

I usually put my left one on over the glove and my right one on under. It's a continuous cord, so releasing the left side removes all tension on the cord, and I worry more about my right hand (pull hand) snagging something than my left.

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

Quote

>Swoop cords over gloves no matter what . . .

I usually put my left one on over the glove and my right one on under. It's a continuous cord, so releasing the left side removes all tension on the cord, and I worry more about my right hand (pull hand) snagging something than my left.

I can see how that would work for you - mine is not a continuous cord, so I have to put both over my gloves.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[SkydiveMO 0]

Quote

If you have tight fitting cuffs that won't pull down, and if they were attached inside the elbow, you'd get the same affect as the conventional swoop cords. I'm just wondering though, what "could" happen if they were set too short and you couldn't reach your toggles couldn't this cause some problems?

I have been speaking of conventional swoop cords all along. The swoop cords I use loop around the hands by means of a cord, a nylon strap like the type used for pull-up cords, which attaches to the jumpsuit at about the elbow. Extending your arms tightens the cords and pulls the jumpsuit tight around the underarms where a small wing or pocket of material helps create greater drag slowing your rate of descent. I set my cord length so that I am able to extend my arms and grab the risers and toggles if needed right after deployment. However, to gain full freedom of motion I could also unclip the cords by means of the plastic buckles described earlier. Being able to unbuckle the cords if needed allows me to safely slip them under gloves and altimeters.

Sorry for the confusion, I hope that clarifies things a little. As they say “clear as mud”.

[steve1 5]

Sorry for the confusion, I hope that clarifies things a little. As they say “clear as mud”.

[mujie96 0]

I'm ordering a camera jacket-are swoop cords something necessary or just extra?
I have a really wide range of fall rates, being low isn't a problem at my size and build, but I'm told the camera wings will give me a little more control in those oops-I'm-going-to-land-on-the-4-way situations. I'm also poor and a chicken, so spending extra money on something I don't really need or that could add even more potential for malfunctions is really not in my best interests.
Will I regret passing on the swoop cords?

Jess

Just keep swimming...just keep swimming....

[diablopilot 2]

If a camera jacket doesn't come with them already included in the price, they are gouging you. It's a standard part of a camera suit. They are not the same as wheat you'd use in an RW suit though....

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[airdvr 210]

I've always used my swoop cords...but they're adjusted so they only come into play when I really need them. Emergency brakes so to speak. Adjusted like that, reaching up for the toggles or to collapse the slider isn't an issue. I don't normally jump with gloves on, and I never thought about whether I would put the gloves on over the cord. I think if I do wear gloves the swoop cord would go on over the glove...if only for giving me the option of ditching them if needed.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne