Shattered Dream!! - Static Line only.

[dguy 0]

I am feeling rather down at the moment, let me explain why.

I first became interested in skydiving in 1999, we gave our son his first jump in February of that year for his 18th. I did my first static line jump in September 1999, by December I had reached freefall, but suffered an entanglement on Jump Number 7 (dislocated knee, severed ACL, damaged PCL, MCL etc etc) Since then various events have prevented me continuing my skydiving dream - (detached retina, redundancy), but at the beginning of this year everything looked good so I booked an AFF course at FFU Lillo, Spain for the first two weeks in June.

Then a few days ago my dream was totally shattered!! Following a routine checkup, I have been diagnosed with an enlarged aorta and the British Parachute Association medical adviser has said that I should NEVER skydive. Static line jumps would probably be OK, but freefall is definitely NOT.

I understand the reasons behind the BPA MA decision, but it still hurts to be told you can't do something that you've dreamed about for 6 years.

I'm still thinking about what to do; I'll probably do some static-line jumps, and just be a permanent student, or perhaps have a go at something different - paragliding perhaps.

Is there anyone out there in a similar situation as myself - i.e. only allowed to do static line jumps?

Blue Skies

---

"Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt"
- Abraham Lincoln

[achowe 0]

Not sure about only ALLOWED to do S/L, but i once knew of a guy who only WANTED to do S/L occasionally. He said he didnt want to get into 'real skydiving' as he called it because he was too scared.

Bizarre!

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Woooaaaaaa!!! Woooaaaa!!! I'm gettin' off it!

[Joellercoaster 6]

Quote

I booked an AFF course at FFU Lillo, Spain for the first two weeks in June.

Damn, we probably would have met... I'm getting there on the 12th for mine.

Is there a skydiving course out there that *doesn't* qualify you for freefall? If so, you'd probably have a future as a CReW dog.

Sorry to hear it man

--
"I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan

"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?

[Tonto 1]

Hi.

I'm guessing you're not allowed "real" skydiving due to the potentially high physiological decelleration forces a terminal opening may subject you to.

If this is the case, I think that ANY kind of skydiving is out of the question, as there is no garentee that a SL rig may not malfunction resulting in a terminal or near terminal reserve deployment. Same situation for CRW. A wrap or entanglement may result in a cutaway that requires you to fall away from the mess prior to reserve activation.

You should find out WHY one form of skydiving is deemed safer than another. If SL chutes never malfuction - why do you wear a reserve?

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[lisamariewillbe 1]

I am sorry that you feel your dreams are being shattered, I to think you should find out why you can only do one form then if you want to be in the sky enough and its safe for you then do it. Doing hop and pops for ever does not mean your not a real skydiver. What it means is you will have alot of canopy control and will be one of the best CRWs out there if you put your heart into it. I hope all works out but listen to the doctors, they know whats best for your body, and if it makes you feel better, get a second opinion...

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[Tonto 1]

Quote

I am sorry that you feel your dreams are being shattered,

My dreams are not being shattered. The origional posters may be.

I say again - to skydive is to risk hard opening.

I have over 750 CRW dives, and anyone that thinks subterminal openings on CRW rigs are soft - obviously has not jumped one.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[lisamariewillbe 1]

I meant him silly, jeesh, Im still learning to navigate this form please please please bear with me, if not Ill arrange for my spanking later...

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[JohnMitchell 16]

Quote

I meant him silly, jeesh, Im still learning to navigate this form please please please bear with me, if not Ill arrange for my spanking later...

No "sorry's" allowed.

You must be spanked now.

[Joellercoaster 6]

Quote

I say again - to skydive is to risk hard opening.

Yeah... but I guess it depends for him on what the original risk was. For example, I can see a doctor grounding him becasue his condition meant that he had a (random figure!) quarter-percent chance per freefall of damaging his heart.

If his chances of freefall/hard opening were small (for various values of "small", obviously) because he only did hop-n-pops, then at some point the combined risk might slip below his personal acceptable threshold.

Still, this argument probably wouldn't cut much ice with the BPA. They sound pretty firm in general.

--
"I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan

"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?

[lisamariewillbe 1]

lol that a offer?

everyday I am learning that it is harder to navigate these forums then it is to hard arch on the cement. (damn bruises on my hips... grrrrrrr)

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[mailin 0]

Its not freefall thats the problem.

Its the sudden deceleration caused by opening - a spank could be very bad. Very bad as in immediate aortic dissection - instant death

Jen

Arianna Frances

[Joellercoaster 6]

This is true. I did mention the probability of a hard opening too though, and the point is still the same.

But you raise one more for me that my near-zero experience can't cover: is it possible to get spanked by a hop-n-pop opening?

I can see a situation where your main has a total malfunction and your reserve then opens at or near terminal, I guess... still, that might come under someone's idea of "acceptably unlikely". What other ways of this happening are there, and do they happen often?

--
"I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan

"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?

[riggerrob 643]

Then a few days ago my dream was totally shattered!! Following a routine checkup, I have been diagnosed with an enlarged aorta ...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Don't take on enlarged aorta lightly.
Six months ago, my brother complained of fatigue and the doctor diagnosed him with an aorta that was enlarged so badly that a valve was not longer seating properly. They rushed him to surgery. He emerged from the hospital with an artificial aorta and an artificial valve.

Can't you convince the British health services to surgically repair your aorta?

[jumpwally 0]

As always get more than one opinion. Seems the Doc owes you more info, like a complete Cardio evaluation and its complete cause and effect in your current state.

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[bob.dino 1]

Quote

But you raise one more for me that my near-zero experience can't cover: is it possible to get spanked by a hop-n-pop opening?

Yup. If your slider isn't fully up against the stops you could be in for a sore ol' back.

[steve1 5]

I'd get another opinion. I don't know much about that condition. Is there a chance it may improve over time? Sometimes Doctors are overly careful about what could happen.

I know the doctors told Dan Brodsky Chenfeld that he would never jump again because of his broken neck. He says it hurts him every day but he still jumps.

Some canopies and packing methods might help slow your openings, but then again one slammer opening might be the end of you. So I suppose this is a personal decison you will have to make. It certainly isn't worth dieing over....Steve1