firstime 0 #1 July 10, 2004 I am still working on my fall rate and while doing a two way this morning I had and always have had a problem getting down. Someone suggested loosening my chest strap a bit as it would allow me to arch more??? It's frustrating to constantly look down at everyone with them looking up saying "well". Would an inch or so on the chest strap give me that addtional arch??? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #2 July 10, 2004 This is definitely an "ask your instructors" thing - only they will be able to judge the fit of your chest strap, because the rest of us can't see how tight you are making it. I routinely see students and new skydivers yank the chest strap like it's the only thing saving their life. It doesn't have to be that tight - it only takes 10-15 pounds of force when you open. I generally recommend to students that they get the leg straps as tight as they can. The shoulder straps will sit in a "natural" position on your shoulders. From there, just take the slack out of the chest-strap. If you are tightening it so much that it brings the two shoulder straps together, it's too much (or the rig does not fit you correctly). But it should also be tight enough that the shoulder straps don't come of your shoulders when you are standing in the door with the prop blast trying to blow everything off your body. As far as your fall-rate - welcome to skydiving! Everyone is either too slow or too fast, and it takes some time to learn to make big adjustments in both directions. If you consistently float, I recommend you get a tight jumpsuit. I have one that is pretty tight and has very slippery ZP material on the front - it helps me get down fast when I need to. But there are a lot of ways to adjust your fallrate, and your body position is probably the biggest - this will just take time for you to learn. FYI - if your partners are looking up at you, they are making things worse by looking up, which makes them arch more, which makes them fall faster. A better procedure for them is to back away, turn thier bodies sideways, cup air, and turn their heads sideways to look at you.Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumperconway 0 #3 July 10, 2004 add lead! It makes arching less important and is easier on the back! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bch7773 0 #5 July 11, 2004 Quote I routinely see students and new skydivers yank the chest strap like it's the only thing saving their life. It doesn't have to be that tight - it only takes 10-15 pounds of force when you open. amen to that. you can usually safely loosen it an inch or two and it will be fine. next time you gear up, try loosening it a couple inches, then try to see if you can slip out of your shoulder straps easily. if you can't, then its probably fine. also, let an instructor take a look at it to be sure, and safe. MB 3528, RB 1182 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EricTheRed 0 #6 July 12, 2004 That might help. There are a lot of different ways to increase your fall rate. Lead should be the last thing that you try as it can increase your risk of injury when you have an awkward landing. I would recommend trying a tighter jumpsuit, bringing your arms and elbows in, arching harder and stretching during the week to improve your ability to arch. If all of these fail, try weights but I've seen a lot of light people that can fall FAST if they have proper gear and body position.illegible usually Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
