Jskydiver22 0 #1 July 5, 2004 I just read the "flying with weights" on the home page of dropzone.com. I, myself, think that weights are a bad idea. I weight about 135 lbs. with gear on, and i dont wear weights. I have never had any problem gettin down to anything, if anything it was going a little low. I think its mainly in peoples head. The best advice that i ever took from someone was from Bob Hallett (DZO of DeLand). He told me not to wear weights, and it has made me a much better skydiver today. So, how do you guys feel about weights? --I don't even know enough to know that I dont know-- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CrazyIvan 0 #2 July 5, 2004 Just wait until you jump with HEAVY dudes on a 8-way or something. I wear weights, no problem. Of course, not everyone is the same.__________________________________________ Blue Skies and May the Force be with you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #3 July 5, 2004 People have a set range they can fly their bodies in. Different jumpsuits can help to a point, but at the end of the day, you have a range, and that range has extremes that does nothing for you. For example, I *can* slow down to under 110mph when belly flying. However, I can't do anything, since I'm at the absolute low end of my range. The same holds true to the fast end as well. Take someone that's 5'10" and weighs roughly 150lbs, we put the tightest jumpsuit and slickest jumpsuit we have that will fit him. What can he fall at when he pushes his arch as far as he can? Roughly 120mph. That basically about his max at his skill level. His average is around 105-108mph. When he pushes hard to get to his fastest, he can't fly his body, he's at the edge of his range. So, "flying with weights" is NOT a "in your head thing" its real, some folks need it. Basically we're all stiving to beable to fly in an average of 120mph so we can all fly together.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyyhi 0 #4 July 5, 2004 I sometimes fly with weights. Mostly because it will remind me that I need to arch harder into a certain formation. . .It's not a bad thing and most good 4-way teams have at least someone who wears weight.________________________________________ Take risks not to escape life… but to prevent life from escaping. ~ A bumper sticker at the DZ FGF #6 Darcy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
feuergnom 29 #5 July 5, 2004 what aggiedave said: sure you can catch up with faster fallers - but are you able to take a secure grip, make a turn and re-grip again? sure you can float as hell - but can you take a grip..... from my own experience: i wanted to make a very simple two-way (relative) with a friend. she's a good head shorter than me, but weighs more or less the same. is was flying as fast as i could & we were flying the same level. but it was impossible for me to do the things we wanted to, cause i was at the end of my scale. next jump i took weights - no problem afterwards. so taking weights doesn't mean that your flying abilities are poor. they are here to give you some sort of extension of your range edit 4 spellThe universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle dudeist skydiver # 666 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkwing 5 #6 July 5, 2004 wait until you get older and lose your flexibility. -- Jeff My Skydiving History Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vt1977 0 #7 July 5, 2004 Weights are something that some people just need! I use weights sometimes when I’m jumping with bigger/faster people. My philosophy on it is that I should aim to be in the formation in a neutral position where I have range to go faster or slower. If I am at or near the edge of my range (on either side) then I can’t skydive comfortably or to the best of my ability. If I need to wear weights or a bigger jumpsuit to be falling at the right pace, then so be it! Vicki Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CrazyIvan 0 #8 July 5, 2004 Quote Weights are something that some people just need! AMEN!__________________________________________ Blue Skies and May the Force be with you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #9 July 5, 2004 I have worn weights on most of my jumps, starting at AFF 3 for my first release dive. Weights have allowed me to fall in a more neutral body position while still able to stay down with other people. It's possible that I could have sped up without weights by arching harder, but then I'd lose the range of fallrates I can achieve with weights, and lose maneuverability since I'd be arching so hard. I got booties about 30 or 40 jumps ago. I expected that they'd slow me down even more so I'd have to wear more weight. To my surprise, every time I'd approach a formation and fly to my slot, i'd "fall out" and end up low. I got a lot of "what were YOU doing low??" comments. So I tossed the weights in my bag and stopped using em. I'm assuming the booties make me fly with my legs up more, which is making me fall faster. But whatever the cause is, I love not having to wear weights on every jump! Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lewmonst 0 #10 July 5, 2004 Nothing in my head will help me bend in half to film a tandem that's a total of 440 lbs. Weights are a tool, not a crutch. peace lewhttp://www.exitshot.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Evelyn 0 #11 July 5, 2004 I almost always wear 13 lbs. of lead. The way someone explained it to me is that some people who are tall and thin (I'm 5'6", 120 lbs.) will always need to wear weights no matter what their body position because they don't have enough weight for their surface area. I know some people my size who don't wear weights and are fine, but I know more people my size who like me, do need weights. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing ~ Helen Keller Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyangel2 2 #12 July 5, 2004 Quote I have never had any problem gettin down to anything, if anything it was going a little low. Great, but are you flying relative with everyone else in the formation and taking grips? What about at the transition? Do you float up or sink out? Turning points compared to just "getting down" to the formation is two different things. Quote He told me not to wear weights, and it has made me a much better skydiver today. Guess I suck as a skydiver, since I wear weightsMay your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jskydiver22 0 #13 July 5, 2004 Flyangel2: not trying to say that you suck as a skydiver. I can turn with the 8 way and not float or sink easily. Got some video for proof Others: I do believe in wearing weights for tandem video, my mom is my size and sometimes has to wear them for big dudes. :to whoever said "wait til i fall with big guys in an 8 way"....been there, done that, and took very smooth grips. (gotta fly in 8th by the way ) I can fall reletive to someone that ways 230 lbs. And has a fairly tight RW suit. -Now if you just cant bend into a U then ok, i guess maybe im just lucky? --I don't even know enough to know that I dont know-- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #14 July 6, 2004 Sounds like you fall pretty fast and don't need weights then. Some people aren't so lucky. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Douva 0 #15 July 6, 2004 Quote I just read the "flying with weights" on the home page of dropzone.com. I, myself, think that weights are a bad idea. I weight about 135 lbs. with gear on, and i dont wear weights. I have never had any problem gettin down to anything, if anything it was going a little low. I think its mainly in peoples head. The best advice that i ever took from someone was from Bob Hallett (DZO of DeLand). He told me not to wear weights, and it has made me a much better skydiver today. So, how do you guys feel about weights? I am 6' 1" tall and weigh about 150 lbs. (exit weight of about 175.) When I started skydiving, I was the same height and about 135 lbs. (exit weight of about 165 lbs.) Picture me with someone who's under 6' and has an exit weight of 200+ lbs. There are some jumps (especially certain AFF jumps) that I absolutely cannot do without weights. In my experience, the people who give the "nobody really needs weights" talk don't do serious RW (I don't do a whole lot of RW, anymore, but I do AFF) or they simply don't have a body type that requires weights, so they don't understand the proper and necessary use of weights. Weights are not a substitute for arching. If you can obtain the same range with a simple arch, you don't need weights. Weights are necessary when no reduction of drag (tighter jumpsuit) and no amount of arching will bring your range into line with a shorter/heavier jumper's. I can get down to any formation without weights, if all I want to do is get down to the formation. But if I try to turn a second point or fly a tight slot, I have to give up all of my control surfaces to stay down, and I wash around too much to be able to perform. I sometimes jump with as much as 23 lbs. of weight (13 in a weight belt and 10 in a weight vest). Not having to fight to stay down with the other jumpers makes a world of difference in my flying ability. --Douva PS. Jskydiver22, what is your height and exit weight? You left some pertinent information out of your argument.I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #16 July 6, 2004 Quote Some people aren't so lucky. Yeah, I could use some "anti-weights" for my jumping...--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
larsrulz 0 #17 July 6, 2004 Curious on the other end here, what do people think of using swoop cords? Are they a crutch or tool? My DZO is giving me crap whenever I use the cords on my new swoop suit. Of course I would much prefer not needing them, but if I worry about falling out when a big-way starts floating, is it bad to use swoop cords? I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #18 July 7, 2004 I don't have them, they can screw you up when you're turning points, however, I think I might get a suit with them for larger formations to keep from working so damned hard (and still going low sometimes). Instead of relying on your swoop chords, go get some kickass coaching, for instance, the Skydive U. program. Do those 20 jumps and see if you still need them. --"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,113 #19 July 7, 2004 Quote Curious on the other end here, what do people think of using swoop cords? Are they a crutch or tool? My DZO is giving me crap whenever I use the cords on my new swoop suit. Of course I would much prefer not needing them, but if I worry about falling out when a big-way starts floating, is it bad to use swoop cords? Depends what you're doing. You certainly shouldn't use them for 4-way. I use them when on the outside of big-ways which can slow way down. I also used them when I did 10-way-speed at Nationals, an event which is 50% about how fast you can stop when you approach a formation at full speed.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
