What do you say to...

[Tink1717 2]

A guy who is considering getting out of the sport?

Here's the scenario:
An accomplished jumper with over 500 jumps, takes up base jumping. He makes an error on a jump and winds up with a fairly serious injury. (Broken femur). He is expected to make a full recovery. He also states that he is considering getting out of all jumping based on this accident.

I don't want him to substitute my judgement for his own but I think he is being rash. I think he is not considering that what happened on his BASE jump would likely never present itself on a skydive and that the two activities represent two very different sports. I know him to be a very capable jumper and competent canopy pilot.

I want to say to him that he needs to look at this as a learning expirience and not to throw the baby out with the bath water.

I have not voiced any of this to him. Suggestions?

Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off.
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717

[quade 4]

It's like that butterfly thing . . .

Let him go and if he never returns, it was never meant to be.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Squeak 17]

Also, whilst he is still hurting, it's much easier to say
"not again".
When he is healed and feeling better emotionally, he may well change his mind

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[BigM 2]

2 jumps... 2,000 jumps... or 22,000 jumps- whenever you are ready to walk away, walk away. For whatever reasons you have walk away, and you don't owe anyone an explanation. It was the same way you came into the sport (for your own reasons, regardless of what anyone else thought or said). I have a friend with over 5,000 jumps... he just walked away. No injuries, nothing. For him it was just time to move on. Wish your friend the best.

Blue 111-
Jeff

"When I die, I want to go like my grandmother, who died peacefully in her sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in her car."

[GravityGirl 0]

Sometimes and injury can infect a person with self-doubt.

Self-doubt can kill in skydiving or BASE.

Maybe he just needs to get his confiedence back. Any maybe he never will. His decision.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[kelpdiver 2]

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A guy who is considering getting out of the sport?

Wish him well, continue to talk to him and invite him to social events. Maybe he'll change his mind, maybe not, but he's still a bud, right?

[Tink1717 2]

I have no doubt that he is second guessing himself at this point. What I want is for him to see that BASE is a completely different animal than skydiving. He is right to be cautious after being bitten by the base animal, but he should consider skydiving a separate issue. I have seen, and lost, too many friends who became afraid after an accident. And really, I would fully support any decision he makes, but would always miss him and jumping with him.

Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off.
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717

[Tink1717 2]

Most definitely he's still a bud. It's just that I hate losing friends to fear. Someone on this board has a sig line that reads: "The purpose of fear is to warn of danger, not to make you afraid". That's how I look at it.

Also, although we all know that all are welcome at the DZ, experience shows that ex-jumpers and broken skydivers who aren't involved (e.g. riggers, manifesters, etc...) don't stick around very long. I know when I had a broken thumb last spring, the DZ was an extremely boring and frustrating place to be.

Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off.
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717

[cocheese 0]

Everyone has a good point. Big M said it best.
I was going to suggest he talk to some skydivers who have been badly broken and returned, but i would just say blue skies bro.(that works sometimes) He'll find the answer within. He needs no outside help for his decision. But if you really want to: Here's something that might work.. Have a bunch of skydivers come over and picket line his house with signs that say "Come back Joe" etc. Just a wacky idea that might remind him of the skydive love we have for our insane group of friends.

[wmw999 2,587]

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I would fully support any decision he makes, but would always miss him and jumping with him.

You can say that to him. It's well put. It gives him your perspective, and owns it, in a way that is unlikely to lead him to a decision that he's uncomfortable with; his decision is still his decision.

Don't ever try to talk someone into jumping.

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)