Sea Landing

[footbagman 0]

Four experienced skydivers decided to do a beach jump next to a local bar. Winds were out of the south at @15 mph. The pilot spotted east of the landing area which was offshore. At opening they were @1 mile offshore.Two made to the landing area. Two got wet. One 150 yards offshore the other in the surf line which was only 3 feet deep. One of the ground crew swam out & helped the furthest one in. It was an out going tide with 3 foot surf. Everyone had flotation gear & got in safely. The skydivers admitted they did not check the spot when they got out. Luckily no one was hurt.

[altitudejunkie 0]

Where was this?

[Kramer 0]

Wow. Glad they're okay. A few more hundred yards out, and this could've easily been a fatality. I noticed you said they did not check the spot when they got out...is this commonplace for beach dives?!?!

-Kramer

The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!!

[footbagman 0]

They were doing a freefly jump. They were so into doing the jump they forgot the basics.

Life's a Beach, Not a Mountain.

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

This is more of a Safety and Training-type post.

[EricaH 0]

Other than turning into the wind... would one typically do a landing pattern into the sea? If you were a swooper, would you swoop the waves?

Just a curious question, I don't want to do it!!

There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear.

PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

[AggieDave 6]

Consult your SIM for this.

Here's the basic breakdown. Loosen your chest strap, do NOT loosen your leg straps (think about reaching your toggles), feet and knees together, fly into the wind (if possible) and prepair to PLF.

In Texas, as a rule of thumb (this works for other rule areas), if you land in water, try to stand up after you PLF the water. Since most of the water around DZs here are cattle stock ponds, most are really shallow.

Once you're in the water, undo your chest strap, swim down and out of your rig, up current (so you don't swim into your lines/canopy going down current), and leave your gear.

Trying to save your gear has killed people in the past. Think about why there is a SCR award.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Surf 0]

Quote

Other than turning into the wind... would one typically do a landing pattern into the sea? If you were a swooper, would you swoop the waves?

IIRC it's very hard to judge distance to water, that might make swooping difficult.

I recall reading of a demo jump where the experienced jumper planned to cut away and dive in. He cut away at several hundred feet. Anyone know who I'm talking about? It's back a few years now, I can't find the reference.

"Nothing is written"- T.E. Lawrence

[dterrick 0]

Well, there's THIS thread which I posted in September. It was not a 'demo' but the problem was the same.

IIRC, "a" general comment is 'don't cutaway till your feet get wet'. Now, to cutaway or not is another question - obviously you can't chop a reserve. But in pounding surf that might be dragging my canopy this way and that (ever tried swimming in your clothes?) I'd be inclined to chop the main.

***

I don't want to get into what some 'unknown-to-me' people were doing having a freefly dive without ultra precise spotting over the ocean.... " b-b-b-butttt the green light was on " as a response by my group's spotter would NOT make me happy if I was the one floundering two football fields out because of it. I'm glad wet gear was the only issue in this case. I remember a year or two ago we lost a parachuting stuntman to the Pacific Ocen filming a movie (can't recall the name) right now.


Dave

Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

[jumpgod 0]

have 10+ jumps over the gulf of mexico on the boarder of florida and alabama from around 15/16 grand. never jumped 1 mile out over the water. only jumped on the beach line for the most part. birdman dudes have gotten out at around 1 mile of coast, but's that's all. why so far out off of land?

[FrogNog 1]

Quote

Trying to save your gear has killed people in the past. Think about why there is a SCR award.

What am I missing here? "The Star Crest Recipient formation must freefly the exit (no grips) and must participate in a freefall formation involving eight (8) or more skydivers held together for a minimum of 5 seconds."

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[AggieDave 6]

Its an award that was created after Bob Boquor (sp?) drowned in the Pacific from a bad spot, trying to save his gear (during the filming of a movie).

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[riggerrob 643]

What ever happened to "look before you leap?"

At Pitt Meadows we encourage even first jump students to hang their heads out the door and look at the DZ before climbing out. Maybe it has something to do with the Fraser River flowing past the South edge of Pitt Meadows Airport. Hmm!

Sarcasm, sarcasm, sarcasm!

[Casch 0]

Quote

I remember a year or two ago we lost a parachuting stuntman to the Pacific Ocen filming a movie (can't recall the name) right now.

That would be Tears Of The Sun starring Bruce Willis. There were two skydivers that landed out, one was Geoff Farrington, DZO of Kapowsin Airsports, the other was Michael Barber of SDA.

Here's one of the threads devoted to press clips
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=264269#264269