Am I doing something wrong?

[ripper0289 0]

I have a whopping six jumps under my belt, I have a question. The leg straps always hurt like hell when I get the parachute open. The last time I jumped they actually left bruises. Am I doing something wrong? My spirit is willing but the groin is starting to complain. Is it just a matter of using student gear, do personal rigs feel better?

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

did ya adjust your "man"?

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[skybytch 273]

Student gear is generally "one size fits no one best." Sport gear is way more comfortable - as long as the harness is sized to fit your body.

[Keith 0]

Are you having hard openings?

Keith

Don't Fuck with me Keith - J. Mandeville

[ripper0289 0]

No Hard openings, little ripper is adjusted, maybe it's just the rig.

[Patman 0]

When I started a few years back I had the same problem. It was the gear that was causing it. Like skybytch has already pointed out, one size hurts all. Stick inthere, when you transition you will have that much more to look forward to!

Don't tell me I can't! I already know that! Haven't you seen my x-rays?

[jumpinjackflash 0]

OK, THIS IS FUNNY AS HELL!!!

The women are always beating on us men about carryin on about things we don't know about...

LOL - Did ya adjust your man?

HA - OK, DON"T FLAME ME, IT WAS FUNNY DAMNIT!!!

I've had this happen multiple times

Finally got rid of it two weeks ago

YOUR NOT ADJUSTING YOUR STRAPS TIGHT ENOUGH, THEY SHOULD SNUG UP AROUND YOUR THIGHS/GROIN SNUG!!! Don't make them to tight, but don't worry at first, snug em up GOOD.

You'll notice a difference immediately.

That way, when you open, the shock doesn't pull the damn buckles into your thighs.

Mine were blue for awhile from it. Painful too! OUCH!

LMAO Dyin here, did you adjust your man!!!

He didn't say it pinched his dick, he said HIS GROIN


lol

It's a gas, gas, gas...

[FrogNog 1]

> did ya adjust your "man"?

I believe he said "the leg straps hurt like hell". A "ballunder malfunction" would not warrant such a tame description.

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[Kramer 0]

You might try tightening the strap more, it's probably going to hurt a lot, or help a lot...but worth a try.

-Kramer

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

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

Gotta luv it!bg

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[riddler 0]

Quote

"one size fits no one best."

When I teach AFF, I show them the adjustable straps on the rigs and say "one size fits all, no size fits well". Although the DZ I work at just got about 20 brand spanking new RWS student rigs, and they are noice!!! I always tell the students how lucky they are, and "in my day ..."

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[StevePhelps 0]

Quote

I always tell the students how lucky they are, and "in my day ..."

EXACTLY! Try military gear, circa 1977!

[webracer 0]

When you graduate and get your own gear, the situation will be much better.
Until then, make sure the leg padding (if applicable), is oriented properly (if it's really bad, I have seen people using slide-over pads to put over the original tired legpads). After that, tighten the cheststrap first (good and snug, but not so tight you lose your arch), and then the legstraps (again, as tight as you can get them without losing your arch). You should be walking funny to the plane, BUT, you will have a much better opening experience, as the rig will not move around on your back during opening. It'll be even better if it is a couple weeks before your next jump so your bruises heal.
I had the same phenomenon when I was a student.
I got them again when I went base jumping this year, but come to find out, it was from climbing over the railing 20 times in 4 days, not from legstraps.

Troy

I am now free to exercise my downward mobility.

[weegegirl 2]

When I was growing up, I got bruises after EVERY jump. I thought it was almost amusing, because as soon as the bruises would begin to disappear, I was at the dz ready for some more.

Like everyone has said already, student gear sucks. Ride it out. As soon as you are jumping your own gear you will NEVER feel that pain. You'll be consoling the new students going "why do I have bruises?"

Good luck!

Edited to add: Consider is a rite of passage.

[softnotes 0]

Quote

You might try tightening the strap more, it's probably going to hurt a lot, or help a lot...but worth a try.

-Kramer

I agree, make them tighter. You may to the plane a little more akwardly, but at least you will walk less akward for the rest of the week.

Blue Skies
SoftNotes
"That's not flying.... that's falling with style!"

[SDiver218 0]

I hate this to be a me too post, but I have to agree.

Tighten your leg straps.

I had the same problem when I started. Once I started tightening the shit out of the leg straps, my problem went bye bye.

Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. - Benjamin Franklin

Ah that's just drunk talk, sweet beautiful drunk talk. - Barney Gumbal

[jumperconway 0]

Quote

Quote

You might try tightening the strap more, it's probably going to hurt a lot, or help a lot...but worth a try.

-Kramer

I agree, make them tighter. You may to the plane a little more akwardly, but at least you will walk less akward for the rest of the week.

You won't walk funny far if you tighten them when you're close to the plane. Also the first thing I loosen on the ground before walking 15' to the packing room.

[BBKid 0]

"Ball under malfunction" - too funny!


Also, ask someone to check that the main lift web is the right length for you - an instructor should know what to do. I was getting blue legs too, even though the legstraps were tight enough, but it turned out they were crossing my thighs at a funny angle, so nothing I did to the straps was going to make the situation better.

Sorry about the crappiness of the pic!

Nick
---------------------------
"I've pierced my foot on a spike!!!"

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

Now THAT's ART!

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[sara85 0]

[CrazyDave 0]

make sure all your bits are in the right places, that can hurt almost as much as falling off a rock climbing wall

[sara85 0]

That's art

[sdgregory 0]

This is the funniest damn thread ever (except for the fact that someone is getting bruised.)

My first three jumps were all on the same day and the thirdone hurt so bad people on the ground heard me scream

My thighs were black and blue from front to back.

In fact on one of the first three, the pad came out from under the slasp and it pinched me through the jump suit and my pants. Left a big blood blister.

The next week I tightened the straps more and it helped a lot, but the student gear definitely does not fit well. I have jumped 8 of the 18 student rigs and I found the one that fits me best and so I go early and grab it before anyone gets there. That has totally cured the problem. Fit and snug. That is how to avoid the bruising.