Nunhumper 0 #1 October 13, 2003 Hey guys, i am fairly new to the sport. I tried my lvl 5 yesterday, and i had a little trouble with it. I was wondering how i can work on finding my column of air and getting solid while i'm falling. I am chipping a bit and i am getting frustrated. can you guys give me any suggestions about getting solid? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Casch 0 #2 October 13, 2003 Don't try to get solid, try to relax. Let the air form you, but give a little positive pressure also. Don't worry, it will come with time. It's not something that you can just DO, you feel it, and you'll catch on soon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #3 October 13, 2003 Relax. If you were to drop a sheet of plywood from altitude it would flip and tumble and do all sorts of goofy things in the air. If you assume a bit more relaxed shape and feel in your body, arms and legs with your center of gravity below the majority of your drag then you'll be more stable in freefall. Flow with the freefall and relax. Use only as much pressure and tension on your arms and legs as is required to perform whatever movement is required. The air will support your weight just like floating face down in a pool of water. Just like floating face down in a pool of water, if you try to force your arms or legs any further down than required, you'll flip, flail and flounder. Simply relax.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian425 0 #4 October 13, 2003 Nunhimper, I am a newbie myself. I just had my first solo this week. I had a similar problem on jumps 5 and 6. I spoke with my teacher and she told me to focus on my arch. Your pelvis should be the lowest point on your body. I did what I call "the fake arch" I would put my chest out and my chest was the lowest point. I would be wobbly (potato chipping) or get some slow spins. Practice you exit and arch on the ground. Make sure to arch at your pelvis. Try to visualize everything before going up to jump. For me a good arch has been the key to everything on all the other levels. Talk with you coaches/teachers and work with them on the ground. Try to use the flight up to relax and visualize the jump. During the jump relax. I use my altimeter as a que to breathe. I found that on my first few jumps I did not breathe during freefall. Keep your head up, arch and relax. It will all come together a jump and you will wonder why you were having problems. Stick with it, work with you teachers, have fun and be safe. BTW, I am very new to this sport. These are a few things that worked for me to solve a similar problem I had. The key is relax and work with your teachers. The only time you should look down on someone is when you are offering them your hand. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
meltdown 0 #5 October 13, 2003 I had the same identical problem throughout AFF. It got a little better on each jump (the first AFF jump was chip city), and I found I had to remind myself to relax and breathe during freefall. I did my first solo this past weekend and was more solid than ever. I think it was because it was the first time I didn't have to do anything in particular, so I was able to just relax and enjoy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #6 October 13, 2003 What everyone else is saying...try to ignore it. The more you try to fix it, or get frustrated, the worse it will be. I had the same thing, always when approaching pull time. When I started to chip I would look up at the horizon and take a deep breath, that fixed it for me. I think the main cause was altitude fixation and wanting to pull at the exact altitude. Altitude awareness is critical, but taking a second to take a breath isn't going to make a bit of difference. No more so than the margin of error in your altimiter anyway. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WrongWay 0 #7 October 14, 2003 How to arch and be relaxed can be summed up by something my instructor told me when I was a student. He said "The sky is the best girl you could ever get into, so REALLY DIG INTO HER!!" What this means (other than the fact that he was a jackass ) is that you're pushing down into the wind with your pelvis, pushing your hips forward like that final "UUUUUGH......" hahaha, and by thinking about it in this manner, it makes you laugh, which makes you relax, which in turn makes you fluid. See, who said sex and skydiving don't go together?? Hope I helped!! Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nunhumper 0 #8 October 14, 2003 thanks for the help guys. I really appreciate it. *** "Play with each other. Play with yourselves. Just don't play with the squirrels, they bite!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
