Arching for new light and tall AFF student

[fredbro 0]

I recently did not pass my level IV. I seem to fall into the category of a light and tall flat flyer that has trouble forming a good arch. I read a bunch of the emails for similar body types. It seems like tall thin people have trouble with an arch and sometimes need extra weight or trying a "Mantis" position.

I would like to know if there are light and tall skydivers out there that are able to get into a good arch and any other tips to help me with my body position. I am also an older student (63) and not sure about the reality of trying to make my body more flexible. I'm trying though.

[KenKnight 0]

Hey fredbro, Welcome to Sky diving!! At 6'2" and 145 lbs, I guess I would fall into that category too. My AFF instructors had to put me into the tightest suit they had and they practically wore tents to be able to match fall rates. What finally helped me was learning to relax into the arch instead of trying to force my body into it. The harder I tried to arch, the more tense I became and the less arch I'd get. The other thing that seemed to help was concentrating on my breathing. Every time I exhaled, I'd relax into the arch a little farther. I could practice breathing and relaxing while visualizing the dive on the ground and the ride up which seemed to make things go much smoother in the air. Hope this helps

_______________
D28695 PoPs #9237
"Mix ignorance with arrogance at low altitude and the results are almost guaranteed to be spectacular"
— Bruce Landsberg

[edenney 0]

At 6'0 and 135 lbs I know all about this problem. A good relaxed arch from the hips will definitely help but only to a point. Get yourself a weight belt and it will make a world of difference. They're really comfortable to wear (as opposed to the vests) and it puts the weight where your arch originates from in the first place. The additional weight will allow you to use more of your body as a control surface and help prevent floating or popping up that occurs when you dock or take a grip. Since you're still going through AFF that isn't a problem you've encountered yet but you will soon enough when you start jumping with others. Perhaps your DZ will have a belt (or even a vest) that you can demo.

Good luck!

[Albatross 0]

I have been thinking about this problem ever since I began jumping. First for myself and then for teammates and now for potential students. The two points made above are keys. However, you have other issues to deal with at the same time. WHile you are a student your job is to be stable and lear to control your bodya dn recover from instability not to learn to adapt to other people (that will come later). Your istructors should find the correct equipment to make sure that you are near your natural range. That means a tight suit for you and a big one for them. If they are trying to make you fall with them get new instructors.
That being said, you will need to change your body position and become able to fall faster when you jump with others. First of all getting a proper suit will make all the difference. Next you may have to wear weights, period. Also practice your arch on the ground. Lie down on your stomach, keep your hips on the ground and sit up on your elbows. That is about as much of an arch as you can really fly in. In the air you must relax into that position not push into it.
Last try to get to the tunnel and experiment with body positions that will help you fall faster and have greater range.

Chris

[wmw999 2,584]

Something else you can to in order to see how much you can relax into an arch is to lie on your back on a stool (one with enough support not to hurt). Relax gently, and let your head, shoulders, and legs relax, using gravity. The wind will help you that much in freefall, and it's a lot easier to get back up again, too.

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)

[Michele 1]

Heya, Fred, and welcome! Whoooooooooohooooooooooooooo!!!

Quote

I recently did not pass my level IV. I seem to fall into the category of a light and tall flat flyer that has trouble forming a good arch.

I'm not sure I understand why you failed. Was it because you don't have enough of an arch to be stable? Or were you turning or something? Just kinda unclear...

You've gotten some great advice above. I'd like to add my .02, if I may...but as for being tall and skinny, that is not me - not by a long shot. Short and chubby for me. But I am flexible. And I am also a newbie jumper myself, 46 of them only, so take what I say with a grain of salt...

I heard arching explained this way to a student who hadn't "gotten" it...at the moment of orgasm, you thrust as far into your partner as you can...and THAT's the position you are aiming for in the air...(sorry for being kinda blunt, but it's a great way to immediately understand it, I've heard. Doesn't quite work for us girls, though! LOL).

Lie on the floor, and do a 1/2 body push up...straighten your arms, and leave your hips on the floor if possible. Do this several times in a row, holding it to a count of 10...then down. Doing this several times in a row, you will learn the feeling of the arch in the upper body.

Lie on your belly on the floor, and lift up your chest and thighs at the same time, not using your arms at all. This will strengthen the lower back muscles, and will help you in the air.

Stretch. Do Yoga. Get the book Yoga For Dummies (it's the one I started with), or some of the more simple yoga books. No one is ever too old to gain flexibility.

And last piece of advice - smile and have fun. This is amazing, this skydiving stuff!!

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[riggerrob 643]

Stability and fall rate are two separate issues.
Stability comes mainly from the angle of your hips. Flexibility is the only way to achieve a good arch.
Follow Michele's advice and take a Yoga class or an aerobics class that emphasises stretching.

Mantis is an unstable body position that is only used by senior formation skydiving competitors. Mantis slows the fall rate and slows the learning curve, so is not recommended for students.

Good instructors can guesstimate fall rate and adjust by swapping jumpsuits. Most skinny students wear snug fitting Spandex jumpsuits to make it easier for instructors to stay with them. By the same token, instructors jumping with skinny students often wear baggy jumpsuits to help adjust fall rate.

Fall rate is a separate issue, but is mainly adjusted by hip and shoulder angles (at the risk of over-simplification). Once you have learned to do your best arch (this will take 10 or 20 jumps) then you can contemplate adding weights.
Weights are a last resort. Few instructors are willing to hang weights on students because they don't help with stability and increase the risk of landing injuries.