For Skydivers with Pillow Reserve: Same or Different color as Cutaway?

[BluDvn222 0]

Of all the people that have pillow reserve handles, I am just curious to see how many decided to make both handles the same color.

"How do you like my groin to your foot style?"

[rgoper 0]

color only matters in the "training phase" of one's skydiving career. once the color is associated with the resulted action of the device in question, color won't be a factor anymore. you know what it does, and you iniate your emergency procedures. during a cutaway and ensuing reserve deployment, it's very unlikely i'll look down to see which color my pillow(s) are before i pulling them. so, in answering your question, it doesn't/shouldn't matter to a licensed and experienced sky diver ie: one that is through training. take care...be safe.

Edit:

Scott:

i see your a "C" license holder, why is this of concern to you? are you considering new gear? just curious.

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[hookitt 1]

My Harness is red my handles are black, My jumpsuit is black.
-

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[cheneyneel 0]

yea color dosent matter but I like to have mine bightly contrasting against my jump suit.. We have all heard that old story of a experienced jumper not able to find their reserve havent we??!!

My jump suit and harness/container is white, yellow and blue.. My webbing on my harness is yellow..SO I went with the standard red for both..

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

Red chop pad (with "Oh Shit" on it)
Blue reserve pad (with "Try Again" on it)

____________________
Say no to subliminal messages

[rgoper 0]

i've seen a lot of this. red for both, then i've seen black for both, a lot of different variations out there, which is what i based my response on. well, that, and my experience. most experienced sky divers are more in the color coodination than anything else. and what difference would it make what color it is if you can't find it? i know in my mind because it's like a pair of old tennis shoes what my handles "feel" like, as well as my webbing, etc...i doubt i'll be looking for color when it "comes that time" of course, this does not mean some people are reliant on color, whatever works!

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[BluDvn222 0]

You guessed it. I ordered my new rig a couple of months ago with both handles the same color, then for some reason, maybe because of safety day last weekend, I started to second guess my self a little. When I practice procedures, my muscle memory is very strong, so I could not imagine pulling the reserve first accidentally, but some people differ in opinion about this.

"How do you like my groin to your foot style?"

[billbooth 10]

Try "Green for GO", and "Red for STOP". That's what we've use on our tandems for years. Some people recently have embroidered the 3-ring symbol on their breakaway handle. Seems like a good idea.

[rgoper 0]

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When I practice procedures, my muscle memory is very strong, so I could not imagine pulling the reserve first accidentally

you won't. trust your training. BUT, keep it in mind, and rehearse this "mal" as well.

Quote

but some people differ in opinion about this

don't let other's opinions create self doubt, this is dangerous, and should be recognized for what it is. they won't be in the harness with you when the time comes. your on the right path. if your comfortable with it, and by reviewing your profile, your capable of making your own decisions, that's all that matters. congrats on the new gear! blue skies, hot days!

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[rigging65 0]

IMO, the reason why colors are important are to help you find out where the handles are in a violent situation. We all know that using both your eyes and your hands to find the handles makes the chore faster, right???

I like the idea of the handles not matching your suit or your harness...in a violent spin, as the blood is rushing away from your head, having them contrast is good juju I think.

As for them matching each other, well, that's up to you. I retrain my muscle memory several times each load, several times each day, so I'm confident that I'll go after the right handle...finding it might be the issue at some point though.

"...and once you had tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward.
For there you have been, and there you long to return..."

[skybytch 273]

Quote

When I practice procedures, my muscle memory is very strong, so I could not imagine pulling the reserve first accidentally, but some people differ in opinion about this.

I practice my emergency procedures religiously and repeatedly before every skydive. Always have. Always will.
If possible, I was even more anal about practice touches as a tandem instructor. Me, pull the wrong handle? Not with the muscle memory I have built up!

So, it's a bit embarrassing to tell this particular story, but it does illustrate a point... I landed a tandem backing up one very windy day. We'd backed up far enough that there was no one close to catch us. We started being drug through the plowed dirt as I tried to get control of the canopy. Finally gave up on that and went to get rid of it. I didn't look at the handles, I just went for one. Guess which one I pulled? By some miracle, we stopped being drug just as I realized what color handle I had in my hand.

That day I learned not to trust muscle memory or "feel". The next time I need to use either or both handles I'm going to look at them; I've made that "look" a part of my emergency procedure practice ever since.

Muscle memory is good. Knowing where things are by feel is good. Having an obvious visual indication - like color - of which handle you're pulling is good, too. In an emergency situation, you don't know what you're going to do until you're doing it; why not give yourself a number of different indicators so you can be even more confident that you'll grab the right handle?

On another point - handle color isn't about fashion. My red cutaway handle matches nothing on my jumpsuit or gear. I like it that way.

[councilman24 37]

While color shouldn't matter, contrast certainly does and there's no good reason to have them the same color. Harnesses shift, adreneline pumps, and when you can't find it you want to see it. And be able to identify it by sight.

In about 1981 the then furture owner of Paraphernalia got a Northern lite with a pillow reserve handle (early not so good design). He had both handles identical down to accent strips. This was in the days of "Bounce and Blend" colors and both were tan against a brown harness and earthtone jumpsuit of some kind. I didn't like the idea then and don't much care for it now.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[hookitt 1]

Though I agree with rigging65 whole heartedly, I don't practice the color thing. Even though my suit is black, I can see them in a spinner. I do look but My hands tend to reach the handles and cover them up before I can even see them.

The real reason mine are black, is because I didn't want them Red The suit was secondary.

I also retrain several times a day or per load for that matter. It surprises me when others don't

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[skygod7777 0]

my handles are the same color, but they are blue, and my harness is black, and the handles have neon yellow wings logo on them. so they stand out against my harness. and my jumpsuit is black.

later

[rigging65 0]

Quote

I also retrain several times a day or per load for that matter. It surprises me when others don't

...It makes me sick that others don't...

"...and once you had tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward.
For there you have been, and there you long to return..."

[JFC3 0]

Mine match my rig (tie dye royal and black) with D'Oh! on the cutaway and Woo Hoo! On the Reserve.

"Five days? But I'm angry now!"

[BluDvn222 0]

I really like some of the cool things people have written on their handles, especially Homer Style!
How is this done? Did you write this on there somehow your self?

"How do you like my groin to your foot style?"

[BMFin 0]

Since im a bit superstitious I have Don´t on the cutaway and Jinx it in the reserve

Both are yellow.

[MontyPyhton 0]

Hmmh...

The really important thing is TRAINING.

Training, training, training.

Right, left, right, left, right left....

When you wake up in the night think right, left.
When you wake up in the morning think right, left.

You think you are a really skygod with your Xaos 27 on your ass?
And you think it is not cool when you practice this simple procedure?
Practice right, left, right, left - in the morning, in the evening, at the dropzone, in the plane.

If you must look which color is the right, you are worse prepared for the worst situations.

Avoid some worse situations is so easy...

[deathtrap 0]

For all you nancy's out there that are so uncoordinated as to rely on a color system to figure it out, maybe you should stick with one handle (SOS)

[johnny1488 1]

I dont rely on any color but like its been stated here, you never know the situation you'll be in when your in a ball of shit and getting the reserve off your back now is a life or death situation. Maybe it would help maybe not but I dont think it could hinder my ability. Red cutaway silver(or gray) reserve on my rig.

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[metallica 0]

I got red pads for both my handles, but you'll never catch me jumping with a red container nor a red jumpsuit!

Speed kills! So does everything else...

[skygod7777 0]

Quote

You think you are a really skygod with your Xaos 27

no, but i do with my vx

no, just kidding. you really need to practice you procedures a lot. i do numerous times in the plane, and i feel them on the way to the door, and do another little practice.

i hate it when i see people not even touch there handles in the plane.

later

[Samurai136 0]

Sometimes I review by putting on a rig, closing my eyes, relax, and do quick draws until it gets boring.

I've never cared what color my handles are. On my Odyssey the cutaway matches the harness color (blue) and the reserve pillow is red.

Ken

"Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian
Ken

[BluDvn222 0]

Really! How do people write stuff on their handles? Is it stitched in? Can only a rigger do something like this? I know I would never do it myself, but I just thought of something clever.....but i'm not telling what it is.
Scott

"Beware of the Ass Nipples!"

"How do you like my groin to your foot style?"