The111 1 #1 July 19, 2004 Hmm, not really sure if I'm looking for advice or feedback or what, just wanted to tell this story. About four months ago I had a hard reserve opening because I left my leg wing open and gained some speed before deploying the reserve in what was probably a near head down (but still somewhat subterminal) opening. The opening was VERY hard and aggravated some of the discs in my back so I took several weeks off. Over the past few weeks I've been jumping (non-WS) again. My back was 90% better, only a tiny amount of pain left that usually wasn't noticeable. I've been wanting to do another WS jump but was a little nervous. Two days ago, after an awesome 4 way (wearing RW suit with booties), I was tracking away and decided I'd do a practice BM pull so I pulled in a track (something I've never tried before). Well, my main opened pretty damn fast and now my back is feeling funky again. I don't think it's NEARLY as bad as it was the first time... I think this is kind of the thing that might even go away within a few more days - it already feels slightly better in two days, plus the impact didn't nearly knock me out like the first one did. Again, I dunno why I posted this. Just wondering how stupid it was to pull in a track in my RW suit and if I should have expected such a hard opening. In my "down time" I've played through various WS deployment procedures in my head and decided the one that is right for me is shutting down all wings, tracking for a few seconds, then dumping (legs shut whole time). I'm now hoping this doesn't give me as hard an opening as that RW track deployment did. If I only wait 2 seconds or so, after "shutdown", to dump, I'm thinking it will slow my forward speed down enough, but keep my fallrate low enough that I'll still have a noticeable subterminal opening. Only one way to find out I guess. www.WingsuitPhotos.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 4 #2 July 19, 2004 Matt, if you are not going to jump your suit for fear of getting smacked, give it to me. OK, sell it to me.....cheap. Seriously, I think you are letting your fears get the best of you. pack yourself a snivelly opening (or pay for one) and get your ass back up in the sky in your suit. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #3 July 19, 2004 Quotedecided the one that is right for me is shutting down all wings, tracking for a few seconds, then dumping (legs shut whole time). Quick question. Did you get trained by a BMI? Reason I ask is that what you just described is what is taught by BMI's to students during the FFC. Closing all your wings down, arching and looking up for 1-3 seconds before pulling slows your horizontal speed down considerably and allows for the vertical to pick up but not go terminal. The result is usually a softer than normal skydiving opening. Pulling in a track in your RW suit IMO was not a good thing to do with your back the way it is right now. I would say that even a full flight deployment on a wingsuit wouldn't smack you as hard as what you got in the RW suit. Best bet for your long term skydiving career, is to let your back heal properly before jumping again."It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The111 1 #4 July 19, 2004 Ok, thanks for your advice guys, you're both right, and I will be jumping the suit again sometime soon. So no luck for you monkey. THE SUIT IS MINE! EDIT: Scott - yeh I got trained by a BMI but I still like to think on my own and I have also had some very experienced pilots say they deploy slightly different. But I agree now that this is the best way.www.WingsuitPhotos.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TALONSKY 0 #5 July 19, 2004 As far as pulling in a track I would not suggest that, but pulling wingsuit style for regular skydiving I do not see any problem with that. I fly camera shooting 4 way and I find it easier to pull wingsuit stlye(both hands on the container) than regular do the wings on my camera suit. Kirk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ManBird 0 #6 July 19, 2004 I usually dump in a full track on non-wingsuit skydives (usually with BirdMan BASE Pantz). When I have my 10' bridle and 32" PC hooked up, using my BASE PC pouch on my S3, I dump in full flight. I'm only doing this as practice for wingsuit BASE, and because I like to dump a little lower (fast horizontal speed can take a chunk out of deployment altitude). I recommend against these practices. I pack my Sabre2 really damn snivelly (nose in middle of pack job and slider really, really quartered and cupped), and don't wear a camera helmet when pitching like this. Dumping in a full track without these precautions can definitely result in some pain. Even with a "snivelly" pack job, you can still get line dump (had it twice in a row last week!), and bam, sore neck and back for a week. To avoid pain and injury, slow your total velocity down to 120mph, or basically, fall more than fly... yadayadayada."¯"`-._.-¯) ManBird (¯-._.-´"¯" Click Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
base428 1 #7 July 19, 2004 I'll trade you my sore neck for a sore back anyday....well, maybe not. I just got back from a Norway BASE trip and found myself dumping in a track using my Birdman Track pants. Depending on which canopy I jumped, my deployments were either hard or really friggin' hard. I was used to dumping in a track on BASE jumps, but with the track pants and my bum neck, things were different. I hurt my neck again on one jump, prompting me to adjust my deployment style whilst in a track. In the last second of the jump, I would come out my track and sit up a bit (almost 45 deg), then pitch. Worked great to alleviate the sore neck and even the hardest openings were manageable. The same deployment scenario applies for my birdman BASE or skydiving jumps. In the last second or so, close the leg wings a little and try to sit up a bit. Then, I pitch the PC and collapse ALL wings (until deployment) in order to reduce the burble. I guess you have to find what works best for you. Good luck.(c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted. <==For the media only Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VectorBoy 0 #8 July 19, 2004 Some people end up hesitating on the pull due to difficulty in reaching their hackey. Some rigs ( I've heard people say as an example, wings or the mirage G3 ) are too short for some longer torsos and can make the hackeys harder to reach. Mirage now makes the longer G4 as a result of requests in this regard. Another example that I've personnaly experienced, and Bill von talked about in his matter review, is on the monowing type wingsuits when the body portion inflates enough to lift your rig up off of your back a few degrees putting the hackey at an awkward place to get and deploy. It happened to me on several flights on my Matter 2 once enough that I had to go into a style tuck to deploy. I deployed at terminal... whatever terminal is in a wingsuit style tuck. Now I just keep them leg straps tight and the hackey is right where its gotta be. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
