BASE813

Net and tuna anyone??? Welcome to the world of cat herding.........

I posted similar to this a while back as I was selling my Vertigo PC's and no one would touch them - due to non load tapes on the ZP skin! - many jumpers reasons for this was mis-informed and thought they could "blow up" - but if you take the PC to the delay it was designed for then this is not an issue. I stopped jumping my Vertigo PC's and bought CR AV PC's coz after watching alot of video and watching my pitch I found the Vertigo Pc seemed to skate around alot compared to load taped / AV PC's - but saying this I have since looked at my log book and taken some analysis and my findings were as follows: On heading to 45 degree - 90% of jumps AV v's Non AV 50/50 this was during me jumping load tapes v non load tapes - and I only put 10 - 15 jumps on my vertigo PC's - but I had about a 50/50 on my vertigo PC's on off headings v on headings - to be honest I changed them because I saw too much video with them skating around compared to spoked PC's being more solid - but on / off heading results differ to these findings. In my low time opinion off headings are caused mainly due to: 1) wind 2) body position not in any order! PC and packing i think has less to do with off headings than these two aspects - but they will encourage off heading if those two aspects are effecting............. just my thoughts (maybe more experienced would like to fuel more debate!) Most people i spoke to thought non-load taped could blow on deployment but I have only heard on one instance of this when someone took a 42 to 10 secs - (and lived) - I dont believe this to be an issue if used at the correct delay - I think it more to do with the "skating" I have found! I look forward to the more experienced views on my views.............

Just out of interest on the vented & slider issue - I am awaiting a new canopy (Troll MDV) - I would be interested in peoples views on the small hole v large hole slider with this (or other vented) canopies. I have used large hole on non-vented at terminal with only indirect slider control and found the openings ok to deal with. Do the vents really make that much difference at terminal - and what delay do you start thinking about small hole??? As I dont think small hole is something i would like to do around the 6-9 delay?! thanks! oh and tailgate slider up - i heard someone was doing some testing on this a few months ago - any further info on findings???

The way I see it "the minimum" is that "minimum". It does not automatically mean that once you have 200 skydives you now are at the level to get into BASE. Coming from the UK, with the weather so shite getting 200 skydives takes some people a couple of years, some less some more. Most of this time is spent learning to control your body in freefall, it’s a sad fact that a lot of people still see the skydive over once they pitch and deploy. In the formative early jumps not a lot of attention is paid to canopy control or knowledge, and these are essential in the BASE environment. I truly believe that the manufactures limits should be adjusted to people and their skydiving experience and not just jump numbers (this may already be the case, I don’t know) Now you could have someone from the USA who wanted to BASE so started skydiving and managed to get in 200 jumps within 2 months and concentrated on large 7-cell canopy flight – this would then meet the “minimum” in my opinion. He would be more in tune to the BASE environment than someone with 500 jumps over 5 years and flies a 120 elliptical 9 cell ZP loaded at 2.0. I took my FJC a couple of years ago and I had 500 skydives, I had made 100 large 7-cell F-1-11 hop n pops (I don’t count my early jumps under student canopies as going toward my canopy experience as some people seem to quote!) and landed away from the square trying out every approach I could think of – and I practised the CR Canopy drills to the letter, much to the piss taking of the DZ wondering why I was doing such a thing (practising for CRW was my response). I then went to TF with CR and did the FJC with a friend who had booked with me at the last minute – the difference on those first few jumps between us was noticeable in regard to the canopy control – he had wished he had spent time hopping and popping a 7-cell with me! Now the landing area at TF is very forgiving and large – once back in the UK I started jumping lower and more enclosed landing areas – this was an eye opener – canopies I found out respond differently when trying to fly straight from opening with 5 seconds to pick landing areas due to canopy and also the awareness I was yet to gain from such a quick and intense situation – I really wanted to have more experience then I already had and unfortunately its not the time to want this – it costs nothing to build and build experience in the skydiving environment whereas to learn in the BASE environment could prove fatal. I look back now on my early jumps and do think “I should not have done some of those” – but I guess a lot of people say this and it’s a rare situation I think to not. Even though I had done what I thought was enough to have the experience I needed to start BASE suddenly you are thrown into a very stressful and intense arena that you can not practice for in the skydive environment – why would you want to be lacking in other areas like VERY GOOD canopy control and knowledge whilst in this arena? There are so many other things to think of other than “can I land this there without injury?” – As some said “why would you want to BASE with minimum experience??” – I would not. I know its very easy to look back and say “do as I say not as I do / did” but in my limited time in this sport, all I can say to newbies is “listen to the more experienced people – they say these things for a reason and not to stop people entering the sport” – I deem myself lucky to get through the last 2 years jumping without injury – and that’s when I thought I was “skilful enough to enter the sport” by doing more than a lot of people did before they got into BASE. Its all well and good having the skill to make a jump of a legal span in broad daylight with onlookers and a big arsed landing area – but unfortunately some of the best times and jumps will not be in this environment – it will be dark, lonely, intense, and small – it’s a completely different ball game then the cosy environment you started in. My first jump after my course, at night on a guyed A with hazards that could maim you was so much different I would say that the FJC in no way prepared me for what I was experiencing – I know of one person who did the TF FJC and on his first bandit jump in the UK off an A walked away and has never jumped again. Anyway this is long and most probably VERY boring!!! But its pissing down with rain AGAIN here in the UK so you have to listen to my bullshit!!! Sorry! Be safe people………. Have fun and be safe…………….

Dont take BASE do the skydivers - let the skydivers find and work to BASE. Just my 2 large vodkas worth

https://www.consignia-online.com/portal/rm/postcodefinder?pageId=pol_login&catId=400145&_requestid=132091&cs=1 try this hope this helps

legal for what??????

nice cutaway on your B'day!!!! all good fun!!

I have updated details in the incident forum

Nice one mate!!! and thanks people!! had a riot with daytime jumps off my local 220ft power tower!!! Thanks to all that made it along!!! as i have always said - off headings make jumps more interesting!!! be safe mate! Cya soooooon!!!

I toyed with this alot when I was thinking of getting into this sport............ but its turns out that its not something you should have to think about. One day you will just know "I am ready". and it all fits together............ Remember, you dont find BASE - BASE finds you.

Why i oughta..... I didn't have an invite mate. Quote but everyone had an invite to the BASE meet........................... did everyone meet us though??? we gave the chance.................

so you made it to the BPA get together but not the BASE jumpers get together! i wonder where you feel more comfortable!?!??!!? stick to skydiving dude! thats where you belong i guess!!!!

george! nice to see ya!! One of the reasons I am buying a pin rig is that I am freefalling 210ft upward regularly............. At these heights I would rather a pin then a velcro............ the pull forces are something like 20lbs for velcro and 12lbs for pins (but pins have more inconsistancy due to pack jobs) to be honest when I am taking delays where I am under canopy at sub100 I would so much prefer a pin rig.................... I have watched a pin V velcro off the same 220ft tower with similar delays and similar PC's and the pin opened a lot heigher! mate pin is the future for the objects we are jumping!!!

another classic dude - "league of gentlemen" you a fan?!?!?!? "getting up at lunchtime, flicking yourself off to Tricha" "its a saga now"

fucking crack me up!!!! infact im going to watch it now!!!! i also have watched it numerous times!!!

hehehehe! he has a fucking great way of putting things!!! "look at her, she is a slut, she likes them to watch" obviously without watching the DVD this is meaningless!!!

Nice one!!! The office rocks and really is so true to form!!!! My office is that place!!! it sucks! but pays the bills!!! Nice one!!! You seen the RG video "animals"?? that rocks too!!!

I have recently taken stock of a nice "CHEAP" G4 and have started making some movies with this. It is nice and easy to export as a QT movie but do any of you Mac users know how to convert this to other movie formats?? Do I need another movie program to do this (final cut pro etc) Thanks for any direction

put it this way what is better......... thinking you dont want to do it by not trying it out again....... or trying it again and KNOWING you dont want to do it........... of course you may just love it and find that now is your time............. Dont die with regrets..............

better than a section of iron pipe.............. Im an animal lover really! (not that sort Will)

Jesus............. where do you jump then?!? I would beg to differ!! Not really - I love you ladies! (EH, DF, AP, LN etc etc etc) just a pity you never loved me!!!

I am awaiting delivery of my first pin rig! Most people I jump with have pins and most jumps we do are hand held. I have never seem a prem pin extraction (except someone climbing down an A with rig on and catching it on the cage!! hehehe! hey Faber!! As long as there is some slack then you wont pull the pins............ I will be happier jumping pins hand held / Low altitude. Just my "awaiting" pin rig status thoughts...........

thats cheap as fuck to us UKers seeing that the $ is weak as fuck!!! that $700 is about £380 in our world!!! Nice!!!

how about an international list?!?! that way the UK guys could get pissed and then call US guys early morning or US guys call UK people midafternoon rubbing in the fact they are drunk whilst they are at work!!! some scope for stories surely?!?!!?!