LawnDart21

Here's my take on skysurfing...... Alongside CReW, it's one of the most dangerous disciplines of skydiving. When I first started skysurfing I was approached by my local SandTA and she asked me if i was really sure I wanted to pursue skysurfing. I said "Yes, why do you ask?" To which she replied "I only ask because there are alot of dead skysurfers." I took what she said to heart, but pressed on anyways. I'm glad I did, as I freefly, do RW, film video for fun, coach and skysurf, and of all of them, skysurfing is the most personally rewarding jumps I make. The problem with skysurfing is that you are attaching a board to your feet (which sounds simple) but in aerodynaic terms (which I am no PHD for the record...) you are adding an opposing plane of wind resistance which can cause violent attitude (physical not emotional....lol) changes if your not careful. One of the biggest dangers in skysurfing is the "red out" where a jumper can go unconscious due to a flat spin. Basically, you end up in a flat spin on your back and it keeps getting faster and faster, and all your blood gets caught in your head and feet due to cintrifigal force (sp?) and you pass out. The bitch of it is, the spin can get so violent (I've heard 8 Gs of force but it's unconfirmed bonfire rumor) that it can actually slow your decent rate enough to keep your cypres from firing. so it's possible to get knocked out and not have a cypres fire if you experience a no pull due to a black out. That's the bad news, the good news is that is the most amazing feeling in the world in my opinion to be inverted in a "hen haw" with your nose pointed earthward, and spinning like a top. You get a rush from skysurfing that you can't get from a regular skydive. Plus, I have heard there are only around 2000 skysurfers in the world, so you'd be entering a relatively small circle. Oh, and lastly, USPA is currently trying to decide ifthey will drop the third party liability waiver that is a part of our membership for the upcoming season. This 3rd party liability covers us if we chop our board and it damages something on the ground like a car or a house. If they drop the 3rd party liability then alot of "urban" DZs, (one's with alot of people and houses around), may decide to ban skysurfing because it could become a DZ liability if a board damages anything. They will vote on the 3rd party liability issue on or around Feb 28th, 2002, and the decision will carry through until next years vote. Hope this info helps. Good luck in your decision. I suggest you talk to as many skysurfers as you can find and then make an educated decision. See you in the sky! Blue Skies to All and to All a Good Flight! Tom

Thanks! hey if you think of it, can you tell Suzy I said hi? Just tell her Tom of (Tom & Mary from Pepperell) said hello. Muchos Gracias Tom

"A.T" as in Alex? I met him, and jumped with him and Chuck at Quincy.

Okay, so I'm a self professed civilian......the only info I have on Navy Seals and HALO jumps comes from the Discovery channel and the movies "Navy Seals" and "G.I.Jane"...LOL So, I'll ask then, how low does a Seal typically open on a halo jump? Good call on the A-License! I know alot of freefliers have the Mirage alien logo tattoo. it is a pretty cool one.

I think Live's "Lightning Crashes" is hands down the best skydiving related chorus. "I can feel it coming back again, like a rolling thunder, chasing the wind, forces pulling from the center of the earth again, I can feel it." Blue Ones, Tom

Yup, I think he got the award in August. He was my coaches course instructor.

Afternoon Chuck, I think I remember you mentioning on a few earlier posts that you jumped at Raeford. If you do, I'm sure you know/are friends with Kip and Suzy from Air Rage. I haven't them since the summer up in Pepperell and was wondering how they were doing? Thanks, Tom

I agree with everyone. How's that for playing "Switzerland"? LOL In all seriousness though, I learned alot during AFF and what would be the equivalent of the new ISP coach jumps when I got my license in 2000. But it wasn't until I got my license and started jumping with an experienced jumper that I really learned how to be a safe skydiver. (I mentioned him in my "Sky Less Travelled" story). He (Ed) never asked me to cover his slot and we made a lot of jumps together. He taught me so much during those jumps, I'd be hard pressed to pay him back, to which I joked to him one time and all he said was "do it for someone else when your turn comes." Since then I have tried to do just that. I got my coaches rating so that I could eventually get my tandem rating, and to be honest, I take up prelicensed jumpers for the DZ, and they pay my slots, 'cause that's how the DZ wants it. But once a student gets their license, I tell every student I will be more than happy to jump with them and i always insist on covering my own slot (because I believe it's the right thing to do). So, I guess I'm kind of a contradiction there. Prelicense, USPA requires a rated coach, so while I don't necessarily agree 100 percent with getting a free slot and $10, I atleast feel confident that the student is getting their money's worth, in that I believe in my heart I fly my ass off on coach jumps. I also reationalize it by thinking that I too, paid the same coaches fees before I got my license. As a sidenote, I had a prelicense student fail a low exit twice, and he was all upset about the expense he was continuing to incur, so I asked manifest to make an exception and bill me for my own slots on the low exits until he passed it and to deduct the $10 coach fee from his charge. It took him three more tries to pass and he is on his way to becoming to a solid skydiver. Wow, I'm totally rambling now, I really don't want to get back to work,........LOL Anyways, I think everyone has a valid point in a way, I mean our system is not perfect, but as long as we reach out to low time jumpers and try to remember what it was like to be broke with a new A license, and help out where ever possible for free, then everyone will be a winner. Phew! I'm exhausted now! Blue Skies and Warm Tropical Breezes Tom

I think it's great you already know that you want to be a tandem master. Like you, I knew that I wanted to be a TM before I even hit 50 jumps, for the sole purpose of being able to share the "1st jump" with others. I only have 408 jumps to date, so I'm still a few more jumps away from qualifying for the course, but I plan on taking the course as soon as I hit my 3yrs and 500 jumps (June 19th 2002 is my 3 yrs). Every tandme master I have talked with has said the same thing, unlike a solo where you have to fly your own body, you have to learn to fly the passengers body so to speak, which comes with practice and every TM reenforced that canopy skills are of the utmost importance, so keep aiming for the peas. I just recently (this past august) got my coaches rating, and the coach jumps that I do are by far the most rewarding jumps I've ever made, it's great to see someone else experience what we went through and see the excitement in their eyes. Best of luck and blue skies! Tom

I agree with Clay, if your gonna tattoo your license number, wait until you get your D license. Even then, I'd only tattoo the license number if it was a cool one, like Nate Pond's (D-69) or his son Gary's (D-6969). But that is just me. Skydiving is all about personal expression, if you want to do the A licnese, then I say go for it. I've got an idea for a tattoo that I'm waiting on at the moment. For my 30th birthday (2 years from now), I am going to make a 30,000ft high altitude jump in CA (I've made 3 from 24,000ft, but I want to try 30,000ft with bail out oxygen). The plan is to dump out at 2000ft. If all goes well, I plan on getting a tattoo of a "halo" with the letters "H.A.L.O." under it and the date I did it on top. I've read Seals dump out much lower than that, like 800-1000ft on halo jumps, but hey, safety first right? LOL It's kind of goofy, but like I said, skydiving is all about self expression. Cheers and safe skydives! Blue Skies to all and to all a good flight Tom

Trivia question, what DZ is the oldest DZ in the country?

I agree all the above mentioned freefly pant companies make a quality product, but DaKine Rags is my fave. Chuck actually came out with a new design that he introduced in Quincy this year, it's basically mesh covers on the lower legs to add additional drag. They look cool and are supposed to help slow fall rate (even if just a bit). Check them out. I don't think he had them on his site yet, but email him and I'm sure he'll send some pics. Later Tom

I have no intention of trying it anytime soon, I was just wondering if anyone could explain to me how the high performance canopy pilots are able to carve a turn laterally left or right after they have begun their surf without losing any altitude. Thanks, Tom

Tunnel time "gauranteeing a stable deployment"? That's pretty funny, I never deployed while I was in the tunnel, so I'll have to take your word on that one! LOL I see your point, but honestly, nothing can gaurantee a stable deployment. And if you think about, two hours in the tunnel is about the same price as a Cypres. Blue Skies to all, and to all a good flight! Tom

The "Where are you from?" post mentioned Spaceland and whether they required an AAD. I'm just wondering as to the general concensus of people as to what your view is on jumping with an AAD. Personally, I jump with a Cypres, but have made a handful of video jumps without it. All things being equal, I don't like jumping without it, especially because I skysurf and there is always that fear in my mind of possibly blacking out while in a flat spin. I can see why a pond swooper may choose not to use one, typically exiting solo and with the inevitable chow always looming..... The best excuse I heard for not jumping an AAD came from a jumper I know with thousands of jumps. I asked him if he chose not to jump with a cypres because he'd been jumping for 30 years and had all kinds of experience, and felt confident that he could protect himself. His answer was "No that's not it at all. I jump a 99 Main and have a 109 Reserve, if I get knocked out and have a cypres fire, and come in on a 109 without a flair.....are you kidding me?.......forget that. There wouldn't be anything left of me." That was the most viable arguement I had heard to date for not jumping an AAD. Anyways, the gaunlet has been cast, what's your view on jumping with AADs, yes or no? Blue Skies to all and to all a goog flight Tom

I don't believe that the he is being cruel to the dog. If you've ever owned a dog and driven with the pooch in the car with the window cracked open.......That is the happiest I have ever seen my dog, with his head out the window at 75 mph. Besides, there are owners that bring their dogs surfing with them, skiing with them etc, etc, it's not really any different than skydiving. I may be right, I may be wrong, but that is my two cents. Cheers, Tom

Well, let's see, I jumped naked out of the B-17 bomber at Quincy this year. That was probably the craziest thing I've done in freefall. That same day, I swooped behind my tent (The Mass Madhouse) on tent row, between the tents and a row of parked cars and trailers. There was about 20-30 ft width between the tents and the cars/trailers, no problem I though........ It went completely as planned, and as luck would have it, my surf ended about 3 ft from a freshly opened van door that was right infront of me. The door opened on my final, just as I touched down and started to surf, no room to turn......Stopped just short of the van door. Luck was jumping tandem with me on that one........

The GREATEST line from Point Break, and quite possibly the greatest line in a movie EVER is when Patrick Swayze breaks up the fight at the beach between Keanu and the surf goons and says "Back off War Child, seriously." How the hell did he manage to say that with a straight face? Cheers, Tom

I think the SIMS refers to it as a "Ball Over" malfunction. Be most fearful of the "ball over" during a naked skydive. Whenever I jump naked, I have a slightly altered deployment procedure which includes cupping the "marbles" in my left hand as I deploy the PC with my right hand, to prevent either marble from sliding under the leg strap. OUCH!!!!!

I did a tandem in May of 1999, that would be the start of my three years in the sport. May 2002 is my 3 yr anniversary. Blue Skies, Tom

Okay, so maybe it's because I live in Boston and it's freezing right now and we can't jump year round, and etc, etc, etc, but I have been thinking alot recently about quitting my job and cutting away and becoming a full time skydiver. If I did. I would get my tandem rating first (planning on getting it in May), and then cutting away the job and spending all my time jumping. Any thoughts? Anyone that has done this and regrets it or encourages it? Any info would be mucho appreciated. Blue Skies, Tom

I'm sure the SIMS has the verbatum version, but I've understood that to "technically" be able to sign someone's log book, you had to either A) be on the dive with them or B) have been on the DZ when the jump was made and witnessed some part of the jump, even if it is just seeing the person walking in off the field with their opened parachute. Now I'm sure that is open to alot of interpretation, and it sounds like the person was just having a bad day or something. In visiting 13 DZs over the last year and a half, I have never been turned away when asking a stranger to sign my logbook. Good luck and stay safe up there! Blue Skies, Tom

Geez, I even titled the post "Shameless Self Promotion". Of course I'm begging for attention!!!! ha ha ha ha Still smoke free!!!

A bunch of us from Skydive Pepperell will be in Lake Wales the last weekend in January and I wanted to see if any of you jumped there? "Gravity and the ground. Neither one gives a shit." Tom Tom

I don't mind you using the pic on your desktop. (thanks for asking though!). I asked my girlfriend Mary if it was okay if I posted the pic, and she was totally cool with the idea. (coincidentally, she is the "Manifest Mary" from "The Sky Less Travelled" that I wrote for the website. Blue Skies, Tom