Define 'night blind'. True night blindness is caused by disease of the rod system of the retina (rod dystrophy, retinitis pigmentosa, etc.). There is a big difference between true night blindness and trouble seeing at night.
There is a phenominon known as night myopia. Due to pupil dilation in dim lighting, it increases the amount of lens (and thus lens distortion) focusing light to the retina. This can cause a slight shift in prescription to more nearsightedness. See your eye doc to be sure your rx is up to date, this might help some of it.
Everyone has different comfort levels at night. I don't function extremely well at night either (too early in my skydiving career to even consider night jumps though!), but it isn't true 'blindness'.
Yea, I have been night blind since birth. I have rod dystrophy, and it runs in my family. My father and brother are night blind. I can only see whatever is hit by light. No shadows for me. It kinda sucks sometimes when I am out at night and people that know I am night blind take advantage of that. I have taken vitamins suppliments as well as precriptions my optomistist suggested, doesnt really help...
Don't night jumps have a well lit landing area? That should work for your cone system for flaring/landing. Getting there would be the tougher part. Is it possible to do a night tandem first, so you can get a better handle on whether or not a night jump is in your best interests solo?
I guess that depends on where you are jumping. When I did my first night jumps, we turned our headlights on to light the landing area. I don't consider that a well-lit landing area, but it was adequate for our purposes....
If a jumper wants his/her D license, they have to do two night jumps. One solo and one RW. But if some one has a disability that doesn't allow for them to do a night jump, I'm sure there can be a waiver filed to allow them to skip over that requirement.
I don't do night jumps anymore, it doesn't matter how well lit the landing area is, I still have problems.
I am night blind do to a congenital disease known as choroidoremia. I also have tunnel vision to a degree. I did both my night jumps for my D, and not one since. I also stay away from big-ways because of the tunnel vision.
