First experience

[1234hutch 0]

With the increased visibility of BASE jumping in media today, I think one of the problems is that too many people are starting to BASE jump with too little parachuting experience. Sure, you can get away with some stuff, but you really need to be aware of everything if you expect to come back again and again.


Skypuppy BASE92

Here here well said!

My first was in '82 over the similkamen river bridge (about 500ft) in british colombia, I had 197 jumps, i used my new racer And my hobbit main (165ft). we rigged a bogus static line. Being head down I towed the p/c to a very low height(200 ft -) both loops locked into the keepers. After two sharp turns to avoid the canyon walls I landed on top of a boulder.


The next one I did I was pushing close to 1000 jumps I was MUCH better prepared rig wise and ability wise. I think 500 jumps would be a good number to have before preforming base jump.
Be a good at accuracy and assessing in a hurry where you are going to land. In base accuracy is a heavy duty survival skill.

the exit is simple ... do right the the FIRST time. Somebody will teach you how...practice at a swimming pool

hutch base140

[kleggo 138]

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basically a carnival ride similar to a tandem...

that's a pretty strong statement dont you think?

which part?
the one about tandem jumps being equivalent to a carnival ride????
it seems true simply by inspection.
at least for the rider, not always true for the ridee.

stay safe

kleggo

[skymedic 0]

did you just read that or did you read my whole post? it was in reference to him saying a BASE at bridge day is like a Tandem.....

yes..I believe Tandems are just carnival rides...

but a BASE jump is a BASE jump...

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[TomAiello 25]

Hey,

I'm just responding to the whole thread here--I'm just replying to the last post because it is convenient.

Let's all try to be civil here. This thread is starting (perhaps it's way past "starting") to degenerate into an old-school, BASE Board style flame fest. We've got overreaction, ridicule, misunderstood humor, and some hard feelings.

I don't think anyone was trying to attack anyone else personally (because if that was happening, we'd have to lock the thread, right?), but I can see quite a few people getting bent out of shape.

Let's try to leave this thread to it's original intention (relating first jump experiences, and getting feedback on what you think should have been done differently in your case).

Remember, the idea of this forum is to give accurate information to low time jumpers, and it's hard to do that if we scare people (low timers who need advice or experienced jumpers who can give it) off by flaming them. If we start down that road, we'll just see people out making jumps without good information.

Thanks,

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[blair700 0]

OK my first jump was after about 250 skydives, I had BASE specific gear(mojo280 and velcro rig), and was being mentored by one of the best in the world. I was PCA'd off a 230' B, that has a nice landing area. I guess the scariest thing about it was that it was Friday the 13th, and my "new" mojo had 13 patches on it.....etc.etc.etc. black death hahahahahah
But that night my life changed, I truely believe, for the better. I can't imagine not BASE jumping, I've been out with an injury since August, and its been the worst......but the only thing that keeps me positive, is that I KNOW I will jump again, and I know that feeling.....the one after you exit, before you start to accel. then all your periphial vision, blurrs upwards (oops I'm drooling), then the CRACK of a slider off 3 second delay....fu(king SWEET!
c-ya
BASE 700

[base311 0]

Hey Tom,

I was reading this thread last night thinking to myself, "self, these folks aren't even 15 days into the new BASE forum at dz.com and already there are flames and tempers and misunderstandings running rampant."

I think the benefit to this forum being on dz.com will be the fact that moderators and moderating are/is already in place; hopefully that will keep the bitching to a minimum. That said, I've been enjoying reading the posts so far... a renewed vigor that seems to have been lost over at blinc.

BTW, I hate that I didn't get a chance to spend more time with you at BD. You know how that place goes, though... more people to see and talk to than anyone can possibly manage to manage. I was packing in the yard outside in the drizzle because space was limited inside... and it was brutally hot in the hotel to boot.. and... well... that's where my bud Gary was packing.

Enjoyed reading your article on gear selection. Great article and good advice. Keep it simple.

As for my first jump, I'm not going to even go there considering the audience and the intent of this forum. Suffice it to say that persons intending on doing their first BASE jump are advised to get lots of canopy control experience (after all, that IS the name of the game); read, read, read; ask lots of questions; practice exits and packing; get a current, experienced mentor who isn't afraid to say NO; the newbie shouldn't be afraid to say no; always keep water, chewing gum and TP in your fanny pack; and MAKE A WILL AND KEEP IT CURRENT. If you do not have a WILL and you do not update it with regularity then you are not prepared for this sport.

Y'all take care now... y'hear?
Gardner

[narcimund 0]

Chewing gum?

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[Faber 0]

500+skydives
first BASE from a Power line(A)whit a Fox 225
Now afther 30BASE-jumps (in 3month)i have a broken leg and cant jump again before at least 1/2year..Becouse of a BASE.I did go whit my master fo 2 jumps and have been on my own since(becourse of distance to other BASE-jumpers..)
Dont be in a hurry,but enjoy the life..
Stefan Faber

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[Lolie 0]

Hej Faber! Hvorfor tager ikke du Private Messages? Undskyle, min dansk er dårlig...

-Miranda
you shall above all things be glad and young / For if you're young,whatever life you wear
it will become you;and if you are glad / whatever's living will yourself become.

[Zennie 0]

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Hej Faber! Hvorfor tager ikke du Private Messages? Undskyle, min dansk er dårlig...

Bork! Bork! Bork!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

- Z
"Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

[Lolie 0]

Sorry, I tried to PM him, but he won't accept PMs.

-Miranda
you shall above all things be glad and young / For if you're young,whatever life you wear
it will become you;and if you are glad / whatever's living will yourself become.

[base311 0]

yeah... the fear dries the mouth and the gum helps between water breaks while climbing long, long, long, long ladders (or while hiking, climbing, etc. as the case may be). Helps maintain rhythm too... eventually you settle into x number of chews per climbing stroke. heh heh.. I said 'stroke'. Plus it's nice to have something to hand out to your buddies at the exit point.
-gardner

[Zennie 0]

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Sorry, I tried to PM him, but he won't accept PMs.

No worries. I just read that and the first thing that popped into my head was the Swedish Chef from the Muppet Show.

- Z
"Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

[freefal 0]

After getting a ton of info from friends and web sites like BLiNC I did ground crew for some buddies a few times... then I read some more and watched some videos... then when I thought I was ready to jump I watched a friend pack his Mojo and realized that I needed to learn even more! I had over 900 skydives on almost ten different kinds of canopies when I finally went out to our local A with our crew and climbed up to around 700'. That was less than a year ago and I've only made 17 more jumps off of 3 other objects since then but I will never be the same.
I think the most important thing to realize if you're considering taking the BASE leap is that BASE jumping is NOT skydiving. You have to know more about your gear than some riggers. You will be more scared than you ever thought possible and will have to make some very difficult decisions. But if you choose to go down this road we call BASE you will feel emotions that rival some really good drugs and have a smile on your face that blows away that sh!t eating grin you had after your first skydive.

Team Donk anD BoneZ kicks a$$!

"Ignorance is bliss" and "Patience is a virtue"... So if you're stupid and don't mind waiting around for a while, I guess you can have a pretty good life!

[skip 0]

Hey just reading along for fun. I have no interest in base etc. but as I read along I’ve been thinking about the current issue of skydiving’s “talk back section”. Page 37 caption “John Starr makes his FIRST PARACHUTE JUMP, A base jump from a 180-foot-high bridge…at night, over water.

WACK!

.:skip

[Faber 0]

Din Dansk er fin
Your danish are fine.. sorry not used to this board..
Have fun!!!
Faber

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[rgoper 0]

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I was only trying to share MY experience with the forum, which is what had been asked. I was not looking to be insulted or ripped apart. Apparently, if I follow a different learning path than the rest of you, I am dead wrong. Well, I’ll tell you what…. IF I go in, which God help me I don’t, but if I do… all of you please come back to this board and give me one big I TOLD YOU SO.

i know this is an old post, but i am a "natural" researcher. i can see from this posts age, that the attitude to new people coming into your "private" little world is not anything new.

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

[Faber 0]

It were a freindly reminder that she should take care,becours she didnt got the traning and gear to that kind of a jump.Ofcours she trusted the instructor whith her life,we all did onse,but he/she shouldnt had let her jump,at that time(dont know Weegegirl,but i hope she`s just fine).

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[Faber 0]

to get it back to tropic heres my first jump

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[weegegirl 2]

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It were a freindly reminder that she should take care,becours she didnt got the traning and gear to that kind of a jump.Ofcours she trusted the instructor whith her life,we all did onse,but he/she shouldnt had let her jump,at that time(dont know Weegegirl,but i hope she`s just fine).

I am just fine, thank you. And I sincerely believe, to this day, that I was perfectly capable of executing that jump. It was not one person that gave me the go-ahead, it was a lot of people that I had been jumping with for quite some time. Oh, well. Thought this topic was long gone.