Thoughts on this forum??

[CReWpilot 0]

Just Curious. This is mainly directed to you guys who have not jumped yet.

1. What are you thoughts on base jumping?? (i.e. scares you to death, can't wait to do it, etc.)

2. Does this forum affect your feeling toward you base jumping and why? (i.e. do you want to do it now from stuff you have read or not do it now)

3. If you do want to jump, how many jumps (just a guess) do you think you will have when you will be ready to jump and has this forum affected that number? Has it cuased the number to be higher or lower and why?

4. Hypothetical- If you made a couple of jumps with a experienced jumper or attended a fjc, would you be comfortable continuing your jumping on your own, with just the information from here or Blinc?

The reason for these questions is this. I had a short im conversation with Tom about this the other day and wanted some opinions of the people in this forum that i worrry it affects. I am new to BASE (about one year). I have had a fairly uneventful first year; no accidents, no horror stories. While nothing has happened, I am fully aware that it can and probably will at some point if I keep jumping. This is not, by any means, a safe sport. Although it has progressed, CONSIDERABLY, since its beginnings, there are so many variables involved that the chance that someting will happen is much higher than, say, skydiving. This is something I have accepted. I would like to get some insight from the people who don't jump or have just started as to how this forum affects your thinking about the sport. As I am still, very much, in the first stage of the learning proccess, I would like to know how you guys, who are getting some of your info from a different source feel about the obvious dangers and your confidence in your skills to do it?

Thank you for your time and for reading my, way to long, post.

Russell

[wmw999 2,148]

At one time (about 1980) I considered making a BASE jump somewhat seriously. There were a couple of local places that were pretty popular. The only thing that made me decide not to was the effort, and the possibility (high) of getting arrested.

Reading this forum has made it clear to me that I'm exceedingly unlikely ever to make a BASE jump. I don't think there was as much realization of the danger then.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[hookitt 0]

Almost one year in the sport. 100 BASE jumps.
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1. What are you thoughts on base jumping?? (i.e. scares you to death, can't wait to do it, etc.)

I do it. Once I jump I'm not usually scared any more. The time Leading up to the jump, I am always scared and sometimes I wonder why I'm doing it. Scared as can be. Most of the time I still prep my self get my self ready and jump. I have walked down from an exit point in perfect conditions.
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2. Does this forum affect your feeling toward you base jumping and why? (i.e. do you want to do it now from stuff you have read or not do it now)

I just started to read this forum so it doesn't affect my decision in any way.
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3. If you do want to jump, how many jumps (just a guess) do you think you will have when you will be ready to jump and has this forum affected that number? Has it cuased the number to be higher or lower and why?

I jumped the first time with around 1500 skydives. another 6 jumps over a few years. It just didn't call to me. It wasn't until I had 4000 jumps that I decided to Jump again. Now I love it and want to learn more and more about it.
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4. Hypothetical- If you made a couple of jumps with a experienced jumper or attended a fjc, would you be comfortable continuing your jumping on your own, with just the information from here or Blinc?

Damn good question. I didn't take a first jump course. There was many a time I wished I had. I still wish I had. Very few of my jumps were with an experienced jumper. If I were to start again, I would take a course. I have loads if information because if you ask you will recieve. It's how you listen and apply what has been shared. Take the course. I HIGHLY recommend it. =========

Many skydivers are of the opinion that the skydiving experience is enough. It's not true. It is or should be the training ground for BASE jumping, but it's not even close to the same thing. I have LOADS of canopy experience. It has helped me tremendously. The difference is that my BASE parachute and my skydiving parachute are completely 2 different beasts. The other is canopy rides are generally less than 30 seconds in The US. I say that because 400 to 600 feet is the norm around here. A jumper should have enough skydiving experience to make quick desisions. You don't always get to land where you want to and other things happen and it happens quickly.

There are lots of people around willing to share what they know or at least give an educated opinion. Those same people also know who else to ask the same questions.

Tom has been a good source of info. But like he says, he is not an expert or and instructer. Along with many other experienced and non experienced jumpers alike, I respect Toms views. I have Lots of skydives... BASE JUMPS? I just passed 100. Just like skydiving it's a milestone. I finally feel like I'm beginning to learn. Oh by the way, I was really scared and focused on my 100th jump. I had made it to 100 with nothing more than a few scares (not scars...except for walking right into a barbed wire fence on the way to an object) and some tumbles. I know darn well that it can get serious very quickly.

The only thing I had in my favor was that I have lots of rigging experience. The gear was not a mystery. Leaping from and object? THAT was a serious mystery to me. Still is actually.

Ok.. long post. I'm done for now.

C-ya

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[smiles 0]

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1. What are you thoughts on base jumping??

Have been skydiving 15 yrs., used to think BASE was for crazies- no way would you ever catch me close. In the last 6 yrs. I have got more and more curious, watched tons of footage, read everything I can and have come to accepting and respecting BASE and BASE jumpers alot more.

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2. Does this forum affect your feeling toward you base jumping and why? (i.e. do you want to do it now from stuff you have read or not do it now)

I am open to getting all the info I can, this is one place where I've asked questions- and got answers from experienced. This forum would never affect my decisions as I feel info is needed from many varieties of sources, research- ask & ask & ask questions.

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3. If you do want to jump, how many jumps (just a guess) do you think you will have when you will be ready to jump and has this forum affected that number? Has it cuased the number to be higher or lower and why?

Have 1000+ skydives, want to concentrate more on accuracy...interested in Cave BASE, still doing research, talking to those that have experienced- learning everything possible before preparing to take a BASE course taught by my mentors.

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4. Hypothetical- If you made a couple of jumps with a experienced jumper or attended a fjc, would you be comfortable continuing your jumping on your own, with just the information from here or Blinc?

You have to be joking????????
Reminds me working manifest trying to answer students questions.. can they just put on a board and skysurf on their first jump???? The reason I respect the BASE jumpers I know is that they were extremely experienced and current with all aspects of skydiving before trying BASE- and still are. They worked very hard to gain knowledge and researched, and earned the respect they deserve.

Once I posted reply to a jumper who just made his first bird-man dive and was so happy. I didn't think anything about asking how many jumps he had, just figured if he had purchased a bird-man suit he would have support from d.z., other jumpers...and would have the knowledge needed to fly one.
On his next bird-man dive he bounced. He had borrowed the suit.........
I understand fully how forums for BASE exchanging information would be very controversial- on one side exchange of information would be more available world wide and improve safety.
On the other could be so dangerous to those that think they do not have to work hard for all experience necessary -before trying BASE.

Smiles

eustress. : a positive form of stress having a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance, and emotional well-being.

[AggieDave 6]

Russell, you may already know what I'm about to say, but eitherway, here ya go.

1--I like the idea and will do it someday

2--Effect my feelings towards BASE, no, not really, I find it interesting to read

3--Seeing how I don't forsee me doing it anytime in the next couple years merely due to a lack of money for gear, then not really. Personally, I think if I was trained correctly I would be good to start in another 100 jumps (at 400-ish).

4--Would I be good to go with only the info on here or Blinc? Hell no. The internet is a great medium to discuss opinions, but it is not the end all and I sure as hell wouldn't bet my life on the information I learned purely off the 'net (as I would by wholy trustin info off of BASE boards).

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Zennie 0]

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1. What are you thoughts on base jumping?? (i.e. scares you to death, can't wait to do it, etc.)

My personal view of BASE is that it is another dimension of parachuting. And I very much enjoy parachuting.

The thrill factor is obviously appealing but I think the thing I really like about it is the intellectual exercise. I have learned far more about gear, flight dynamics (body & canopy) and wind effects in my short time studying BASE than I have skydiving.

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2. Does this forum affect your feeling toward you base jumping and why? (i.e. do you want to do it now from stuff you have read or not do it now)

Nope. I just see it as another source of information. Blinc is another.

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3. If you do want to jump, how many jumps (just a guess) do you think you will have when you will be ready to jump and has this forum affected that number? Has it cuased the number to be higher or lower and why?

I think this is a very legit issue. There's a growing trend for people to try more advanced things way too early in their skydiving careers. I didn't strap on a camera helmet until I had ~400 jumps. Did my first BASE jump at around 425 jumps and just moved to a 1.5-ish wingloading at around 450... and I've swooped my landings since about jump 150.

I personally think I have adequate skydiving experience with those numbers to take up BASE, but I honestly don't think a person with less than 200 jumps is really prepared.

But that's my personal opinion.

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4. Hypothetical- If you made a couple of jumps with a experienced jumper or attended a fjc, would you be comfortable continuing your jumping on your own, with just the information from here or Blinc?

Oh man, I'm gonna get reamed for saying this... but... yeah I think I could... particularly with the info off Blinc.

Would I last as long as someone who had a mentor to guide them through their first 50 jumps or so? No way. But could I? Well, in the early days many folks jumped solo because they didn't have anybody else to jump with, let alone mentor them. And there were no FJCs. And what's interesting is that this is by far the worst year for fatalities in BASE. The pioneers couldn't rely on high tech equipment to survive. They had to be creative and exercise good judgment. And it did a pretty good job of keeping them alive. Maybe not in one piece, but alive.

So do I plan on doing solos anytime soon? No. I still have way too much to learn. And quite frankly I enjoy jumping with my mentor.

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

[dragon2 0]

1. What are you thoughts on base jumping?? (i.e. scares you to death, can't wait to do it, etc.)

Scares me, maybe not to death but enough to NOT try it anytime soon. I have fun tagging along, making photo´s if I can, and that seems to lead a lot of people to believe I want to jump myself. NO WAY.

2. Does this forum affect your feeling toward you base jumping and why? (i.e. do you want to do it now from stuff you have read or not do it now)

Nope. Had decided for myself I don´t want to before this forum was created, this forum hasn´t changed my mind.

3. If you do want to jump, how many jumps (just a guess) do you think you will have when you will be ready to jump and has this forum affected that number? Has it cuased the number to be higher or lower and why?

I have just over 250 jumps now. I am definitely not ready. Have no idea when or if I ever will be. Or even if I want to. That has nothing to do with this forum.

4. Hypothetical- If you made a couple of jumps with a experienced jumper or attended a fjc, would you be comfortable continuing your jumping on your own, with just the information from here or Blinc?

I think I would stick to jumping with one (or more) of the experienced BASE guys I know, for a loooong time.



That said, I do enjoy reading this forum, like I enjoy reading about other skydive (-related) stuff. Some of my friends BASE, and I would rather trust their judgement then anything I read on the net. It´s just another source of information, but not my primary one.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[evilivan 0]

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Just Curious. This is mainly directed to you guys who have not jumped yet.

1. What are you thoughts on base jumping?? (i.e. scares you to death, can't wait to do it, etc.)

Scares me to death, but it is something that has been an "itch" for a while now. Depending on my state of mind, I can dismiss it as utter madness, and then other days the thought of doing an FJC is very exciting, sort of like looking forward to Christmas...

2. Does this forum affect your feeling toward you base jumping and why? (i.e. do you want to do it now from stuff you have read or not do it now)

I think by far the biggest advantage of this forum (and Blinc) is it gives those with limited contact to experienced (BASE) jumpers, access to loads of of v. useful information which would otherwise be difficult to get hold of. Equally important is the views on the sport from those heavily involved (Tom's comparisons to herion addiction are - my opinion - possibly a little strong, but certainly make me think even more carefully about whether this is something I want to involve myself in...). Over the past year or so my views have changed a lot as a result of reading posts on forums.

3. If you do want to jump, how many jumps (just a guess) do you think you will have when you will be ready to jump and has this forum affected that number? Has it cuased the number to be higher or lower and why?

I currently have approx 700 skydives, and on this criteria alone would be happy to take on BASE. (My opinion!) the number of skydives over 300 or 400 probably has less and less bearing - the useful aspect of jump numbers is the "training" that skydiving gives you early on with dealing in high stress/risk situations with a clear(ish) mind. I know, I know, no camparison on what is is high stress moment in skydiving and high stress moment in BASE jumping! But I do think skydiving has changed the way I assess what is important in a given situation, and I think this will be of value in BASE - no point worrying about the ground until you hit it, deal with the current issues. If you see what I mean...

4. Hypothetical- If you made a couple of jumps with a experienced jumper or attended a fjc, would you be comfortable continuing your jumping on your own, with just the information from here or Blinc?

No. I'm not even sure if I would/will want to continue after an FJC. That alone will probably make a lot of you experienced jumpers say "don't even try it". But I do want to know what it feels like to jump off a cliff and survive...

Apologies for the rant ;-)
BSCB

"If you can keep your head when all around you have lost theirs, then you probably haven't understood the seriousness of the situation."
David Brent

[evilivan 0]

What happened to all my careful formatting??
Bugger it.

"If you can keep your head when all around you have lost theirs, then you probably haven't understood the seriousness of the situation."
David Brent

[skydivegirl 0]

1. I'm probably going to get into it.

2. This forum doesn't affect my feeling towards BASE jumping but it has been helpful in finding new people to get opinions from... and is an interesting read.

3. I'm guessing 300+ skydives. I'm considering taking a fjc this summer. This forum hasn't really affected that number.

4. I'm sure I wouldn't feel comfortable jumping on my own right after the fjc and definitely not with just the info from here or blinc.

I think this forum is helpful but it definitely doesn't make or break my opinions of BASE. I have the same feelings about BASE that I did before I started reading this forum.

Pink Mafia Sis #26

[skreamer 1]

1. It both scares me, but yet it is something I just really want to try. I want to do it for me. If I do it and get scared off, then fine, but at least I tried.

2. This forum and Blinc just re-inforced for me the need for adequate preparation and that doing a FJC is just a really really good idea.

3. I have 360 skydives now, my personal milestone has always been 500 (and to do more CReW first). If anything this forum and Blinc generally all seem to promote more skydives first (especially the right kind of jumps)

4. If I decide after the FJC I want to continue jumping then I would definitely want to hook up with some experienced jumpers. If possible I'd want to do my first 50 or so jumps off more forgiving objects (highish A and S) before trying B and E. That is *if* I continue - I still have no idea how badly that first jump is going to scare the crap out of me, but I do get excited just thinking about it.

Will

PS thanks to all who approached me privately regarding my request for advice.

[Kirils 1]

This forum has lured me back to considering BASE. I jumped the WVa bridge in '86 and a 1200' TV tower a year ago. It scared the crap out if me. The injury and fatality references here also terrify me. On top of it all, I have a fear of heights (below ~600') If it wern't for this forum I'd never consider BASE again. My confidence is building because of the excellent equipment info here, and I have learned what an idiot I am and how ignorant I am about the sport. Hey, to this forum, I just might buy a rig soon for next summer and get some real training.

"Slow down! You are too young
to be moving that fast!"

Old Man Crawfish

[Faber 0]

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4. Hypothetical- If you made a couple of jumps with a experienced jumper or attended a fjc, would you be comfortable continuing your jumping on your own, with just the information from here or Blinc?

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Oh man, I'm gonna get reamed for saying this... but... yeah I think I could... particularly with the info off Blinc.

Would I last as long as someone who had a mentor to guide them through their first 50 jumps or so? No way. But could I? Well, in the early days many folks jumped solo because they didn't have anybody else to jump with, let alone mentor them. And there were no FJCs. And what's interesting is that this is by far the worst year for fatalities in BASE. The pioneers couldn't rely on high tech equipment to survive. They had to be creative and exercise good judgment. And it did a pretty good job of keeping them alive. Maybe not in one piece, but alive.

I did this(30 jumps now),i had 2 s/l whith my mentor,and then on my own(not at his good will),i did the next 28 solo off A`s.I did read at Blinc,and BR manual.I also phoned my mentor alto,but basikly i did my first hand held(opening the object near me),and first stowed at my own.It have been a pleasure to do,but if i should start over again...I WOULD BE WHIT EXPERICEND JUMPERS,even while the nearest live far away.

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So do I plan on doing solos anytime soon? No. I still have way too much to learn

The way to stay alive!!!!

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[Unutsch 0]

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Just Curious. This is mainly directed to you guys who have not jumped yet.

1. What are you thoughts on base jumping?? (i.e. scares you to death, can't wait to do it, etc.)

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i'll do it eventually, but right now, i have this mixed feeling, being scared to death at one time, and the other time i would go and jump with my tempo 120 sqft reserve from a 70m building...

2. Does this forum affect your feeling toward you base jumping and why? (i.e. do you want to do it now from stuff you have read or not do it now)
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it's nice to read about stuff i don't have a clue... KEEP ON POSTING!!!!

3. If you do want to jump, how many jumps (just a guess) do you think you will have when you will be ready to jump and has this forum affected that number? Has it cuased the number to be higher or lower and why?
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i guess somewhere between 1000 and 2000, and i never really thought about that

4. Hypothetical- If you made a couple of jumps with a experienced jumper or attended a fjc, would you be comfortable continuing your jumping on your own, with just the information from here or Blinc?
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hard to say.... i'd probably tend to go basejumping with someone more experienced, but if i would go with someone on the same level as me, than this would 100% be someone i really know and trust

Check out the site of the Fallen Angels FreeflY Organisation:
http://www.padliangeli.org

[JDBoston 0]

1. What are you thoughts on base jumping?? (i.e. scares you to death, can't wait to do it, etc.)

Intriguing but scares the hell out of me. It's almost like it scares me more the more I jump. I see myself get a little nervous trying something new skydiving - a bigger RW jump than I've done before, or whatever - and I think, this is nothing compared to trying something like BASE...

2. Does this forum affect your feeling toward you base jumping and why? (i.e. do you want to do it now from stuff you have read or not do it now)

Has made me slightly more interested but only because I feel like I understand the feelings & factors involved a little better now, and it's easier for me to be interested in something I feel I can grasp, even a little bit...

3. If you do want to jump, how many jumps (just a guess) do you think you will have when you will be ready to jump and has this forum affected that number? Has it cuased the number to be higher or lower and why?

500 absolute minimum and I'll probably keep putting it off even at that point. If anything the forum has caused that # to be a bit higher, since the feedback I've seen from experienced, probably-impartial BASE jumpers is a little different from the feedback from BASE equipment manufacturers, and seems more reliable...

4. Hypothetical- If you made a couple of jumps with a experienced jumper or attended a fjc, would you be comfortable continuing your jumping on your own, with just the information from here or Blinc?

No. That doesn't fit inside my tolerance for risk... I phrased it differently the first time but didn't want to seem like I was flaming anyone cause I wasn't.

[rainman 0]

1. What are you thoughts on base jumping??

I will never ever do a base jump myself. Suppose I'd manage to pull it off, my wife would happily strangle me if she found out!
BTW: I'm afraid of heights of > 2 mtr. when my feet are on 'terra firma'

2. Does this forum affect your feeling toward you base jumping and why?

If anything this forum has made me realize that I know way too little about it to even consider base-jumping. OTOH, reading this forum has given me a lot of respect for BASE-jumpers, while I used to think of them as mental cases. (I'm a BASE-whuffo )
3. If you do want to jump, how many jumps (just a guess) do you think you will have when you will be ready to jump and has this forum affected that number? Has it caused the number to be higher or lower and why?

If anything this number has gone up, say from 250 to maybe around 500.

4. Hypothetical- If you made a couple of jumps with a experienced jumper or attended a fjc, would you be comfortable continuing your jumping on your own, with just the information from here or Blinc?

I don't think I trust information from the Internet enough to bet my life on it!

Blue skies, beautiful 'Objects',

Rainman