How many skydives had you made when you made your first BASE jump?

[TomAiello 25]

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[Luke 0]

I'd have been interested to know if any people waited until they had two or three thousand skydives.

I've seen someone start with three and I swear they had a distinct advantage over someone with a thousand. Freefall (or gymnastic ability), reacting under pressure when stuff went wrong and of course canopy control.

Obviously they could just have been seriously switched on and talented, but I reckoned that the additional parachuting experience was the significant factor.

I know a certain gentleman that started with around 18000 skydives and he's particularly good at dealing with shit. Where d'ya draw the line?

[NickDG 23]

My first BASE jump is parachute jump 561.

Nick BASE 194

[clint 1]

I swore I would never BASE jump, but then I went to work at SNE and Mike Carpenter and the Spiders from Mars took me to BD in '98.
I did 2 then and it took me another year to really start BASE jumping. I had over 1200 jumps at the time.

We will soon be starting a BASE specific program at our dz that will take you a mimimum of 50 jumps to complete!
All the info in those 50 jumps will be BASE orientated so that by the time you finish the program you will be ready to make your 1st BASE jump in Idaho.

This program will be geared toward the individual who doesn't necessarily want to continue as a skydiver. Learning canopy skills will be the most targeted objective, with the majority of jumps being completed on BASE specific canopies. For non-skydivers or beginners who are really jonesing to start BASE jumping, this program will be faster and more cost effective. Of course, more experience has never hurt anyone either.

Send me a message for more info!

Clint

[hookitt 0]

My first was some where around 1800. I made only 6 jumps over the course of several years then at around 4300 jumps, I started jumping for real.

More Parachute rides, seeing all the good and all the bad in skydiving, has certainly helped make me a patient BASE jumper.

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

[FLsurfer 0]

I did my first one at 174 skydives. When I started skydiving, I never thought I would even do 1 base jump. On the day I completed my AFF, my instructor saw my surfboard in my truck and asked all the typical q's like biggest wave ridden? I tell him all about a trip to Puerto Escondido, Mexico where I swear my sack was shriveled in fear the whole time there. Those triple overhead waves were some beautiful beasts! Then he takes me into his office and shows me his base vids. I immediately ask "I know jump #'s vary by person, but when can I seriously think about getting into BASE?" He tells me to ask again when I have 200. Over the next year and a half I ground crew a few times but never get to see anyone jump due to winds. One day he comes up and asks if I'm ready to do it and we head off for my 1st. Do 2 & 3 two nights later and 4 & 5 a week later. A week after that I ordered my own gear.

In hindsight, I feel 174 jumps is too early to start base. I was lucky that my mentor did half off my AFF and that we became good friends. While driving, we spent many hours talkin' 'bout all kinds of scenarios in various activites (motorcyles, skydiving, surfing, etc...) which I think made him aware of my thought process and led him to believe I was ready for base. And of course since I jumped at the dz where he worked, he was very aware of my canopy control and progression.


Edited to add that first jump was an A, 800', 3 sec delay, stowed with a MoJo 260 in a Wizard. Very beginner friendly object with usually very little ground winds and wide open lz.

Also, the first 5 jumps were not my pack jobs. While waiting for my gear to arrive, I practiced packing on the above mentioned gear every night.

I know others disagree about 2 pin containers for beginners but I love mine. I went with a new Warlock and a MoJo 240.

Problems just be opportunities in der workin' clothes.

[vid666 0]

83 skydives in 3 years of skydiving. 3 jumps at BD '03 ... I did bungee and balloon jumps and was able to fall solid flat and stable - BD felt good as well. I was jumping a Sabre 210 all this time, so a big BASE canopy was not uncomfortable to handle ( Dagger 244 ). I do though have to agree that BD is super forgiving, just the that fact took a lot of tension away during the first jump.

[pullhigh 0]

I had about 1500 skydives and about 7 years in the sport of skydiving. I had been interested in BASE since I had started skydiving. I even went to Bridge Day as a whuffo just to watch when I was still on AFF. It was later that I really got the bug, just around 500 skydives, but then I lost a friend due to a BASE accident, and that kind of put the fire out for a bit. The thought of BASE had always lingered in the back of my mind, but until some other local friends started talking about it beofre Bridge Day this past year, I hadn't acted on the thoughts. I'm a married guy with two young kids, and needed a way to justify the risks involved. My wife has come to terms with my obsession, and while she isn;t excited about it, she deals with it. The kids, just think it's normal. Doesn't eveyone's dad run out and sneak around in the middle of the night with a parachute n his back? Anyway, I made my first two jumps at Bridge Day last year, and made two more in the 6-8 weeks that followed. As soon as the weather starts warming back up, I plan on making some more jumps. I now have a B, and A, and 2 S's. This spring, I'll get some more jumps in, mostly A's most likely with a random B or S thrown in, but at some point this spring, I'll travel somewhere to get my E.

Ganja "BAS_ for now" Rodriguez

PS My B and my A were PCA's so according to some posts I've read here, that might not really count... lol

[Kinaa 0]

I had 199 skydives when I did my first base jump.

[BASE813 0]

500 skydives
100 CRW and Accuracy training jumps

.......... I wish i did more CRW and accuarcy before hand............


5 second canopy rides aint the best learning environment!

[Faber 0]

Quote

83 skydives in 3 years of skydiving. 3 jumps at BD '03 ...

? sorry mate its not about you,its about BD,i think that is WRONG...(unless you lied about jump # to the orginizers...)
I thourght the genneral jump # were 200ish to get started at a FJC..enough of that,its just my oppinion..

i started at nearly 500skydives,whish i had played more whith big canopies instead of having fun swooping..

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[base428 1]

Actually, most FJC's recommend between 100-150 skydives. Bridge Day had no minimum rule until last year, when a 50 jump minimum was established by me.

Bridge Day is different than any other FJC or BASE event. It has a long history that doesn't always fit into the standard BASE mold.

Quote

its about BD,i think that is WRONG...(unless you lied about jump # to the orginizers...)

(c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted. <==For the media only

[Faber 0]

Jason as said its my personaly oppinion,i think you make a great job out thereBut personaly as you know i dont like the idea of a FJC whith 200000 people watching the students..I think its a wrong pressure to give(already discused as i never have been there YET,i might change my mind as i get there).

Keep up the good work,the reason im saying this is that im worryed that IF anything went wrong people might would start complaining,you know what i mean.And i really wouldnt like that to happen to an event as BD,which in my oppinion else is a great event i hope to get to

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[Treejumps 0]

Just looked through the old logbook and my first BASE was jump 331 on 9/26/98. Soloed an "S" with borrowed gear I had never eveen seen unpacked. That Fury 220 sure stung the bottom of my feet.

[jonstark 8]

That Fury 220 sure stung the bottom of my feet.

[460 0]

39 skydives when I did my first BASE jump off a 600' cliff. Pretty frightening!

Looks like a death sandwich without the bread - Steve Deadman Morrell, BASE 174

[base570 1]

I had about 800 skydives before I made a BASE jump. 300 of them being on a big 7 cell pegasus. I really think that people who start BASE jumping with only a few hundred skydives, and most of them on a fast 9 cell, are just an accident waiting to happen. It looks like "Being COOL" has taken precedence over "being safe" and gaining as much experience as possible to save your ass when the time comes.

For me, I care way too much about myself and my personal safety to go into such a dangerous sport unprepared... Shame on those who don't! Plan on becoming an OLD BASE jumper not just a jumper.

Peace,
Jason
BASE 570

[Treejumps 0]

You recall wrong. All Furys were 220' feet. Read Poynters. But the extra 20' did not help that landing. Ouch. Good thing the local kayakers had a beer in my hand in 30 seconds.

Cya.

[Skydawg 0]

2 x PCA's off a S in RSA for parachute jumps 97 and 98. Then I had a long layoff for over 5 years, and started again with a solo go n' throw off the mountain in Cape Town RSA for jump # 567.

[vesatoro 0]

1500+ with some hot air balloons, helicopter jumps packing training, about 2 years of digging information etc. then we drove to Southern Europe to a 400ft bridge with our mentor. There was a guy who had 3000+ skydives doing also his 1st...

"Fear is the path to the Dark side"
(Master Yoda)

[rfarris 1]

I started BASE jumping after about 150 or so skydives.

I guess I was always inclined to BASE jump since most people at the DZ would probably agree my skydiving was scary, my instructor said I was untalented. My therapist said I was probably just being insecure. I agree with them.

I go jump now.

edit; spelling

[POLKEN_82 0]

I have 240+/- skydive , main for Accuracy , and some CRW, RW. I looking for BASE in Croatia .

[peterk 0]

I had just about 500 skydives when I did my first two jumps in ID, a year ago. Went home, and thought about my life and how much I like it, and thought about BASE, and how dangerous it is. Took 8 months of thinking and making excuses, and then got back into it. I've done about 65 since September, can't imagine doing anything else.

I don't know how much skydiving did for me, the canopies are COMPLETELY different, and I don't get to freefly in BASE. However, I did get more relaxed and comfortable after a couple hundred, versus the first couple.

"If I knew then what I know now", I would have jumped a Spectre, maybe a big one, maybe just a BASE canopy. I would have made it a point to land in the peas every time. I would have taken advantage of the incredible CRW oppertunities that I had, and never took, to practice for what I really wanted. I would have saved money from normal loads, and got on every balloon load, and more heli loads.

I'm glad I got into it when I did, it worked for me, and as I've learned, BASE is about the most personal thing that I've experienced...

---------------
Peter
BASE - The Ultimate Victimless Crime