Why do some choose not to wear a helmet on jumps??

[dride 0]

After looking over the "Favorite BASE pics" thread, I noticed more and more shots of people not wearing helmets on their jumps. I realize this is nothing new as some people have not worn the brain cap since day one.

Just wanted to get some input from those who don't wear a helmet. Do you want to look cool? Are you TO cool to wear one? To me (of course my opinion), it seems FUCKING STUPID!!!! I wear a shit load of body armor on 99% of my jumps. The exception comes when I'm climbing a 1500+ ft. A, or jumping in the "Valley", Norway, etc. where weight really matters on long hikes. However, I would NEVER leave the helmet behind. Other than a rig it's the most important peice of body armor I own.

I was on the full tour for the Malaysia jumps this year. A helmet and knee pads were REQUIRED for every jump. I thought that was great, to practice safety and make it a requirement.

Keep it safe ya'll.

[SkyDaemon 0]

Helmets, armor and safety gear are very personal choices. While you may have your opinions, others do as well, and their own choices regarding protective gear are theirs and theirs alone.

You've, obviously, made your own choice regarding this topic, and no one's asking you to change your mind. You may consider extending the same courtesy and respect to others, as your personal ancedotal example is limited in scope, relevance, and persuasiveness.

Events such as the those held in Malaysia are organized events where agreements have been made with the owners of the objects. An aspect of those agreements are that jumpers will follow certain rules and regulations, one of which is wearing protective gear.

However, the sport of BASE is not regulated, or really all that organized. Very few agreements are made with the owners of objects, and even then, very few rules or regulations have been imposed. The choice to stuff a piece of nylon and strings into a little container on your back (or to just hold it your hands, unpacked) and jump is a personal decision made by each jumper.

While you may be in favor of 'requiring' jumpers to wear protective gear, you have no authority to do it. There are many individuals, jumpers and non-jumpers alike, who post with strong opinions about how other jumpers should conduct themselves in (and sometimes out) of the sport. These desires to regulate the behavior of others tend to lead towards frustration and disappointment.

--

An argument that has been made against wearing protective gear (and please understand I'm not championing it, or defending it, merely presenting it) is that body armor can restrict body movement. For example shoulder pads on certain models of body armor can prevent a jumper from easily reaching their toggles or risers. Certain spine protectors can make achieving a good arch difficult. The added bulk of the armor can prevent the rig from fitting properly. Helmets can limit vision and the ability to see thing peripherally. At a romantic level, for some people BASE is about the minimal level of equipment required to achieve human flight, and that minimalism brings pleasure to them.

Again, I'm not championing the above, nor will I engage in arguing against any attacks against the above. If you wanted information, now you have some to consider. (if you want an argument, perhaps someone else will provide one. ;-))

-=Raistlin

find / -name jumpers -print; cat jumpers $USER > manifest; cd /dev/airplane; more altitude; make jump; cd /pub; more beer;

[Calvin19 0]

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To me (of course my opinion), it seems FUCKING STUPID!!!! I wear a shit load of body armor on 99% of my jumps. .

well, shit. I wear a helmet hang gliding and paragliding, and on most base jumps. at the potato, i only sometimes wear more tha flip flops. in moab, 99% wear a helmet, kneepads. but never more than that. low jumps ar kinda pointless to me,

you know What! YOUR FUCKING STUPID FOR CALLING ME FUCKING STUPID!

i cant wait to get banned for that joke.

just keep wearing your helmet homeslice and shut up.

[Lee846 0]

Well, it's a very personal thing. But it's actually doesn't matter -- you can wear it or you can skip. Protection is a psychological thing. It will protect you only from the little scraches.I can understand both protected and unprotected jumpers. I've made my first 100 jumps without any protection. And i felt free and happy. But then i choose to wear full protection -- helmet, knee and elbow pads, back pad. My reasons were:
-- i promise to some of my friends to remember about safety
-- i started to do acrobatics and that was scary and protection helped me to concentrate more on the trick i gonna perform and not to brake my concentration with the worries about shitty landing/trees/little stones and stuff. "I am full protected and i don't care about where and how to land. I am bombproof"
-- i started camera jumps and being full-protected i film better because i look like a "real camera man" from my dreams. Protection make me feel better and feed my spirit in camera jumps.

ok... another hundred of jumps

now i wear only helmet and knee pads. Because i don't wanna hurt my knees -- am a girl and i wear short dresses some time and hemathomas (?) looks nasty and i need my legs unhurt -- fast walking is a part of my job, i'm not an office worker.
And helmet -- because i still need my stupid head -- even if it's brainless. It's a very important part of my body -- i use it for eating and kissing. I will die if i'll be unable to eat and kiss. I have to protect it.
Edited to add: and i also wear my no-camera helmet because it's cool-looking. There are some cool stickers on it -- the picture of little ironic and evil creatures -- i love 'em they are my littlle friends. And i also do snowboarding wearing this helmet. And my camera helmet is cool too -- with the skulls on stickers
And, thanks god, my butt is big and soft -- i can land on it pretty cool without any additional protection.

Between two evils always pick theone never tried

[base736 0]

I'm with you on the full body armour and helmet business. The first time I wore body armour, it was from an "easy" object, and I was wearing it primarily because I'd bought the stuff months before and was feeling like a bit of a retard for never having done the jumps I bought it for. It saved me significant injury, I'm sure, on that first jump.

... Since then, I've worn it even on the "easy" stuff. I can say with complete confidence that without armour and a good helmet, I would not have survived my most recent jump from the Potato bridge, of all places.

In short, I wear armour, and I question the wisdom of not wearing it. That said, I've seen heads-up jumpers who jump without. BASE jumping has its fair share of retards. But it would be a mistake to assume, just because you and a buddy are jumping together and you're the only one wearing armour, that he's the retard.

[HydroGuy 0]

Even a relatively minor bump to the head can change who you are...forever.

Get in - Get off - Get away....repeat as neccessary

[Calvin19 0]

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Even a relatively minor bump to the head can change who you are...forever.

Hmmm.... 9.5 months ago i hit my head so hard, that ANY harder, i would be dead or vegi, and i dont feel ANY different right now than i did last year. Freinds and Family agree that i have not changed at all. I was wearing a helmet as well. a really nice helmet.

-SPACE-

[dploi 0]

Wear a what?

[dride 0]

By no means was I implying that a helmet should be required. And for damm sure I was not implying that BASE should be regulated in ANY way. If you know me, I'd be the last person to want that. Just wanted to hear some opinions of the regular dorkzone users.


Lastly, all you fuckers out there who choose not to wear at least a helmet good luck and don't burn in!







I'm stoked for 1st light tomorrow AM. YEH-HA!!!

[skreamer 1]

Good canopy control should be your first layer of armour to prevent landing injuries. If you don't have that the best pads and helmet can do is limit the damage, but it won't keep you safe.

[HydroGuy 0]

And if you weren't wearing a helmet, you'd be dead. Period.

I know several people who have suyrvived closed head wounds. Somw are fine. Some get headaches with loud noises or bright light.

I know a dude who did a back flip at his senior prom like 7 years ago but screwed up and hit his head. After he woke up from his coma, he couldn't talk for 3 weeks. He still can't smell or taste...7 years later. Other than that, he has no ill effects.

It's different every time.

Get in - Get off - Get away....repeat as neccessary

[AdamLanes 1]

I always smile when I see jumpers wearing kneepads but no helmets.

[Calvin19 0]

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And if you weren't wearing a helmet, you'd be dead. Period.

.

yeah. I know. sigh, sometimes i wish... nevermind. other injuries from that day will haunt me forever.

Edit to add-
I spent 3 months in a brain injury hospital. I saw other guys that were not wearing helmets. it haunts me still. helmets are good.

-SPACE-

[Mac 1]

....not only helmets, but foot wear too.........

It makes me cringe to see people jump in their "safety Vans"....

It only takes one bad landing to give you degenerative arthritis and swollen pain for the rest of your walking days...

Long live helmets and hanwags...

[Calvin19 0]

[reply
Long live helmets and hanwags...

[Mac 1]

PM'd

Cant be arsed to talk about injuries on a public forum

Edit: Dont waste your time to bother to respond to my PM as I wont waste my time responding.... just read the other posts you have made and to be honest, I cant be arsed to talk to you.

[KevinMcGuire 0]

I am bombproof"

Humm..... Thats odd. I thought I was

[Calvin19 0]

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PM'd

Cant be arsed to talk about injuries on a public forum

Edit: Dont waste your time to bother to respond to my PM as I wont waste my time responding.... just read the other posts you have made and to be honest, I cant be arsed to talk to you.

replied beforei saw this. no worries mate.

-SPACE-

[brabzzz 0]

Only one jump without a helmet as i'd forgotten it -and the choice between a 30s jump or a 3 hour hike back was pretty clear...

Seems f*cking stupid not to wear one if at all possible, both for skydiving and base.

---------------------------------------
Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club
www.skydivebristoluni.com

[Calvin19 0]

Quote

I am bombproof"

Humm..... Thats odd. I thought I was

Im a vampire. I thought i was invincible. i guess not. well, stake, garlic, etc. gravity as well. damn

-SPACE-

[elduderino 0]

come on.....
its a question of personal choice, thats all....
some people ride a motorcycle without a helmet, jeans and t-shirt...others look like a starshiptrooper.
others never get laid without a condom
so whats the problem?
sure,....bodyprotection is a good idea...
but its a free world,...shoud be...

you know what is fucking stupid?
it makes no sense to make some jumps with and some without armor because :

oh,...its a long climb,so i leave it on the ground.
puh,...its so hot ,this time it will work without.

thats stupid.....you wear it everytime because on every jump it can be usefull....thats an attitude...
get real....

[base283 0]

Forgive me for I have sinned. But thanks for reminding me of my infidelity to the sport. I am pro Battle gear. But…… (pause while base283 breaks open excuse book)
My last helmet crapped out linerwise. I bought a new one in Panama for a building jump there and it is total crap. It is a tracking brake. Its profile is designed for “riding a bicycle” airflow. Not “tracking” airflow” which equates to a 90 deg offset. I can’t track as far. It actually helps me maintain a less than optimal head down crap track whilst braking my fwd speed cutting my distance from opening point to object. So the very thing that I should use to prevent head injury may create the situation where I need it. So what shall I do?

All Helmets on the market except for speed skiing I think, are not very aerodynamic for tracking or wingsuiting. The airflow in these modes are perpendicular to riding a bike, paragliding, or skatesports. I have limited my crap helmet for low jumps because it craps out my tracking. I am looking for a good tracking helmet though and it’s hard to find something better than no helmet.
Let me know if you know of any.

I was recommended “Factory Diver”. What are yalls opinion on this? Shall I just say fuckit and build my own line of helmets?
Let me know because I feel like crap for not wearing a helmet on any jumps.
Thanks in advance,
space

[vesatoro 0]

I'm a Factory Diver addict FD has saved my life once, no chance I'll make a single jump without.

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

[amibovered 0]

Quote

Quote

Even a relatively minor bump to the head can change who you are...forever.

Hmmm.... 9.5 months ago i hit my head so hard, that ANY harder, i would be dead or vegi, and i dont feel ANY different right now than i did last year. Freinds and Family agree that i have not changed at all. I was wearing a helmet as well. a really nice helmet
________________________________________________

Do you think your freinds and familly would tell you if they thought you had changed into a bit of a prat.

If theirs a hell bellow,
We're all gonna go.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

I've worn a helmet on virtually every legal jump I have made and often left the helmet at home on the less-than legal jumps (not that I've made that many less than legal jumps). Why? Well I always want to side on the side of safety when it comes to jumping. But wearing a helmet does raise some suspicion on those less than legal jumps. Kind of like "excuse me sir, why are you wearing a helmet in my hotel staircase and what's in that funny looking backpack of yours?".

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over