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boomslang

I have to second guess this serious advice, but again, I'm not sure... I would really like some input. Thank you.

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I've seen someone write how by the time he thought, "I'm low, go for reserve!", his right hand had already dumped the main.

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To address that~

How many people actually practice pulling handles?

I do to an extent, 100 times a week before I jump...sounds excessive but it's a habit I got into when I started, muscle memory was something I got into through Karate training.

I put my hands out as if in free-fall then go through various scenarios in my head...some require a cutaway some don't. The point is I have my hands on the handles 100 times before jumping...it takes less that 10 minutes.

I also somewhat imprinted in my mind that I worship the big silver handle on my left, as my aw shit salvation.

When things go south that's my FIRST reaction, go for silver...I got hit pretty hard in free-fall once, it hurt like Hell & flipped me over on my back, as I took the 1/2 second to sort out what happened I noticed my thumb was already in the D-ring.

You DO what you train for.



I have a lot of respect for that. Reminds me a lot about training in judo & kali. You really do go back to the basics that you know.

I really do have to go. Thank you for the input. Maybe we will cross paths one day. I bet you could teach me more in a day than I would learn in 3 months.
Cats land on their feet. Toast lands jellyside down. A cat glued to some jelly toast will hover in quantum indecision.

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Yeah, I get it. (just *seemed* like you were focused on looking for a correction to one problem by trying to perfect that "perfect save" maneuver). Actually, I do find myself doing a similar thing: looking at YouTube videos of actual situations to get a sense of what they look like, and to then think about what the ideal response should be. I know a video of, say, a spinning mal is no substitute for the real thing, but at least the visual of what they experienced is better than just a verbal account, and perhaps will help me make the best decision if/when it happens to me.

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A few thoughts:

1) It is VERY difficult to train yourself to open your reserve when you are too low. Even if you are very conscientious, and do actual reserve touches in freefall frequently, you will have far more actual experience deploying your main to stop your freefall.

Compare it to driving. Imagine if someone installed an "emergency stop" button that stopped you much faster than any brakes could - but required you to not touch the brakes. Imagine how hard it would be to train yourself to NOT touch the brakes and instead take one hand off the wheel and hit a button you ordinarily don't touch when presented with an imminent collision. Would you be willing to put in the training to not hit the brakes? Would you WANT to train that impulse out of yourself?

Real world example. We once did a 4-way (became sort of infamous) where we planned to exit low due to clouds. We talked about what would happen if we got too low. "I'd pull my reserve," said one guy, who then pantomined pulling his reserve. He was an S+TA and very current AFF instructor with around 1000 jumps.

We jumped, we got too low, he opened his main, his AAD fired. Everyone landed safely (fortunately.)

So that's an example of a current S+TA/AFF-I who a) regularly trained other people on emergency procedures, b) knew he might be low, c) actually practiced pulling his reserve before the jump - and he still couldn't break the habit of opening his main.

2) The primary reason to not open your main on a rig with an AAD at 1500 feet (assuming a non-snively main) is to avoid an AAD misfire. These are problematic but are not all that deadly; we know have a lot of experience with them and they do not ordinarly become big problems.

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A few thoughts:

1) It is VERY difficult to train yourself to open your reserve when you are too low. Even if you are very conscientious, and do actual reserve touches in freefall frequently, you will have far more actual experience deploying your main to stop your freefall.

Compare it to driving. Imagine if someone installed an "emergency stop" button that stopped you much faster than any brakes could - but required you to not touch the brakes. Imagine how hard it would be to train yourself to NOT touch the brakes and instead take one hand off the wheel and hit a button you ordinarily don't touch when presented with an imminent collision. Would you be willing to put in the training to not hit the brakes? Would you WANT to train that impulse out of yourself?

Real world example. We once did a 4-way (became sort of infamous) where we planned to exit low due to clouds. We talked about what would happen if we got too low. "I'd pull my reserve," said one guy, who then pantomined pulling his reserve. He was an S+TA and very current AFF instructor with around 1000 jumps.

We jumped, we got too low, he opened his main, his AAD fired. Everyone landed safely (fortunately.)

So that's an example of a current S+TA/AFF-I who a) regularly trained other people on emergency procedures, b) knew he might be low, c) actually practiced pulling his reserve before the jump - and he still couldn't break the habit of opening his main.

2) The primary reason to not open your main on a rig with an AAD at 1500 feet (assuming a non-snively main) is to avoid an AAD misfire. These are problematic but are not all that deadly; we know have a lot of experience with them and they do not ordinarly become big problems.



Yea, the end there was the basis for my argument, the fact that most everyone that has been in that situation, or a very similar one, and has actually gone for their main because of instinctive reaction, and I was wondering if training to go for the reserve was the right thing to do if it never works (I do not know if it has worked before, so please go easy on me if I have not found a thread/story/video/post where it has worked).
Cats land on their feet. Toast lands jellyside down. A cat glued to some jelly toast will hover in quantum indecision.

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You come on the internet and ask a question and get pissed because you don’t like the answer.
Ain’t life a bitch?

Sparky



No Sparky, I was pissed that the original question got that sidetracked so quickly into the thread, and that assumptions were made that are very false. Some of the posts in this thread were pretty good and some were helpful.
Cats land on their feet. Toast lands jellyside down. A cat glued to some jelly toast will hover in quantum indecision.

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Sorry to belabor the question, but ... I train to pull my reserve if I hear my dirt alert screaming at 1500 feet and I have not initiated main deployment. I may well revert and deploy my main. As long as I don't hesitate and take action.

I have a different response to watching that video. There were lots of alarming things in the backround. High mountains, high mountains above the jumpers. Lots of other jumpers deploying. How about checking the ground, deciding the spot was bad and you better take action. Seems like the more relevant corrective action.

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Related question: If muscle memory is the reason that most people who find themselves in an unintentional low pull situation go straight for their main, would newbies (who have less muscle memory of going for their main and might tend to "think through" their EPs somewhat rather than instinctually reacting) be more likely to go for their reserve? Or is this unlikely to make a difference?

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I wonder how many people who have been low have actually dumped their reserve...



I only know of one case, someone training for AFF-I and pulled the reserv when low. Turned out to be correct, because the CYPRES2 had fired after pulling (probably because of change in body position, the reserv ride wasn't that short).

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I wonder how many people who have been low have actually dumped their reserve...



I only know of one case, someone training for AFF-I and pulled the reserve when low. Turned out to be correct, because the CYPRES2 had fired after pulling (probably because of change in body position, the reserve ride wasn't that short).


& For those that use a packer...

who's hands do you want to put your 'last' chance in...the person who is licensed and took an hour to pack your reserve, or the guy with the hangover, doing 10 pack jobs and hour? :ph34r:










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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