What does 'Peel' stand for in (some) EP's ?

[rhopstr 0]

Hi there,

I've been reading some articles that discuss Emergency Procedures and I've come across a step that I'm not familiar with: the Peel. Worrisome to say the least.

I'd like to ask if someone would be nice enough to explain what the Peel step is all about.

The EP I was taught:
- check altitude
- if below 1000ft: add reserve by pulling left handle
- if above 1000ft: perform full EP:

- look at right handle
- grab right handle
- look at left handle
- grab left handle
- arch
- pull / punch right handle
- pull / punch left handle

For those who'd like to point out that info gotten online is to be treated with trepidation: Of course, and especially since this is about something as fundamentally important as EP's, I'll re-check any info gotten online at my old instructor at my DZ.

Thanks!


p.s.
Yes, I've searched around for an answer on this forum before asking.

[obelixtim 102]

I'm assuming it is in the context of peeling the cutaway handle from the velcro holding it in position, then punching to effect the cutaway...

The velcro holds the handle in posion quite tightly, especially when new, and just trying to punch before peeling can result in a very hard pull. Try it.....

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[Hellis 0]

Somtimes velcro can be hard to just pull off.
Peel means that you should release the velcro before trying to pull the handle.

When you grab the cutaway handle you should make the same movement as when you are drinking from glass or any other aluminium can.
The idea is to move your pinky finger up/out, this means you are geting the least resistant from the velcro as you are peeling it little my little instead of all of it at once

[rhopstr 0]

Thanks for that. I was taught to insert my thumb in the left handle like you described but not the peeling-first part.

Does seem to me that when you're pretty low you might just want to decide to pull without bothering to loosen the velcro first.

Then again, as I'm not familiar with how you would actually perform this peeling the velcro loose I might be thinking of it as a bigger job than it actually is.

Will try a cutaway sequence before season starts again from a hanging rig so that at least the pull force required can be reproduced.. read about that somewhere here earlier and sounds like sound training.

[Hellis 0]

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Does seem to me that when you're pretty low you might just want to decide to pull without bothering to loosen the velcro first.

Then again, as I'm not familiar with how you would actually perform this peeling the velcro loose I might be thinking of it as a bigger job than it actually is.


But if you are low, you have already messed up once, why not "take your time" and not mess up again?
Its not supposed to take several seconds to peel the velcro, you can do it in one second or as you pull in one movement.
But the important thing is that you do it correct and not punch out in a straight line, because that can be very tough.

***
Will try a cutaway sequence before season starts again from a hanging rig so that at least the pull force required can be reproduced..

No, ask your rigger if you can visit him/her while packing a reserve and do it on a real rig instead.
The hanging harness has probably been used a few hundred times and the velcro is nowhere near as strong as the ones you have on a normal rig.

When the rigger repacks the reserves he/she must pull out both main and reserve canopy, the handles must be pulled, and its better that you learn to pull them than the rigger.

The very last option is as you said the hanging harness.
But unless the velcro has recently been replaced its not going to teach you what force is needed.

[pchapman 262]

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Thanks for that. I was taught to insert my thumb in the left handle like you described but not the peeling-first part.

Does seem to me that when you're pretty low you might just want to decide to pull without bothering to loosen the velcro first.

The peeling only applies to pillow style handles where there's velcro on the handle -- the cutaway handle, or a pillow reserve handle.

For a metal D-ring reserve handle, there's no twisting or peeling involved. That just gets pulled. Well, more of a push really - pick some appropriate direction out from the harness and down away from the cable housing.

The peeling idea is that it is much easier to separate velcro a bit at a time rather than all at once. Velcro in shear alone is quite strong.

Although peeling and punching out are two distinct stages, one should be able to do it pretty much in one continuous motion. (Not a separate "loosen the velcro first" stage.)

Hope that helps.

[Muffie 0]

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Does seem to me that when you're pretty low you might just want to decide to pull without bothering to loosen the velcro first.

Someone else please jump in and correct me (low jump numbers here), but my understanding from my AFFI was that if you pull straight down on a pillow handle you are not going to be able to pull the handle. Period. So, if you're low and you decide to skip the peel step, you're screwed. I have not had to go to reserve yet, but that's how it was explained to me. It may be possible it would pull if you just pull down if the elastic is more worn, etc, but I wouldn't want to test it at that moment. So, peel up and then pull out on any pillow handle.

Again, anyone feel free to jump in if I got that wrong.

[djmarvin 2]

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...my understanding from my AFFI was that if you pull straight down on a pillow handle you are not going to be able to pull the handle. Period. So, if you're low and you decide to skip the peel step, you're screwed. .....

The period part is not true. It is true that pulling a velcroed handle is much more difficult, however it is possible to pull the handle without peeling it. I have witnessed more than incident where the jumper was not able to pull the handle (in both cases the jumper was ok and on the ground found how easy it was to pull their handles when peeling first).

I recommend everyone pulls their handles when they have their reserves repacked. Try pulling it straight down without peeling and then try peeling it first and see the difference.

DJ Marvin
AFF I/E, Coach/E, USPA/UPT Tandem I/E
http://www.theratingscenter.com

[airtwardo 6]

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Does seem to me that when you're pretty low you might just want to decide to pull without bothering to loosen the Velcro first.

Someone else please jump in and correct me (low jump numbers here), but my understanding from my AFFI was that if you pull straight down on a pillow handle you are not going to be able to pull the handle. Period. So, if you're low and you decide to skip the peel step, you're screwed. I have not had to go to reserve yet, but that's how it was explained to me. It may be possible it would pull if you just pull down if the elastic is more worn, etc, but I wouldn't want to test it at that moment. So, peel up and then pull out on any pillow handle.

Again, anyone feel free to jump in if I got that wrong.

Pulling straight 'down' is difficult, I wouldn't say impossible but it is significantly harder to do.

As pointed out above, it's best to get the muscle memory movement ingrained with the 'easiest' way which is to firmly grasp the pillow, rotate your hand at the wrist upward ( like drinking from a can) and punch out and away.

Practice the move over and over until it becomes 2nd nature and when you need it you won't even think about the 'right' way...you will just do it.

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

[Andy9o8 0]

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What does 'Peel' stand for?

Sometimes THIS.

[Bertt 0]

You're really dating yourself if you know who she is. I mean, look at the picture - black and white - goes all the back to before color TV.

Note to whoever: Pulling the cutaway on a training rig that gets used a lot is much easier than on a new rig that hasn't had the cutaway pulled very often. To get a true idea how hard it is to pull a cutaway pillow straight out, try it on a new rig.

You don't have to outrun the bear.

[Andy9o8 0]

http://benfranklinfollies.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/emma-peel.jpg

[Opendore 0]

Something to keep in mind.
The student rigs that I have jumped only had one handle (SOS or Single Operating System). It was a red velcro soft handle over the heart (it basically looks like a toggle). I would most likely have to peel it to punch it. It would be very difficult to punch it down without peeling it away. As it sits on roughly a 1 X 4.5 inch rectangular surface.

Take Care

I don't have a license for this.

[Dazzle 0]

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Will try a cutaway sequence before season starts again from a hanging rig so that at least the pull force required can be reproduced..

No, ask your rigger if you can visit him/her while packing a reserve and do it on a real rig instead.
The hanging harness has probably been used a few hundred times and the velcro is nowhere near as strong as the ones you have on a normal rig.

If you just want to peel / pull the cutaway you can just do that the next time you are at the DZ, no repack required, then you can get the feel of how easy / hard the cutaway on your gear is.

Get an instructor / rigger / experienced jumper to check you over while doing it so stop anything silly from happening

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[JohnMitchell 14]

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Thanks for that. I was taught to insert my thumb in the left handle like you described but not the peeling-first part.

I'm glad to see they taught you how to grasp the reserve handle correctly. When you pull any handle, the best direction to pull is in the direction the cable housings run.
That will give you the least amount of resistance. So, for most rigs, PUNCH the cutaway handle downwards, PUNCH the reserve handle downwards, and ARCH the whole time.

As for peeling the velcro, practice pulling the handle on the ground. I've had about a dozen cutaways, and have never felt the resistance of the velcro even once. I guess I'm a little stoked when I chop.

[DocPop 1]

Careful if you say "peel" in South Africa. It means something different!

"The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls."

~ CanuckInUSA

[MikeJD 0]

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I have witnessed more than incident where the jumper was not able to pull the handle (in both cases the jumper was ok and on the ground found how easy it was to pull their handles when peeling first).

Same here. Had a friend who tried to cut away from severe line twists, and found she was unable to pull her pad. Eventually, while she was still trying (and scaring herself half to death) the twists cleared themselves and she was able to land her main.

I don't believe this was a case of trapped/ twisted cutaway cables since when she landed her pad was still mated to the velcro, and she found that she had to peel it before she could pull it. It was a brand new rig, so the velcro had hardly ever been separated.

My EPs include a 'peel' step, but it's really all part of the same motion - i.e. my cutaway pull begins with a twist of the hand to break the 'seal'.