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Hayden

hard openings

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Are hard openings dangerous in tandem? Are they the norm rather than the exception?

My last tandem felt rather harsh, but I suppose that's because I didn't know when it was coming and thus couldn't do anything to prepare for it.

I wonder if the combined weight (probably ~400 lbs, each of us weighing about 200lbs each) and with both of us being about 6' tall...is that of any particular significance? Should I be jumping with someone smaller or does it matter?

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In my little book, if you can go on with your life as normal as before is not a hard opening. I had one opening that made me sleep in pain and walk funny for 2 days.



Heh. :P

No, I was walking just fine. Tender under the arms and across the chest area the next day, but nothing advil didn't cure.

I just want to make sure "passengers" don't sometimes come unattached 'cause of the jarring ;)

...or that it doesn't impact on the main canopy opening. If it does, I'm curious about the science/physics behind how it positively or negatively impacts on the main unfolding.

Better yet, are there tricks to soften the deceleration against the harness?

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Are hard openings dangerous in tandem?




They certainly can be!

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Are they the norm rather than the exception?



If you jump shit gear they can be if you jump good gear they are rare...


Any parachute can open fast/hard, but most these days are pretty good.

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In my little book, if you can go on with your life as normal as before is not a hard opening. I had one opening that made me sleep in pain and walk funny for 2 days.



......................................................................

Correction: a hard opening makes you sleep in pain and not walk straight for two weeks.
The last time I opened a tandem reserves - at tandem terminal - it took tow weeks and a massage therapist to straighten out my neck!

For the original poster: reserve open much faster/harder than main parachutes and tandem reserves open especially hard because of faster speeds.

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I video'd a tandem years ago that opened so fast that all I could think of was OMG they are hurt....


granted it was back in the day and it was on a vector rig with the old huge F-111 canopy's - when the drogue release was pulled they normally had a huge trap door effect to a big snivel, but not on this day, the canopy was fully deployed before thier bodies were vertical.

the TI had a visit to the ER, missed three weeks of work and many visits to the chiropractor - the student was fine somehow.

Both the TI and the student were in good physical shape.

On the modern icarus and set canopy's I have seen a few slammers that ended the TI's jumping for the day or to grab the ibuprofen and take a break for a while.

any parachute can have a dangerously hard opening, its just a chance you take.

Roy
They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

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Yes, hard openings are dangerous, but fortunately they are rare on modern tandem canopies.
.


What causes hard openings?
Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

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Yes, hard openings are dangerous, but fortunately they are rare on modern tandem canopies.
.


What causes hard openings?



Bad packing
Bad body position at deployment
Poor gear maintenance
The sheer randomness of tossing a large volume of fabric and lines into the air at 120 MPH.

(there may be other tandem-specific reasons as well)
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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Are hard openings dangerous in tandem?




They certainly can be!

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Are they the norm rather than the exception?



What exactly is dangerous about opening hard? Is it just the risk of physical injury? Is there also a risk that passenger becomes detached from the TI, etc?

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What causes hard openings?



To add to the "bad packing" (among other things) answer above, one thing re: packing that can very easily cause a hard opening is inadvertently losing control of the slider so it's no longer tight against the stops. So be sure to keep that slider against the stops. Making sure the slider is quartered helps, too (IMO) for that helps inflate the slider so the relative wind keeps it up against the stops as long as possible while the canopy inflates.

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Are hard openings dangerous in tandem?




They certainly can be!

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Are they the norm rather than the exception?



What exactly is dangerous about opening hard? Is it just the risk of physical injury? Is there also a risk that passenger becomes detached from the TI, etc?



The 2 dangers are physical injury and canopy damage.
You will not detach from the TI due to a hard opening (or if you do it won't matter anymore).

The breaking force of 2 of the attachment points (there are 4 used) is high enough that an opening hard enough to break them has enough force that you would be dead. The upper connectors have a 5000# breaking strength and the lowers have a 2500# breaking strength. The webbing has a 6000# breaking strength.

You will not break loose.
"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

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What exactly is dangerous about opening hard? Is it just the risk of physical injury? Is there also a risk that passenger becomes detached from the TI, etc?



One of my instructors had a low cutaway, so he pulled his reserve on his side, and it broke his neck. He walked away from it, but if you just think about your body being jerked around... it can definately be dangerous.

Logic says a tandem would compound the risk...

I'm sure the passenger doesn't have a whole lot of risk of detaching if the gear is properly connected and well maintained.
...And I'm not gonna not get Randy Jackson's autograph...
Did we just become best friends?

D.S. #1000000

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Bad body position at deployment



Can you expand on this? I can see how body position can give you off heading openings, but not how it affects the speed with which a canopy opens.

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

~ CanuckInUSA

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Bad body position at deployment



Can you expand on this? I can see how body position can give you off heading openings, but not how it affects the speed with which a canopy opens.

Thanks!



One example that I've experienced when I was a brand-new jumper (living proof that even a moderately loaded Spectre can spank you) is being head low on deployment. The resulting "pendulum" as your body swings back up can be somewhat more violent than a stable opening. It wasn't "break bones" violent, but I wound up with a good riser smack and was seeing stars for a couple of seconds.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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Bad body position at deployment



Can you expand on this? I can see how body position can give you off heading openings, but not how it affects the speed with which a canopy opens.

Thanks!



One example that I've experienced when I was a brand-new jumper (living proof that even a moderately loaded Spectre can spank you) is being head low on deployment. The resulting "pendulum" as your body swings back up can be somewhat more violent than a stable opening. It wasn't "break bones" violent, but I wound up with a good riser smack and was seeing stars for a couple of seconds.




yeah i inadvertently looked down as a went to pitch my pilot chute and went slightly head down, needless to say it left me with some bruises and it took about a week for my balls to drop back down, i think i felt them in my throat, haha. needless to say ill NEVER do that again.
Thanatos340(on landing rounds)--
Landing procedure: Hand all the way up, Feet and Knees Together and PLF soon as you get bitch slapped by a planet.

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The resulting "pendulum" as your body swings back up can be somewhat more violent than a stable opening.



While wingsuiting I typically deploy in full flight resulting in a very large "pendulum". I doubt the "pendulum" is responsible for more violent openings. It's much more likely that the higher speed from being head low is causing more violent openings ...
"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

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> One example that I've experienced when I was a brand-new jumper (living proof that even a moderately loaded Spectre can spank you) is being head low on deployment. The resulting "pendulum" as your body swings back up can be somewhat more violent than a stable opening. It wasn't "break bones" violent, but I wound up with a good riser smack and was seeing stars for a couple of seconds.

Did the spectre inflated fast or it snivel and then open up as usual?
Lock, Dock and Two Smoking Barrelrolls!

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> One example that I've experienced when I was a brand-new jumper (living proof that even a moderately loaded Spectre can spank you) is being head low on deployment. The resulting "pendulum" as your body swings back up can be somewhat more violent than a stable opening. It wasn't "break bones" violent, but I wound up with a good riser smack and was seeing stars for a couple of seconds.

Did the spectre inflated fast or it snivel and then open up as usual?



It was five+ years ago but I guess it was just a fast inflation. Don't really remember ... I just have a lovely little scar on the back of my right hand from the riser strike so I can't forget that the jump happened. :D
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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I see what you mean. I had 1 hard opening and now I'm keeping an open eye to everything related.

To whom might be interested I've run across this little doc
http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/hrdopn.pdf

I've identify by packing a lot and opening each pack job on the ground that the way I pack moves down the slider down 1-2 inches. I've address this thing. I'm using reverse s folds. But now, I've realized that my line stows are not holding 8 pounds.
Lock, Dock and Two Smoking Barrelrolls!

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I've realized that my line stows are not holding 8 pounds.



It's not your line stows. There are bags with only two locking stows and a pouch you stuff the extra line into, and those pack jobs open fine. The pouch puts zero tension on the lines, let alone 8 pounds.

Work on your slider and make sure it's quartered and firm against the stops when you bag the canopy. It helps to use a packing weight to keep your lines tight while you pack and bag the canopy. When you let the lines get loose, things inside the pack job (like the slider and/or slider stops) can move around and then your openings suck.

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forcefully push your slider down before you wrap the tail, make sure it is completely against the stops. When wrapping the tail don't treat it like its made of glass and do them pretty little folds, wrap the fuck out of the tail around the slider pulling down as you work your way down the tail. It locks the slider in place so it cant move when you lay it down.

Then dont let it come loose when you do your S folds, keep tension on it at all times. Soft openings.

I find people lose control of their slider during the S folds.

That'll be 25 cents.
1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

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