First Cutaway with only a little over 100 jumps

[Nicknero1405 0]

With a little over 100 jumps, I had my first reserve procedure.
Story behind it? Well...
My first jump of 2016, happened on the 10th of jan 2016 and I had a VERY long snuffle. Or however you call the process of deployment where the slider hasn't come down yet when you're still slowing down from terminal velocity.

Anyway, I had the bad luck that the slider enjoyed it's time a little too much inside my main as it refused to come down. I opened on 3,500ft and the chute came out of the bag just fine. But at 2,000ft my beeper went off (Alarm to indicate that this is the time to decide if you chop the main or not.) But I got into a brain-freeze and I didn't know what to do. I had my hands on the back risers and I was pulling like a mad-man trying to get the chute to fully deploy, And eventually it finally fully deployed. I looked at my altitude and it said 1,200ft. HOLY SHIT! That could have ended way worse. It's simply too low for comfort and I should have already cut away. But for some reason I didn't.

Second jump the parachute opened just fine. But third jump, it happened again. But this time I was prepared. If my beeper goes of again, I'm chopping this son of a bitch!. I looked at my altitude and it was dropping fast! 2,000ft came close and yup, still no fully deployed chute. Beeper went of, and I had no moment of doubt: I had to get rid of this shit and get someone to check it out before it's going to be my death. So I chopped the main and pulled the reserve. All ended well, except of the main landing directly in the channel. aka water. :(

I collected the main and let it dry. I found the freebag on a field a little further away and I kept hold on both of the handles Aka Cutaway and Reserve deployer.

But damn, this was one heck of a day. I learned a lot this day and I'm glad that I'm actually able to share this story without any physical harm to myself other than a wet main.

Here is a outside video from another guy who I jumped with. It's really hard to see because the lens was foggy due to the cloud we went through and I was far away. Even after zooming in 600% it's still vague. But you can clearly see the main and freebag flying away as I tumble down waiting for the reserve to deploy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb9KwNhPNMg

[Hellis 0]

Nicknero1405

With a little over 100 jumps, I had my first reserve procedure.
Story behind it? Well...
My first jump of 2016, happened on the 10th of jan 2016 and I had a VERY long snuffle. Or however you call the process of deployment where the slider hasn't come down yet when you're still slowing down from terminal velocity.

Anyway, I had the bad luck that the slider enjoyed it's time a little too much inside my main as it refused to come down. I opened on 3,500ft and the chute came out of the bag just fine. But at 2,000ft my beeper went off (Alarm to indicate that this is the time to decide if you chop the main or not.) But I got into a brain-freeze and I didn't know what to do. I had my hands on the back risers and I was pulling like a mad-man trying to get the chute to fully deploy, And eventually it finally fully deployed. I looked at my altitude and it said 1,200ft. HOLY SHIT! That could have ended way worse. It's simply too low for comfort and I should have already cut away. But for some reason I didn't.

Second jump the parachute opened just fine. But third jump, it happened again. But this time I was prepared. If my beeper goes of again, I'm chopping this son of a bitch!. I looked at my altitude and it was dropping fast! 2,000ft came close and yup, still no fully deployed chute. Beeper went of, and I had no moment of doubt: I had to get rid of this shit and get someone to check it out before it's going to be my death. So I chopped the main and pulled the reserve. All ended well, except of the main landing directly in the channel. aka water. :(

I collected the main and let it dry. I found the freebag on a field a little further away and I kept hold on both of the handles Aka Cutaway and Reserve deployer.

But damn, this was one heck of a day. I learned a lot this day and I'm glad that I'm actually able to share this story without any physical harm to myself other than a wet main.

Here is a outside video from another guy who I jumped with. It's really hard to see because the lens was foggy due to the cloud we went through and I was far away. Even after zooming in 600% it's still vague. But you can clearly see the main and freebag flying away as I tumble down waiting for the reserve to deploy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb9KwNhPNMg

What canopy do you jump?
Sounds like there is a problem with it.

Is this a new canopy for you or is it the same you have jumped previously?

[Nicknero1405 0]

Hellis

What canopy do you jump?
Sounds like there is a problem with it.

Is this a new canopy for you or is it the same you have jumped previously?

It was a Triathlon 210. (They say Triathlon is known for it's long snivels)
I have had this rig ever since jump 25. So I have somewhere between 80-90 jumps with it myself. And it was a bit of an old canopy already. Although I forgot how many jumps it has done before me. Could be anywhere between 200 and 500 I guess.

Either way, I have had long snuffles with this canopy every once in a while from the moment I bought it. Sometimes it opens extremely fast (Almost uncomfortably fast) and sometimes it takes a really long time for it to open. But never did it as long as that day I had to pull the reserve.

[YvonneWiggers 0]

Quote

If my beeper goes of again, I'm chopping this son of a bitch!. I looked at my altitude and it was dropping fast! 2,000ft came close and yup, still no fully deployed chute. Beeper went of, and I had no moment of doubt...

Have you tried pumping the brakes (twice) to get the slider down like you were taught during AFF? Your story makes it sound as if you passively waited till you were at 2000ft.

"So I jump out, look up, and think 'Oh SHIT!...

It's PINK!!!'"
- army guy after his first staticline jump

[drdive 0]

"""Have you tried pumping the brakes (twice) to get the slider down like you were taught during AFF? Your story makes it sound as if you passively waited till you were at 2000ft.""""

I agree. But regardless, he reached his hard deck without a good canopy and chopped appropriately IMO.

Good job.

"We saved your gear. Now you can sell it when you get out of the hospital and upsize!!" "K-Dub"

"

[YvonneWiggers 0]

Quote

But regardless, he reached his hard deck without a good canopy and chopped appropriately IMO.

Good job.

After getting reprimanded by an instructor for knowingly going straight through his harddeck with a nonfunctional canopy two jumps before...

"So I jump out, look up, and think 'Oh SHIT!...

It's PINK!!!'"
- army guy after his first staticline jump

[pchapman 279]

I'll just note that he did say about the jump he went low on, that "I had my hands on the back risers and I was pulling like a mad-man". So although he didn't mention what he did on the second snivelly jump, it may have been implied that he was on rears or trying something.

I'm sure he learned a good lesson about how easy it is to lose altitude awareness...

[Nicknero1405 0]

YvonneWiggers

Have you tried pumping the brakes (twice) to get the slider down like you were taught during AFF? Your story makes it sound as if you passively waited till you were at 2000ft.

No I didn't. Honestly, I didn't even think that was an option. I was too busy pulling the rear risers and before I knew it I was at 2000ft. Altitude goes down really fast in such stressful situations.

pchapman

I'm sure he learned a good lesson about how easy it is to lose altitude awareness...

Yes... Yes I did for sure.

I'm not denying that I made mistakes.
I'm lucky that everything ended well with 0 injuries. I've learned my lesson, and I will do everything I can to avoid allowing this to happen again. Which includes, but is not limited to: The magical 2 flares, having my canopy checked by a rigger (Which is currently in process), perhaps opening higher for the next couple of jumps to make sure everything is fine, and being even more cautious while packing.

[dthames 0]

If you think about it, you had a great learning experience. After the first slow deployment you had a chance to prime your brain/reaction to be ready to act. So instead of shock, you could reason out what you were going to do and when. Sounds like a great day, overall.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[radical_flyer 0]

Nicknero1405

My first jump of 2016, happened on the 10th of jan 2016 and I had a VERY long snuffle. Or however you call the process of deployment where the slider hasn't come down yet when you're still slowing down from terminal velocity.

It's called a snivel just FYI. Made me laugh every time you called it a snuffle.

[Nicknero1405 0]

Haha yeah I know. I edited any post I could to fix that. But OP can't be edited anymore.
Idk how I got by the wordt snuffle... o.O I guess I just overheard someone saying it at some point and thought I heard him say that instead of snivel.

It's funny because "snuffel" is dutch for sniffing. Kinda like the chute sniffing the sky before fully deploying.

[Di0 2]

Just throwing it out there, pulling on rears (constantly, non pumping) can also 'stall' an opening, i.e. make it "snivel forever". Hard to do on big canopies, but possible.
And quite fun to do, if intentional and controlled.

I am sure this will happen anyway, but make sure a good rigger inspects your main before putting it together. Generally speaking and for the type of canopies we jump, there should be no reason to pump the rears to make a canopy open, if you need that, then you already have a problem.

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[councilman24 37]

The worst thing about this is relying on your 'beeper' to tell you when you were at your hard deck. Yes I know both freefallers and canopy pilots are using ( relying on? ) more and more altitude alerts and I've used an audible AS A BACK UP TO BRAIN FAILURE since the Para Alert. BUT, First you should be using your eyes to check your altitude by looking at the ground, then your visual altimeter (to me preferably a mechanical altimeter, but I'm old). And then, if the primary altitude detector has failed, YOUR EYES, then your back up ears save your life. Everything can fail except your eyes, and those can fail with a fogged helmet or lost contact. The fact that you got to your audible hard deck beep the first jump without knowing your were close is a bad thing. That your thought process was ' If my beeper goes off again, I'm chopping this son of a bitch!' is concerning. You say you saw 2000' coming but waited for your 'beeper' before you chopped. How long were you going to wait?

BTW if Triathlons have a long snivel it's news to me. I have one as one of my primary canopies because it DOESN'T have a long snivel. Most folks think they open too fast. Have the trim and slider checked on yours. If used it may have been modified to slow it down from factory normal. Maybe new ones have been slowed down.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[radical_flyer 0]

You didn't edit post #3 paragraph 2.

[tikl68 6]

This is not directed at you councilman just GP info to yours and others take (op) on triathlons. I have over 1100 jumps on my tri 135 and I have never had it open fast, but I roll the twice and yep it takes about 700 ft to open and before that I put about 75 jumps on a tri 160 and same thing, but have never had it do what the OP had happen. So yes have a rigger check it out.

Glad you are ok and learned a lesson with out a high tuition.

And yes rear riser stalls til the canopy collapses and ride it out are a blast.

[ufk22 33]

YvonneWiggers

Quote

If my beeper goes of again, I'm chopping this son of a bitch!. I looked at my altitude and it was dropping fast! 2,000ft came close and yup, still no fully deployed chute. Beeper went of, and I had no moment of doubt...

Have you tried pumping the brakes (twice) to get the slider down like you were taught during AFF? Your story makes it sound as if you passively waited till you were at 2000ft.

Pumping the brakes is a strategy for a partially inflated canopy with a slider "hung up", but this sound like the slider was completely choking off the canopy. You need to check line trim and slider size. Maybe your pilot chute too.
Now.

This is the paradox of skydiving. We do something very dangerous, expose ourselves to a totally unnecesary risk, and then spend our time trying to make it safer.

[Hellis 0]

Now go and buy a used 20-25 year old french canopy and you will never have this problem again.

[councilman24 37]

And I have 600-800 jumps on my triathlon 190 and it takes about 300' to open, just like my original sabres in three sizes. I'm more than happy to get out at 2000' with either. YMMV

For whats it's worth I roll the crap out of the sabres and ket the triathlon hang.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[DvK 2]

Di0

Just throwing it out there, pulling on rears (constantly, non pumping) can also 'stall' an opening, i.e. make it "snivel forever". Hard to do on big canopies, but possible.
And quite fun to do, if intentional and controlled.

I am sure this will happen anyway, but make sure a good rigger inspects your main before putting it together. Generally speaking and for the type of canopies we jump, there should be no reason to pump the rears to make a canopy open, if you need that, then you already have a problem.

Every jumped a Sabre 2?

[tred 0]

my tri 190 also opens very slow, i have had my hands on my handles watching my altimeter just waiting twice

[tikl68 6]

I can get my tri to open fast-er, if I dont roll the nose, but we probably have different size sliders. I have been a videographer for crew dogs since 2006 and can get it to open pretty quick right out the door sub-terminal, and I have no problem exiting 2000 ft(have actually exited at 2000 when it was allowed) cuz my tri has no bad tendencies, oh and I BASE.

[sundevil777 102]

I had a paraflite astrobe that i believe would not open unless I popped the brakes. It got me in the habit of grabbing brake handles very quickly.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[Pobrause 6]

DvK

***Just throwing it out there, pulling on rears (constantly, non pumping) can also 'stall' an opening, i.e. make it "snivel forever". Hard to do on big canopies, but possible.
And quite fun to do, if intentional and controlled.

I am sure this will happen anyway, but make sure a good rigger inspects your main before putting it together. Generally speaking and for the type of canopies we jump, there should be no reason to pump the rears to make a canopy open, if you need that, then you already have a problem.

Every jumped a Sabre 2?

Yes and in a couple of different sizes.
A Sabre2 should not require any input to open. If yours does, get it checked out, linetrimm measured...
I'm not talking about endcell closure here. That is pretty much normal on any canopy with a low WL.

The only canopy I know of that requires some amount of rear riser input to open somewhat normal is a Skylark Scirocco.

-------------------------------------------------------

To absent friends

[Trafficdiver 8]

Good attitude. I'm sure you will perform your your EP's at your hard deck next time.

I would have a good rigger inspect your canopy...and if it happens again burn it and bury the fucker.

[Nicknero1405 0]

It is being inspected this week, and I'm already negotiating having it replaced by a (much younger and probably better) 190 canopy. Would cost me some extra obviously, but well worth it. I honestly lost my trust in this canopy after that incident. And not trusting your own gear is not a good way to enter that plane again...