What if you cannot see your canopy? Loose harness restricts moving head

[AtrusBatleth 0]

JohnMitchell

Looks like the hip points are pretty high on you. Could the leg straps be tighter?

I don't think so. As it is the walk to the plane I feel like I'm at the O.K. Corral. If I make them any tighter I won't be able to feel my legs.

Max Peck
What's the point of having top secret code names, fellas, if we ain't gonna use 'em?

[pchapman 261]

JohnMitchell

Looks like the hip points are pretty high on you. Could the leg straps be tighter?

Yeah.

@Atrus:

Adjusted the photo gamma to see it better.
Something sure isn't snugged up right or is creeping looser between gearing up and opening.

The leg straps should also tighten around your legs before the main lift webs are tightened.

Do you bend over forward when tightening things up on the ground?

That can help take some of the rig weight away from the force to tighten main lift webs, and one scrunches up a little when bent over -- making it easier to tighten straps against the resistance of one's own body. Plus one is in a similar hip position when hanging in the harness. (However it is possible to overtighten and not be able to arch right when you straighten up.)

If there are lateral adjustments on that rig (pack to main lift web), snug them up too and don't just let the container hang down your ass. Helps keep the jumper from moving around within the harness (and the rig in the right place in freefall).

[dzswoop717 5]

I am over weight, my legs are big, I tighten my leg straps as tight as I can while bending fwd when I gear up. This lets the leg straps get as close to what they will be like under canopy. I sometimes tighten them again in the airplane if I have the room to do so. I also wear my chest strap tight, helps me keep the harness from pulling my shoulders back during opening shock. If I don't tighten my leg straps super tight, I end up hanging very low in my harness and my chest strap is up close to my chin just like you have described. There are different rules for big guys and we are a minority. Skinny people don't know all the little tricks it takes to skydive comfortably and successfully when you are heavy. The majority of my 6300+ logged jumps have been made while I was over weight. Don't be afraid to tighten your leg straps.

[JohnMitchell 14]

I just saw something in Pchapman's photo. Does that rig have adjustable main lift webs? I could see what looked like a loose strap end on your left side. If so, I would tighten those down a few more inches to get that chest strap off of your throat.

Now you know why it's so nice to have your own custom gear.

[pchapman 261]

dzswoop717

. Skinny people don't know all the little tricks

To add to that for the thread, for a skinny person, main lift webs are more straight up and down the body. Hanging in the harness or not, the dimensions stay closer to the same.

For a more stocky or well-rounded individual, the MLW's are wrapping more diagonally, especially from the lateral junction, around the sides of the body, up to the chest strap more to the front of the body. The more "diagonalness" means that under vertical load, they tend to straighten out, more movement is going to happen, seemingly 'stretching' the harness up relative to the jumper.

I'm skinny but one learns when gearing up students... so they don't get chest strap in the throat. (Highly obese tandems are the worst -- even uncomfortably tight leg straps sink deep into fat on opening.)

Snugging things up again before jumprun can be important. Either for old student gear where adapters might slip more. Or if you need the leg straps extra tight and they'd be very uncomfortable in the plane. Tight enough in the plane for an emergency bailout though.

[dzswoop717 5]

All good points. Early in my tandem instructor career I had a female passenger who was as round as she was tall. I tightened her harness and leg straps as tight as i could and on opening she ended up with her head down at my crotch. We got down safely but we instituted height to weight limits after that.

[Di0 1]

Agreed.
To me, seems totally like adjustable MLW that was let for a way way longer guy.
Our rigger at the DZ and I had the discussion about it not long ago, when I inadvertently didn't adjust the harness for a student and the exact same thing happen. Even if the guy is a big guy, that distance between the handles and the hip rings is way-way too big.
I'm willing to bet that the 3rings sits way to backward over the shoulders,
Coaches/Instructors are supposed to check the fit of the harness but for adjustable harnesses is easy to forget that.

If you have a picture on exit or on the ground, that might help to figure it out.
Anyway, tighetining up the MLW should definitely help, the chest strap should be a chest strap, not a neck strap, handles should be a couple of inches below your nipples and hip rings should sit on the rings. 3Rings should sit in front of your shoulder bone, whatever the name is. A little bit of difference is acceptable, but if you differ too much, you'll have uncomfortable rides. Or worse.

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.

[JohnMitchell 14]

dzswoop717

All good points. Early in my tandem instructor career I had a female passenger who was as round as she was tall. I tightened her harness and leg straps as tight as i could and on opening she ended up with her head down at my crotch. We got down safely but we instituted height to weight limits after that.

I was doing tandems at a non-home DZ one day when I was given a female passenger with a prodigious booty. I made sure to get the one y-strap modded harness for that lady.

Boy, I'd love to see height-to-weight limits instituted at all DZs.