Helmets

[spindlee 0]

Hi, i was just wondering why do you need 200 skydives to jump a camera helmet or a full face helmet? Is iis possibly because of the risk of the camera getting caught in the lines during a malfunction?
Thanks, Simon

If in doubt, whip it out...

[DARK 0]

im not in the states but i wasnt aware of any requirement for a full face helmet there is one guy at my dz who did his 50th this week and he has a full face

[shropshire 0]

Full face helmets "tend" to cut down ones peripheral vision, so that could be the reason.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[NWFlyer 2]

Here is one good discussion on camera helmets (recommended/required to wait till 200 jumps depending on the country):

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2634215

"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

[jakee 1,254]

Quote

Hi, i was just wondering why do you need 200 skydives to jump a camera helmet or a full face helmet? Is iis possibly because of the risk of the camera getting caught in the lines during a malfunction?
Thanks, Simon

You don't need 200 jumps for a full face, just a B-lic. For camera helmets, the snag risk and the distraction of concentrating on filming are the main reasons.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[beerline 0]

I never heard of needing a B licence to jump a fullface. I started jumping mine when i had about 15 jumps.

[denete 2]

Quote

I never heard of needing a B licence to jump a fullface. I started jumping mine when i had about 15 jumps.

BPA

SCR #14809

"our attitude is the thing most capable of keeping us safe"
(look, grab, look, grab, peel, punch, punch, arch)

[RandomLemming 0]

Apparently the reason for the BPA requiring a B license for a full face helmet is (and I quote) "Lost in the mists of time".

The main reasons that I've heard are as follows:
1. Obscures your view of your cutaway handles. On this basis, no well endowed women or fat blokes should ever be able to skydive because of this safety issue.

2. It gives people one extra thing to fiddle with under canopy, increasing the risk of dangerous landings or collisions. As someone who doesn't even take his booties off to land, this doesn't really concern me.

3. Fogging issues have caused people to go low when jumping through cloud - they didn't deploy because they thought they were still in cloud, but in fact their visors were fogged.

The above reasons are anecdotal. I'm particularly interested to hear of any incidents where the full face helmet was found to be a contributing factor (either with regards to cutaway or collision).

I'm also very confused as why being able to pack and land within a specified area and having 50 jumps makes you safe to wear a full face, while not being able to pack or land within this target but having 100 jumps makes you unsafe.

[billvon 2,395]

> I'm particularly interested to hear of any incidents where the full
> face helmet was found to be a contributing factor . . .

We had a Factory Diver contribute to an injury about 10 years back. A jumper was on final and his lens fogged over; he broke his femur when he could not see to flare.

[labrys 0]

Here are a few discussions about accidents caused by / or being made worse by fogged visors:

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=328822

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1040319

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=328821

Owned by Remi #?

[hudsonderek 0]

I started jumping a full face at around 40 jumps. I love it, but when jumping in colder temperatures it tends to get steam and frost on the lens. when it's not cold out, I take the visor off and wear goggles under it (I like to feel the air). I jump a Z1 so if it does fog up, I just pop the visor up. never had it fog up in free fall, just during the parachute ride. I had a bad landing one time where, if I didn't have my full face, my chin and side of my face would have gotten some dirt and rocks embedded in it. that's why i'll take the full face with visor off, over an open face Anyday. I had a moped accident once and road rash on your face doesn't feel good. go with the full face, it's a good move