RkyMtnHigh 0 #1 July 26, 2005 I love love love freeflying and other disciplines as well..but I've now had two helicopter jumps and based on wind conditions my balloon jumps have been postponed...but based on the heli jumps, I just know I'll love BASE...what can I expect as far as the differences/transitions? _________________________________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dixieskydiver 0 #2 July 26, 2005 It is scary as fuck. It was also one of the most amazing few seconds of my life and I can't wait to do it again. Dixie HISPA #56 Facil Rodriguez "Scientific research has shown that 60% of the time, it works every time." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RkyMtnHigh 0 #3 July 26, 2005 QuoteIt is scary as fuck. It was also one of the most amazing few seconds of my life and I can't wait to do it again. So I can take it that "that's a GOOD thang" _________________________________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PsychoBob 0 #4 July 26, 2005 ***but I've now had two helicopter jumps QuoteOne of those was with me!"I'm not a gynecologist but I will take a look at it" RB #1295, Smokey Sister #1, HellFish #658, Dirty Sanchez #194, Muff Brothers #3834, POPS #9614, Orfun Foster-Parent?" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites leroydb 0 #5 July 26, 2005 Loving BASE and Truely understanding it are 2 different things, I am sure you understand? wouldnt this be better placed in the BASE Forum...? Hey dixie, will you have your own rig this time?Leroy ..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites dixieskydiver 0 #6 July 26, 2005 Indeed you may, check out BD2005. I definitely recommend that as a first BASE jump. Dixie HISPA #56 Facil Rodriguez "Scientific research has shown that 60% of the time, it works every time." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites f1freak 0 #7 July 26, 2005 QuoteIt was also one of the most amazing few seconds of my life and I can't wait to do it again. So true, It's been well over 3 years since my last "A". I am looking into gear now, I really want to get "into" base now....HAVE FUN... ...JUST DONT DIE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RkyMtnHigh 0 #8 July 26, 2005 oh bob.... we are two of a kind... _________________________________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites waltappel 1 #9 July 26, 2005 QuoteI love love love freeflying and other disciplines as well..but I've now had two helicopter jumps and based on wind conditions my balloon jumps have been postponed...but based on the heli jumps, I just know I'll love BASE...what can I expect as far as the differences/transitions? Your first BASE jump can be a truly transforming experience. One difference that is not often mentioned is that the risk of injury is so very much higher with BASE. Quite often, the landing areas are unforgiving and, if jumping some sort of wall, it's a safe bet that if you hit the wall, you will suffer much more damage than the wall does. That being said, Bridge Day is a perfect environment in which to make your first. If you do decide to pursue BASE, you'll need a mentor. Choose carefully. Be safe. Walt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RkyMtnHigh 0 #10 July 26, 2005 QuoteQuoteI love love love freeflying and other disciplines as well..but I've now had two helicopter jumps and based on wind conditions my balloon jumps have been postponed...but based on the heli jumps, I just know I'll love BASE...what can I expect as far as the differences/transitions? Your first BASE jump can be a truly transforming experience. "they say" take the water at Bridge Day because someone has your shoulders and is pulling you up into a boat within 7 seconds before you realize you've water landed.... One difference that is not often mentioned is that the risk of injury is so very much higher with BASE. Quite often, the landing areas are unforgiving and, if jumping some sort of wall, it's a safe bet that if you hit the wall, you will suffer much more damage than the wall does. That being said, Bridge Day is a perfect environment in which to make your first. If you do decide to pursue BASE, you'll need a mentor. Choose carefully. Be safe. Walt _________________________________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Zennie 0 #11 July 26, 2005 Quotewhat can I expect as far as the differences/transitions? They really are two different animals. The more you do it, the more different you realize they are. And yeah low, dead-air freefall is addictive as all hell. Read Tom Aiello's "Getting Into BASE" article in the BASE forum. That provides a really good overview of the sport. Just a couple random thoughts though: BASE jumpers are gearheads. We're pretty much our own rigger by necessity. We're constantly having to change setups to adapt to various situations. If you browse the BASE forum even a small bit you'll see we are always talking about gear. We jump large, F-111 canopies. So the performance characteristics are more akin to large CRW or accuracy canopies than "regular" skydiving canopies. Because we deal with dead air flight, the body control skills are completely different... at least until you gain some airspeed. Having diving or gymnastics experience is really valuable because they deal with dead air body control and awareness. Get really good at tracking. It's what we use to provide some cushion between ourselves and the enemy... the object. Finally, as neato as it looks on video and as much fun as BD is... BASE is DANGEROUS AS HELL. Anyone who tells you any differently is a liar or a fool (or both). Expect to get busted or busted up. I've been busted once (as in 'go to jail' busted) and messed up my knees and ankles a few times. Most folks come out of the sport with at least a broken bone or three. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RkyMtnHigh 0 #12 July 26, 2005 it's all good _________________________________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites TomAiello 25 #13 July 26, 2005 QuoteIf you do decide to pursue BASE, you'll need a mentor. Choose carefully. (emphasis added) This is probably the most important piece of advice in this thread.-- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Amanduh 0 #14 July 26, 2005 Hey girl...I'm going to be honest here. I started reading up and researching BASE about 6 months ago, and wanted oh so bad to see if it was for me. I went ahead and did 2 jumps when I felt I was ready..boy was I wrong. Let me set one thing straight...I LOVE IT! And will definately persue it more in the future, but that will be after a lot more training. Both of my jumps went great, no problems with off heading openings, line overs, landing, or any of the other issues you might have to deal with in the few seconds you're under canopy. I was lucky. I have decided on my own behalf to hold off. There is seriously SO MUCH to learn. The 2 jumps showed me what I was getting into and how prepared one needs to be in order to really go far in the sport of BASE. There were a few things I did that when the video was shown to others, were brought up to me. Things that I would have never thought about. Another thing to keep in mind...if you love skydiving and are still getting a lot out of it...hold off as long as you can. (Told to me by an experienced BASE jumper). I see why now. After the 2 jumps, I realized that skydiving no longer seemed to run through my veins as thick...BASE took over completely...it's like heroin, and I am not shitting you. It takes away a lot from skydiving (this is MY OPINION). It makes it seem lazy, easy, not as risky. I mean, the two are so different. Not to mention the legality of BASE..or therefore the lack of in most cases. It's a lot to take in. Read as much as you can, I noticed that Tom A. requires his students to read BASE 66. Try to get that book and start reading it, I've already ordered mine. Read read read. I have so many things to accomplish before I do another jump. I need to be able to pack for myself (you basically become your own rigger), jump a BASE specific canopy from an airplane several times doing high alti hop&pops to familiarize myself more with the characteristics of the canopy and work on accuracy, and get in better shape!! DAMN CLIMBING CAN BE A BIOTCH ON THE BODY!! Find yourself a good mentor as well...I learned that you can over load yourself with advice from others. Learn from 1 that is trustworthy. Ask this person questions that you have, and don't hold back. I've been told by many people "Damn, that girl asks a lot of questions!"..but then also... NO QUESTION IS STUPID when it comes to your life. Good luck with whatever you decide. It is a totally different world. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RkyMtnHigh 0 #15 July 26, 2005 F1Freak, PeterK? _________________________________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites JaapSuter 0 #16 July 26, 2005 If you are ready to shed blood, sweat, tears and potentially your life for BASE, welcome to the club! If not, please make a jump at bridge day, come visit the Perrine for a weekend, and then sell your gear. The last thing BASE needs is more tourist-jumpers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites waltappel 1 #17 July 26, 2005 Quote"they say" take the water at Bridge Day because someone has your shoulders and is pulling you up into a boat within 7 seconds before you realize you've water landed.... What "they" usually don't tell you is that the water is really f**king cold! That being said, the boat people at BD are honest-to-God heroes. They will save your ass so fast that you will not believe it. The landing areas vary from year to year at Bridge Day depending on the water level. It's not difficult to land dry, but you need to be really confident of your canopy skills. Here's a hint: landing in the water *is* a truly safe "out" at Bridge Day when the boats are operating, so don't hesitate to use that out if you need to. Even if you plan on landing dry, put a towel and a dry change of clothes in a dark-colored plastic garbage bag, go down to the landing area the evening before BD, and hide your change of clothes nearby in the woods. If you land wet and have that dry change of clothes handy, you will forever thank me--I always like to make new friends. Walt p.s. Be sure to put a couple of extra plastic garbage bags in your dry clothes stash--they will come in handy for wet gear and clothes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RkyMtnHigh 0 #18 July 26, 2005 tnks _________________________________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Girlfalldown 0 #19 July 26, 2005 My advice? Don't do it! BASE jumping is dangerous and you'll never have a "normal" relationship again. You'll find yourself waking up in the middle of the night to sneak out with a bunch of guys and slip over a fence somewhere just to shimmy up dirty metal cages and climb a zillion stair steps, standing on the edge, looking down and wondering WTF you're doing there at 2am when you know you have to be at work at 9...then you'll see headlights and freeze for a moment and begin obsessing about losing your job, your gear, how bad it would be to get arrested as you watch it turn a corner and drive away. You'll watch your friends climb over and again wonder what the hell your doing as they count off and disappear into the blackness. Then you'll have to climb over yourself and your heart will be all the way up in your throat and you'll wonder how the hell it got there and also you'll wonder if it's possible to die from fright as you see yourself counting off and launching into total blackness....Then, somehow, you'll jump. And if you're lucky enough to have a good on heading opening and lucky enough to land safely it's only to flip your rig down on the ground and stuff it into your gear bag as fast as you can because it ain't over! You still have to get yourself, your gear and your friends to the car without getting caught. So you run. You all run while crouching down close to the ground so no one can see you. You jump in the car and take off with grass and cow dung and crap all over your boots filling the floor of your car. YOu pass a white truck... oh fuck! Is that security? Whew, it's ok. Just a fisherman....you keep driving. Then you get home, walk inside and hopefully fieldpack your canopy so it's not all squished in the stash bag. You wash your hands, your face, crawl back into bed and lay there. It's now 6:30am and you have to get up in an hour for work but you're way to pumped up to sleep so you just think about your jump and when the next one will be...you get up, go to work and spend the rest of the day so tired that you can't get a damn thing done, not that you would anyway with all this obsessing over your next jump. Your guy wants you to come over but you're simply too tired. You must sleep... God I need a BASE jump... -------------- (Do not, I repeat DO NOT, take my posts seriously.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites waltappel 1 #20 July 26, 2005 QuoteI love love love freeflying and other disciplines as well..but I've now had two helicopter jumps and based on wind conditions my balloon jumps have been postponed...but based on the heli jumps, I just know I'll love BASE...what can I expect as far as the differences/transitions? I forgot to mention. Balloon jumps and helicopter jumps have very little resemblance to BASE jumps other than the zero-to-low airspeed exit. I'm not knocking balloon or helicopter jumps--I've done 'em and think they're pretty cool--but honestly, they have about as much in common with BASE as sticking your arm out of the window while driving down the freeway has in common with RW. Please don't take my comments as some sort of one-upsmanship or arrogance. I don't mean them that way. I no longer BASE jump, but I had the privilege of being mentored by some of the very best and just want to let you know that BASE really is a very different animal. In trying to keep this short, I'll just mention that site analysis, jump plan, exit technique, and gear configuration are all CRUCIAL elements of BASE and each is quite a topic in itself--particularly gear configuration. The cool thing about Bridge Day is that you will have easy access to for-real experts BEFORE you jump and they will do their damndest to keep you safe. Walt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites cocheese 0 #21 July 26, 2005 QuoteIf you are ready to shed blood, sweat, tears and potentially your life for BASE, welcome to the club! If not, please make a jump at bridge day, come visit the Perrine for a weekend, and then sell your gear. The last thing BASE needs is more tourist-jumpers.Katee, the above post sums it up. Balloon jumps are my favorite. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RhondaLea 3 #22 July 26, 2005 QuoteWhat "they" usually don't tell you is that the water is really f**king cold! Amen to that! QuoteThat being said, the boat people at BD are honest-to-God heroes. They will save your ass so fast that you will not believe it. And a double amen to that! I'm still your friend, Walt, even though you failed to give me the advice about my clothes lo those many years ago. rlIf you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites waltappel 1 #23 July 26, 2005 Damn that was a GREAT description of a BASE jump! Walt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites JaapSuter 0 #24 July 26, 2005 Sorry, my previous post came off a little harsh. I guess I'm trying to make two points. In skydiving you can get away with being lazy. Even if you don't put in any effort at all, you can still stay alive. In BASE staying alive takes hard work. One of the major reasons that BASE is such a beautiful sport is because so many of its participants try hard to give back to the sport and invest time and energy to keep it such a rewarding activity. So before you get into it make sure that, in time, you can be more than a BASE jumper. There are many ways you can give back to the sport. Only when new jumpers realize that our sport's beauty thrives by the grace of our energy can we avoid BASE going in the direction that skydiving went a long time ago. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites waltappel 1 #25 July 26, 2005 Quote QuoteIf you are ready to shed blood, sweat, tears and potentially your life for BASE, welcome to the club! If not, please make a jump at bridge day, come visit the Perrine for a weekend, and then sell your gear. The last thing BASE needs is more tourist-jumpers. Katee, the above post sums it up. Balloon jumps are my favorite. Personally I think it is a bit harsh because it doesn't explain the reasoning behind it, which is that BASE is NOT for everyone. You need to do it for the right reasons and be ready and willing to accept the consequences, which can be very, very brutal. 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leroydb 0 #5 July 26, 2005 Loving BASE and Truely understanding it are 2 different things, I am sure you understand? wouldnt this be better placed in the BASE Forum...? Hey dixie, will you have your own rig this time?Leroy ..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dixieskydiver 0 #6 July 26, 2005 Indeed you may, check out BD2005. I definitely recommend that as a first BASE jump. Dixie HISPA #56 Facil Rodriguez "Scientific research has shown that 60% of the time, it works every time." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f1freak 0 #7 July 26, 2005 QuoteIt was also one of the most amazing few seconds of my life and I can't wait to do it again. So true, It's been well over 3 years since my last "A". I am looking into gear now, I really want to get "into" base now....HAVE FUN... ...JUST DONT DIE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RkyMtnHigh 0 #8 July 26, 2005 oh bob.... we are two of a kind... _________________________________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waltappel 1 #9 July 26, 2005 QuoteI love love love freeflying and other disciplines as well..but I've now had two helicopter jumps and based on wind conditions my balloon jumps have been postponed...but based on the heli jumps, I just know I'll love BASE...what can I expect as far as the differences/transitions? Your first BASE jump can be a truly transforming experience. One difference that is not often mentioned is that the risk of injury is so very much higher with BASE. Quite often, the landing areas are unforgiving and, if jumping some sort of wall, it's a safe bet that if you hit the wall, you will suffer much more damage than the wall does. That being said, Bridge Day is a perfect environment in which to make your first. If you do decide to pursue BASE, you'll need a mentor. Choose carefully. Be safe. Walt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RkyMtnHigh 0 #10 July 26, 2005 QuoteQuoteI love love love freeflying and other disciplines as well..but I've now had two helicopter jumps and based on wind conditions my balloon jumps have been postponed...but based on the heli jumps, I just know I'll love BASE...what can I expect as far as the differences/transitions? Your first BASE jump can be a truly transforming experience. "they say" take the water at Bridge Day because someone has your shoulders and is pulling you up into a boat within 7 seconds before you realize you've water landed.... One difference that is not often mentioned is that the risk of injury is so very much higher with BASE. Quite often, the landing areas are unforgiving and, if jumping some sort of wall, it's a safe bet that if you hit the wall, you will suffer much more damage than the wall does. That being said, Bridge Day is a perfect environment in which to make your first. If you do decide to pursue BASE, you'll need a mentor. Choose carefully. Be safe. Walt _________________________________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zennie 0 #11 July 26, 2005 Quotewhat can I expect as far as the differences/transitions? They really are two different animals. The more you do it, the more different you realize they are. And yeah low, dead-air freefall is addictive as all hell. Read Tom Aiello's "Getting Into BASE" article in the BASE forum. That provides a really good overview of the sport. Just a couple random thoughts though: BASE jumpers are gearheads. We're pretty much our own rigger by necessity. We're constantly having to change setups to adapt to various situations. If you browse the BASE forum even a small bit you'll see we are always talking about gear. We jump large, F-111 canopies. So the performance characteristics are more akin to large CRW or accuracy canopies than "regular" skydiving canopies. Because we deal with dead air flight, the body control skills are completely different... at least until you gain some airspeed. Having diving or gymnastics experience is really valuable because they deal with dead air body control and awareness. Get really good at tracking. It's what we use to provide some cushion between ourselves and the enemy... the object. Finally, as neato as it looks on video and as much fun as BD is... BASE is DANGEROUS AS HELL. Anyone who tells you any differently is a liar or a fool (or both). Expect to get busted or busted up. I've been busted once (as in 'go to jail' busted) and messed up my knees and ankles a few times. Most folks come out of the sport with at least a broken bone or three. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RkyMtnHigh 0 #12 July 26, 2005 it's all good _________________________________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 25 #13 July 26, 2005 QuoteIf you do decide to pursue BASE, you'll need a mentor. Choose carefully. (emphasis added) This is probably the most important piece of advice in this thread.-- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amanduh 0 #14 July 26, 2005 Hey girl...I'm going to be honest here. I started reading up and researching BASE about 6 months ago, and wanted oh so bad to see if it was for me. I went ahead and did 2 jumps when I felt I was ready..boy was I wrong. Let me set one thing straight...I LOVE IT! And will definately persue it more in the future, but that will be after a lot more training. Both of my jumps went great, no problems with off heading openings, line overs, landing, or any of the other issues you might have to deal with in the few seconds you're under canopy. I was lucky. I have decided on my own behalf to hold off. There is seriously SO MUCH to learn. The 2 jumps showed me what I was getting into and how prepared one needs to be in order to really go far in the sport of BASE. There were a few things I did that when the video was shown to others, were brought up to me. Things that I would have never thought about. Another thing to keep in mind...if you love skydiving and are still getting a lot out of it...hold off as long as you can. (Told to me by an experienced BASE jumper). I see why now. After the 2 jumps, I realized that skydiving no longer seemed to run through my veins as thick...BASE took over completely...it's like heroin, and I am not shitting you. It takes away a lot from skydiving (this is MY OPINION). It makes it seem lazy, easy, not as risky. I mean, the two are so different. Not to mention the legality of BASE..or therefore the lack of in most cases. It's a lot to take in. Read as much as you can, I noticed that Tom A. requires his students to read BASE 66. Try to get that book and start reading it, I've already ordered mine. Read read read. I have so many things to accomplish before I do another jump. I need to be able to pack for myself (you basically become your own rigger), jump a BASE specific canopy from an airplane several times doing high alti hop&pops to familiarize myself more with the characteristics of the canopy and work on accuracy, and get in better shape!! DAMN CLIMBING CAN BE A BIOTCH ON THE BODY!! Find yourself a good mentor as well...I learned that you can over load yourself with advice from others. Learn from 1 that is trustworthy. Ask this person questions that you have, and don't hold back. I've been told by many people "Damn, that girl asks a lot of questions!"..but then also... NO QUESTION IS STUPID when it comes to your life. Good luck with whatever you decide. It is a totally different world. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RkyMtnHigh 0 #15 July 26, 2005 F1Freak, PeterK? _________________________________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JaapSuter 0 #16 July 26, 2005 If you are ready to shed blood, sweat, tears and potentially your life for BASE, welcome to the club! If not, please make a jump at bridge day, come visit the Perrine for a weekend, and then sell your gear. The last thing BASE needs is more tourist-jumpers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waltappel 1 #17 July 26, 2005 Quote"they say" take the water at Bridge Day because someone has your shoulders and is pulling you up into a boat within 7 seconds before you realize you've water landed.... What "they" usually don't tell you is that the water is really f**king cold! That being said, the boat people at BD are honest-to-God heroes. They will save your ass so fast that you will not believe it. The landing areas vary from year to year at Bridge Day depending on the water level. It's not difficult to land dry, but you need to be really confident of your canopy skills. Here's a hint: landing in the water *is* a truly safe "out" at Bridge Day when the boats are operating, so don't hesitate to use that out if you need to. Even if you plan on landing dry, put a towel and a dry change of clothes in a dark-colored plastic garbage bag, go down to the landing area the evening before BD, and hide your change of clothes nearby in the woods. If you land wet and have that dry change of clothes handy, you will forever thank me--I always like to make new friends. Walt p.s. Be sure to put a couple of extra plastic garbage bags in your dry clothes stash--they will come in handy for wet gear and clothes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RkyMtnHigh 0 #18 July 26, 2005 tnks _________________________________________ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Girlfalldown 0 #19 July 26, 2005 My advice? Don't do it! BASE jumping is dangerous and you'll never have a "normal" relationship again. You'll find yourself waking up in the middle of the night to sneak out with a bunch of guys and slip over a fence somewhere just to shimmy up dirty metal cages and climb a zillion stair steps, standing on the edge, looking down and wondering WTF you're doing there at 2am when you know you have to be at work at 9...then you'll see headlights and freeze for a moment and begin obsessing about losing your job, your gear, how bad it would be to get arrested as you watch it turn a corner and drive away. You'll watch your friends climb over and again wonder what the hell your doing as they count off and disappear into the blackness. Then you'll have to climb over yourself and your heart will be all the way up in your throat and you'll wonder how the hell it got there and also you'll wonder if it's possible to die from fright as you see yourself counting off and launching into total blackness....Then, somehow, you'll jump. And if you're lucky enough to have a good on heading opening and lucky enough to land safely it's only to flip your rig down on the ground and stuff it into your gear bag as fast as you can because it ain't over! You still have to get yourself, your gear and your friends to the car without getting caught. So you run. You all run while crouching down close to the ground so no one can see you. You jump in the car and take off with grass and cow dung and crap all over your boots filling the floor of your car. YOu pass a white truck... oh fuck! Is that security? Whew, it's ok. Just a fisherman....you keep driving. Then you get home, walk inside and hopefully fieldpack your canopy so it's not all squished in the stash bag. You wash your hands, your face, crawl back into bed and lay there. It's now 6:30am and you have to get up in an hour for work but you're way to pumped up to sleep so you just think about your jump and when the next one will be...you get up, go to work and spend the rest of the day so tired that you can't get a damn thing done, not that you would anyway with all this obsessing over your next jump. Your guy wants you to come over but you're simply too tired. You must sleep... God I need a BASE jump... -------------- (Do not, I repeat DO NOT, take my posts seriously.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waltappel 1 #20 July 26, 2005 QuoteI love love love freeflying and other disciplines as well..but I've now had two helicopter jumps and based on wind conditions my balloon jumps have been postponed...but based on the heli jumps, I just know I'll love BASE...what can I expect as far as the differences/transitions? I forgot to mention. Balloon jumps and helicopter jumps have very little resemblance to BASE jumps other than the zero-to-low airspeed exit. I'm not knocking balloon or helicopter jumps--I've done 'em and think they're pretty cool--but honestly, they have about as much in common with BASE as sticking your arm out of the window while driving down the freeway has in common with RW. Please don't take my comments as some sort of one-upsmanship or arrogance. I don't mean them that way. I no longer BASE jump, but I had the privilege of being mentored by some of the very best and just want to let you know that BASE really is a very different animal. In trying to keep this short, I'll just mention that site analysis, jump plan, exit technique, and gear configuration are all CRUCIAL elements of BASE and each is quite a topic in itself--particularly gear configuration. The cool thing about Bridge Day is that you will have easy access to for-real experts BEFORE you jump and they will do their damndest to keep you safe. Walt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #21 July 26, 2005 QuoteIf you are ready to shed blood, sweat, tears and potentially your life for BASE, welcome to the club! If not, please make a jump at bridge day, come visit the Perrine for a weekend, and then sell your gear. The last thing BASE needs is more tourist-jumpers.Katee, the above post sums it up. Balloon jumps are my favorite. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RhondaLea 3 #22 July 26, 2005 QuoteWhat "they" usually don't tell you is that the water is really f**king cold! Amen to that! QuoteThat being said, the boat people at BD are honest-to-God heroes. They will save your ass so fast that you will not believe it. And a double amen to that! I'm still your friend, Walt, even though you failed to give me the advice about my clothes lo those many years ago. rlIf you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waltappel 1 #23 July 26, 2005 Damn that was a GREAT description of a BASE jump! Walt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JaapSuter 0 #24 July 26, 2005 Sorry, my previous post came off a little harsh. I guess I'm trying to make two points. In skydiving you can get away with being lazy. Even if you don't put in any effort at all, you can still stay alive. In BASE staying alive takes hard work. One of the major reasons that BASE is such a beautiful sport is because so many of its participants try hard to give back to the sport and invest time and energy to keep it such a rewarding activity. So before you get into it make sure that, in time, you can be more than a BASE jumper. There are many ways you can give back to the sport. Only when new jumpers realize that our sport's beauty thrives by the grace of our energy can we avoid BASE going in the direction that skydiving went a long time ago. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waltappel 1 #25 July 26, 2005 Quote QuoteIf you are ready to shed blood, sweat, tears and potentially your life for BASE, welcome to the club! If not, please make a jump at bridge day, come visit the Perrine for a weekend, and then sell your gear. The last thing BASE needs is more tourist-jumpers. Katee, the above post sums it up. Balloon jumps are my favorite. Personally I think it is a bit harsh because it doesn't explain the reasoning behind it, which is that BASE is NOT for everyone. You need to do it for the right reasons and be ready and willing to accept the consequences, which can be very, very brutal. Walt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
