Help needed - What went wrong?

[LadiDadi 0]

Hi - I'm new here and new to the skies as well.

On Saturday I had my first static line jump after 4 tandem jumps. Something went strangely wrong with my jump which resulted in me injuring myself. I've been 'Monday morning quarterbacking' myself since then and now, seeing as it's Wednesday, I need some other views on the situation.

Since I'm new here, I don't know which forum to post my question in - I hope this is the right one. In case it isn't, I am not going to write up the whole long and drawn-out saga only to have to write it again.

So... If someone wants to try to figure out what happened to me and this is the place to do it, please let me know and I will tell my sorry tale. I also have 'aftermath' pictures of the bruises.

Thanks!

If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you.
****************************
Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

[JustChuteMeNow 0]

It sounds like this forum could be the place to post about your incident. If it needs to be moved to another forum the mods will move it and retyping won't be necessary.

Without knowing anything about what happended, one of the best sources for feedback will be your instructors.

Think of how stupid the average person is and realize that statistically half of them are stupider than that.

[slotperfect 7]

Your story and questions are fine here . . . fire away!

Arrive Safely

John

[LadiDadi 0]

Okay, here’s what happened. It’s a very long story but I figure that more details are better than leaving things out.

It was my first static line jump – I’ve made 4 tandem jumps previously – as part of my tandem progression to get my license. The 4+ hour long class was great and I adore the instructor so no complaints there. No issues other than two things. One was that I was scared to practice the PLF off the platform because I’m a moron and get worked up over things like that. The other issue was a bit more serious.
I had some serious anxiety about holding on to the wing strut. My right wrist has been broken twice and it simply isn’t as strong as it used to be. I also happen to be female and we aren’t typically known for our upper body strength and large hands. So I had some anxiety building up about that. I know all about self-fulfilling prophecies so let’s skip that part – I know that it definitely had something to do with it.
We go up in the little wind-up toy of a plane with an instructor who was not the same one that did the ground class. I’m second out. I scoot up to the instructor and he does the equipment check on me. I repeat the check on what I can see/know about making sure that the chest strap on the rig is tightened down as far as it would go. My third tandem jump taught me the importance of this – the chest strap on the tandem harness came loose and slid up around my neck at opening and that wasn’t comfy. I give the static line a final yank and scoot up to the open door, turn and put my feet out on the step.
Here’s where things start to unravel. I’m sitting there with my feet on the step, my right hand on the doorway and looking at the wing strut and thinking “I can’t even *reach* that from here!!” I’m 5’2” so it isn’t an unreasonable thought. So I scooted and shifted and scooted and shifted and became increasingly worried about the whole thing to the point where I did freeze up a bit. After some coaxing from the instructor, I finally managed to grab the strut with my left hand but still sat there for a moment worried about the pivot and reaching out with my right hand bit of the process. I remember thinking that the ‘un-poised exit’ would be a piece of cake – just dive and go sounded great to me.
So I got out on the step, both hands on the strut and began the terrifying process of inching my way out and away from the plane. I got to the point where my right hand was out far enough but I didn’t feel that I had the strength at that point to be able to let go with my left hand to move it further out without falling off the plane so I stayed put. All I was able to do was get myself into a position where my left leg was still on the step and my right leg was flapping in the wind and the worry shifted. I then became concerned about hitting the step so I kept my left foot firmly planted on it – as long as my left foot was on the step, I knew where it was and I wouldn’t get brained by it. The only thing I could think to do then was to make sure that I was well clear of the step so when I let go with my hands, I kind of launched myself with my left foot in an attempt to push myself clear of the step. I gather now that this was my (non-)fatal error.
During my brief fall, likely the only thing about me that was arched was the soles of my feet but they come that way naturally.
I remember seeing the lines coming out and the rubber bands popping so I can only assume that I was in more of a back-down than belly-down position since my head doesn’t swivel that far. Here’s where the injury happened and the greatest mystery is.
My right arm somehow got caught in the lines. Not the risers (not at first, anyway) but the lines. My right arm was up and over my head with the lines on the right side of the chute on the right side of my arm. That doesn’t make much sense… If you put your right arm at your side and bend your elbow 90 degrees with your palm facing in and hold your arm like that and then lift it out to the side even with your shoulder and your palm down, keep going until your upper arm is by your ear and your palm is facing out. That’s the position my arm was in with the lines to the outside of my arm. That makes less sense…
Anyway… Thankfully there were no line twists or I wouldn’t be writing this. I got my arm free of the lines, made sure it was still securely attached to my body and checked the canopy about a thousand times a second. Then I noticed that the chest strap on the rig had come all the way loose. It was still attached but it was as loose as it goes. I don’t know if this happened when the chute opened or when I was flailing about like a rag doll after flopping out of the plane.
I managed to steer myself safely to the ground and had a perfect PLF landing and laid there for a while shaking.
As soon as I found the instructor who was on the plane with me, I asked him what in the hell happened to me. He said that I slipped off the step. Um. No. I didn’t slip but, fine. I asked him what I hit since, at this point, everything I described above hadn’t quite registered in my brain yet. He told me that I hit the static line with my arm but that it wasn’t anything to worry about since it happens all the time when students ‘try to swim back to the plane’. I told him that I wasn’t talking about hitting the static line – I didn’t know if I had or not – but that I was talking about what I hit with my right arm. He said that the only thing I hit was the static line. I told him that I was fairly certain that I hadn’t hit the static line with my right arm since the line was on my left. He said I didn’t hit anything and that it was probably just the harness that rubbed my arm when the chest strap came loose. I told him that this was more than rubbing and that it was not only my upper arm but down on my forearm by my wrist as well – if the harness caused that, I probably would have come out of it. He said he didn’t see anything that happened that would have hurt me.
I will grant him that he can’t really see me once I’m under canopy but he had to have known if I was any degree of back-down when the cord pulled. I have no complaints whatsoever about the instructor who did the training class or any of the other instructors there but I do really feel as if he blew me off. I need to have a better idea of what the hell happened so I make sure I never EVER do it again. I have to do one more static line jump before I can move on unless I screw it up royally and I am so terrified at the thought of doing it. This is the first time in this whole adventure I’ve had any fear and I don’t like it.
So my questions are thus:
How in the world did my arm end up where it was?
How does a short weakling like me get out to the end of the strut?
At what point do you have to say ‘screw student/rental gear’ and gag out the money for your own gear? What little height I have isn’t in my torso so what are my options?
Sorry to go on forever. Any help anyone can offer me is truly appreciated.

If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you.
****************************
Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

[LadiDadi 0]

Oh, yeah, pictures...

If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you.
****************************
Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

[BIGUN 1,073]

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So I got out on the step, both hands on the strut and began the terrifying process of inching my way out and away from the plane. I got to the point where my right hand was out far enough but I didn’t feel that I had the strength at that point to be able to let go with my left hand to move it further out without falling off the plane so I stayed put. All I was able to do was get myself into a position where my left leg was still on the step and my right leg was flapping in the wind and the worry shifted. I then became concerned about hitting the step so I kept my left foot firmly planted on it – as long as my left foot was on the step, I knew where it was and I wouldn’t get brained by it. The only thing I could think to do then was to make sure that I was well clear of the step so when I let go with my hands, I kind of launched myself with my left foot in an attempt to push myself clear of the step. I gather now that this was my (non-)fatal error.

That's a poised exit. Don't push off... just step to the right and present your pelvic into the wind. Please get with your Instructors on the right way to make this type of exit.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[LadiDadi 0]

Right. Poised exit. We practiced it on the ground a couple of times and it was one of those things that seemed good on paper. In practice? The word 'poised' did not apply to me. I assure you that I will not be stepping (or flopping or falling) out of a plane again until I figure all of this out.

I have tried to get in contact with the instructor the past couple of days but I keep getting 'we'll give him the message' from the desk people. Tomorrow morning I am going to drive up there and camp out until he has some time to talk to me and help me figure this out.

I decided to post the query here to get as many eyes as I could on the situation - anything to help me sort this out so I can re-focus on moving forward.

If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you.
****************************
Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

[Krunner360 0]

As a 5' 110 pound chic I can relate to your situation. I too was concerned with the climb out and being able to reach. I'm on solo status now and I tell you if you can stick it out it's totally worth it. Door dives are super fun!

I too had (still get) bruises. Mainly from hanging from the strut. Which is the exit for several of your jumps to come. They aren't pretty but I was proud of each one. I still get bruised up but from what? Who knows. I'm having to much fun to care.

Do you have AFF at your DZ? It's another option. My friend had a very bad jump with his leg caught up in the lines (he was a tandem student progression series) and it shook him up. He is now doing AFF and loving it.

Blue skies.

[LadiDadi 0]

I've gotten bruises since my first tandem, I've actually been excited to see what crops up the next day. I have the lovely lash-mark type bruises on my thighs and what my dad (Army guy) calls 'harness hickeys' in my arm pits. Those are tooooootaly different than what I'm sporting now. Those I didn't notice. This hurts. This was scary.

I wish I had AFF as a reasonable option but, as you know (since I just looked at your profile) Snohomish doesn't have AFF and the thought of driving to Kapowsin makes me cringe. Snohomish is bad enough...

If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you.
****************************
Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

[selwynj 0]

The chest strap moving up and choking you was improper adjustment on the harness. If this happens on a sport rig, the rig is too big or the leg staps are not tight enough. It does not have anything to do with the tightness of the chest strap as this just keeps the harness on your shoulders. Please discuss this with your instructors and keep jumping.

“It takes ten years to get ten years’ experience” Eric "tonto" Stephenson D515 PASA

[format 0]

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to make sure that I was well clear of the step so when I let go with my hands, (then) I kind of launched myself with my left foot in an attempt to push myself clear of the step.
... but he had to have known if I was any degree of back-down when the cord pulled.

I bet you were back-down.. and twisted maybe, so what? You seem like a tough girl to be bruise disturbed.

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anything to help me sort this out so I can re-focus on moving forward.

At first static line jump, my eyes rolled up, I think I've fainted until canopy was fully inflated.
Ashamed to ask ANYBODY about it, I was waiting for 2nd jump to confirm my inability to jump at all.
Can you imagine my fear of such possible discovery?
Imagine my happiness seeing the earth. ahh

After one or two jumps more, you'll fill your gaps and have an information overflow on perceptions

_______________________________
Confidence is a feeling you have
before you understand the situation

What goes around, comes later.

[popsjumper 2]

Sounds to me that the whole thing can be summed up as first-jump anxiety and letting that interfere with your focus on doing what you were trained to do.

WTF? First jump by yourself? Anxiety? Quite understandable.

A lot of worry is going on about the "what ifs". Even more than the worry about doing what you are supposed to do.

Sounds like you are trying to get confirmation of your perception of events rather than listening to what your instructor (who, BTW, was there with you, not us) is telling you. It would really be out of line for us out here to second-guess your instructor.

Not to minimize your concern with the bruising but, in the big scheme of things, it's really a minor concern at this point. Listen to what you instructor tells you to do and simply perform as trained. Let it go...you'll do better next time, eh?

All in all, I would say it's simply a matter of first-jump jitters. That will lessen as you do more jumps assuming, of course, that you perform the actions/tasks you are being taught.

Know this: You CAN do this. Even smaller, weaker people can do these things that you are so worried about. Your instructor has a better perception of events than you do simply, if for no other reason, than because he will not be suffering perceptual problems caused by anxiety and time distortion. Listen to what he has to say and go from there.

Good luck!

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[popsjumper 2]

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...I wish I had AFF as a reasonable option...

Maybe. You do realize that AFF involves a LOT more responsibility and performance requirements?

A lot more of those "what ifs" that distract you from your focus.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[peregrinerose 0]

Pops summed this up really well... it sounds like nerves. AKA you're normal
I'm 5'2" and can both reach a strut and hang off of it, no problem. The relative wind from the plane's motion kind of helps with that, relax and just do it (yeah, I know, 'relax' isn't really the greatest thing to try to do when you're about to hurtle your body at the earth, but it really does help).

As you climb out, just before you hang. Look straight ahead, take a very deep breath, let it out slow. That will help.

Bruising on your upper arms... remember that student rigs are one size fits basically no one. Your upper body frame is likely narrower than the rig. If your arms are at 90 degrees and the rig shifts outward, you'll get those bruises. You'll get 'em again too. Don't worry about that.

Bruising on your wrist.... given that it's your right hand, you probably didn't hit anything on your way out of the plane, but hitting the risers/lines with your creative body position can definitely cause bruising like that.

So on the bruising, although you felt you weren't being listened too, it sounds like the instructor was probably right. And he probably really was listening, ask him next time you see him.. voice your concerns about that.

About the chest strap... you DON'T want that cinched wicked tight, because then you can't possibly arch. Go to the DZ and try it on the ground.... have it as tight as it will go and try to arch... since your body arches, the chest strap gets even tighter, and will hold you from a good arch. You want the chest strap to be snug in the arched position, which means when you're sitting in the plane, it may look really loose since the rig is shifted up on your back. Have an instructor demonstrate this, it will make more sense.

Tandem harnesses fit differently than sport rigs. On a tandem student harness, the chest strap can move up and down, on a rig it can't. They are two different creatures. The other problem with tandems is that with a tandem, they teach you to put your legs on your butt.... well, now you have to break yourself of that habit, really think about your arch and your legs on your next exit.

Relax, hang in there, and be patient with yourself. If skydiving was easy, everyone would be doing it

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[jimmytavino 16]

welcome to your "baptism by fire"
hell back when static line was the ONLY way that first jump students were trained....
the gear was twice as bulky, twice as heavy, and HAlf as capable, once the main was opened...

It helps a LOT , on a poised exit jump,, to hitch your Butt out to the VERY edge, of the bottom of the door,,, in anticipation of the verbal command to "climb out".

If you're still sitting on the floor near the pilot, it soooo complicates the pull move, you need to do, to 'GET out there" on the step...
Also keeping your LEFT elbow against the forward upright of the door frame, will give you the leverage that it takes to intitiate the climb out..left hand on the strut, but left elbow against the door frame....
stay low, as you head for the step, reaching with your right arm and stay forward on the step.. the BEST way to hit the damn thing, would be by not Asserting yourself, by shaking and trembling, at the very moment that you need to be strong and positive...
IF the JM was Not Helping you, by hauling on you and your rig... then He or She, messed up ( IMHO ) ..
It's really a TEAM thing.. at that point , and no less crucial than the teamwork needed for a tandem jump...
Get UP on the step, get balanced,, Do it quickly and efficiently,, so that you are READY before you get to the spot... and not in a situation where you're getting LONG,,,, and instead of a smile, a wink, and a tap on you leg,, the JM is freakin' out and hollering GO GO GO>>>> hell this is a sport,,, NOT an
Airborne Assault...

glad you're ok. the bruises are badges of honor.. wear them proudly....


jimmy

[adobelover 0]

When I started S/L training nobody told me there would be bruises. I've had strut bruises, riser slap bruises, leg strap bruises. I even smacked the step with my shin THREE different times...that left a scar! I've also been strangled by a chest strap on a rig way too big for me. RELAX...focus on what your supposed to be doing and your body position will improve. When you get your own gear, it will fit you better, feel more comfortable and you'll have a lot fewer bruises. Student gear SUCKS. Just RELAX... listen to your instructors and have fun!

_________________________________________


Old age ain't no place for sissies!

[danielcroft 2]

"Have fun"

That's the other one, along with "relax" that really never worked for me. What worked for me was "distract yourself thinking of what you have to do until it's too late to build up a lot of fear". Visualizing the dive flow (I did IAF aka tandem progression) all the way to altitude and keeping my breathing in check is all I could do to stay in control of myself.

I'm starting to experience this "fun" thing people mention but the feeling I get more often and have from the beginning is a feeling of accomplishment.

I'm only a noob but the only suggestion I'd make (other than to trust your instructor & their advice) is to focus on what you need to do and do it. Forget about the rest of it. You've decided to skydive and this stuff needs to be done.

Good luck, keep us informed.

[Baksteen 84]

On the other hand, I have over a hundred jumps on oh so despised student gear but only a few bruises.
Bruises that weren't a result of me acting stupid, having poor body position at pull time or doing a crappy packjob that is (being a small DZ I tried -with some success- to jump my own packjobs as often as possible).

Off topic, IMO there's a lot of people who are WAY too fast with buying gear, simply because they have this "prejudice" (if you wish) against student gear and therefore buying a 240 and getting bored with the "boat" after making thirty jumps (if that much) with the canopy.
Alternatively they downsize way too agressively to get a certain canopy model/size and get hurt.

But jumping anything but your own gear can't possibly be cool now can it?

I say f*ck the cool guys and gels - take your time in deciding whether skydiving is for you and just how much you can reasonably expect to jump.
Then buy gear - all the money you'll "piss away" jumping rentals is nothing compared to making an unwise purchase. Gear that does nothing but sit in the closet costs money too - repack that goes stale, cypres that has less years before it expires, 5 yo gear versus 10yo etc.

<>

"That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport."
~mom

[peregrinerose 0]

You are very wrong on this one. According to your profile, you are roughly 200 lbs out the door, and unless you are insanely out of shape, you're probably at least 5'6". The OP is a small framed girl. Student gear is sized to fit 'most' jumpers, and 'most' jumpers are male, 5'6" or taller, and 150 lbs or heavier. She has a MUCH smaller frame, so the rig will fit her very differently, and will cause bruising. YOU didn't get bruises because the fit of student gear is very different for you than her. Trust me, I've worked with a hundred students now, and was a smaller framed student myself.... I see how gear fits different people differently and who gets bruises where.

There is no prejudace against student gear.. it is what it is.... starter gear for first jumps. Buying your own gear somewhere around an A license (USED, not NEW!!) makes sense for several reasons....
1. Consistency... you learn much more much more quickly when you are on the same rig every single skydive. With student gear, depending on student loads that day, you may not have the same gear two loads in a row much less 2 days in a row.

2. Fit. Very large students, skinny students, short students etc, simply don't fit as well in generically sized student gear. Small students get bruised, that's just how it is. Skinny students may find the rig shifting slightly on their backs, so hackey in a slightly different spot each jump.

3. Learning gear. Students learn, trust, and appreciate gear more when it's their own... when they can take it home and pack it themselves, ask questions about it, work with their riggers to maintain it, actually look at it at home on their own time and really get to know their equipment.

4. Money. You can get a decent starter rig for $2000, sometimes less, then when ready for newer gear or upgrades, sell it and make most of that money back... it's a good investment, better than renting gear.

It has nothing to do with looking cool/being a cool guy.. there are sound reasons for buying one's own gear. Broaden your views a LOT.... your experience is not the same as every experience.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[adobelover 0]

You are so right! I'm an OLD lady with brittle bones so I HAD to get my own gear or I probably wouldn't have stayed with this sport. Found a good deal on a slightly used rig, borrowed the money and bought a Cypres2 on a credit card. Jumped my own gear on jump #13 and believe me it made a HUGE difference in my comfort level AND it was cheaper in the long run than renting rigs. I could then focus on learning other important skills...and having FUN!

_________________________________________


Old age ain't no place for sissies!

[LadiDadi 0]

Wow! You guys are great and I really appreciate all the advice and encouragement.

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I bet you were back-down.. and twisted maybe, so what? You seem like a tough girl to be bruise disturbed.

Well, at least you didn't call me a wuss... I'm not bothered by the bruises themselves. If I was that delicate of a flower then I am pursuing the wrong thing. "So what"? Isn't being back down and twisted a less than optimal position to be in?

popsjumper:

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Sounds like you are trying to get confirmation of your perception of events rather than listening to what your instructor (who, BTW, was there with you, not us) is telling you. It would really be out of line for us out here to second-guess your instructor.

I'm really not trying to second guess him or find anyone else to do that. I just honestly feel like he blew me off rather than took the time to *listen* to me. If he had simply stopped what he was doing, took a moment to listen to what I was trying to say to him, my confidence in him would be much greater than it currently is. If I feel that he is not listening to me then why would I feel that listening to him is going to lead me to answers? I have no hard feelings towards him or anyone else over this - except for maybe the little voice in my head - and I'm not angry at anyone but myself; there is no blame I'm looking to lay on anyone. I am responsible for myself and my piss poor exit from the plane.

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Listen to what you instructor tells you to do and simply perform as trained.

I will perform as trained once I am done asking a thousand questions. That's just who I am. I don't want to simply learn what to do but UNDERSTAND what I am doing as well. I will ask many, many questions before and after each jump. I would be concerned about a student that didn't question anything.

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Maybe. You do realize that AFF involves a LOT more responsibility and performance requirements? A lot more of those "what ifs" that distract you from your focus.

I would agree if I had any fear of being out of the plane or performance anxiety about what goes on outside of the plane. I look forward to being out of the plane. GETTING out of the plane is what's freaking me out. I think I failed to mention that I am absolutely terrified of flying... On my first tandem jump I started sucking wind hard on the way up. My instructor asked me if I was okay or afraid to jump. I told him that I was afraid to fly and couldn't wait to jump - whatever it took to get the hell out of that plane!

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Second guessing instructors is a good way to have some sporting exits

Please don't confuse asking questions with second guessing.

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You also need to trust yourself.

Hahahaha yeah, okay. *snort* Seriously, you are exactly right here. That was the magic bean that I left on the ground. I did not feel that I had the ability/strength/skill/grace/charm/whatever to hold on to the strut. To loosely quote that Iowa cornfield baseball movie - I believed it and it came.

peregrinerose:

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About the chest strap... you DON'T want that cinched wicked tight, because then you can't possibly arch.

I should clarify this - when I say that I cinched it down as far as it would go what I'm referring to is that I had some rubber bands on it that marked where it should have been when I was standing up. I didn't actually crank the thing down. I couldn't have. I'm so short in the torso that sitting in the plane geared up puts the top of the pack behind my head and the chest strap in totally the wrong place.

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hang in there

That's funny. Even though you probably didn't mean it to be, it still is.

jimmytavino:

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IF the JM was Not Helping you, by hauling on you and your rig... then He or She, messed up

I honestly don't know if he did or not. He was very encouraging to me the whole time I was trying to haul myself out of the plane. I hesitated several times and every time he said "You can do this. You KNOW you can do this." He wasn't pushy or 'airborne assault-y' at all. It was only when we were on the ground that I felt that we were no longer a team.

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the bruises are badges of honor.. wear them proudly

Oh I am! I'm quite enjoying freaking people out with them. My favorite is "What?!? Did you fall or something?" Uh. Yeah. Actually, I did. "Off what?" An airplane. Good times...

adobelover and danielcroft:

Relax and have fun - I can do that once I'm out of the plane. Again, it's the getting out that's where the anxiety comes in. On my very first tandem jump, once the chute was open my first words were "Are you fucking kidding me?!? Cut the cords and let's go again!!" Surprisingly, he refused. I'm all about the freefall. The canopy ride is just a necessity so I can survive it.

Baksteen:

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"prejudice" (if you wish) against student gear... But jumping anything but your own gear can't possibly be cool now can it?

I'm not prejudiced against student gear because it's student gear. I'm prejudiced against things that are designed to save my life but don't fit right. I'm not worried in the least about looking cool. I'm worried about staying alive and (relatively) un-injured. Looking/acting cool has never been a concern of mine but nobody looks cool in a mangled heap on the ground.

peregrinerose:

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Student gear is sized to fit 'most' jumpers, and 'most' jumpers are male, 5'6" or taller, and 150 lbs or heavier.

You are absolutely correct. One of the tandem instructors said to me "the problem with gear that is built for everyone is that it doesn't really fit anyone." My husband made his first jump ever that same day and the gear fit him perfectly. He's 5'10" and 150lbs and had no complaints whatsoever about the gear.

I also have my dad's voice in my head saying over and over "Don't worry about the money. Get your own gear. You can't afford NOT to." He also keeps going on about how lucky I am that I get to wear a parachute on my back and that I get to jump from higher than 800 feet and on and on. He's in the Army. I then fire back with "Didn't you guys have to jump from hot air balloons? Airplanes weren't invented yet, right?" He joined the Army in 1732 - I mean - 1966.

Again - I can't thank you all enough for your help and well wishes!! Constructive advice is always welcome - keep it coming.

If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you.
****************************
Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

[peregrinerose 0]

Glad we could help

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If I feel that he is not listening to me then why would I feel that listening to him is going to lead me to answers?

Talk to the instructor, tell him how you feel. Remember that as a student, no matter the presentation, it is your responsibility to listen to every word your instructors say.... you will lose a LOT of information in tuning people out because your feelings are hurt. Check your emotions at the door in this sport.

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I will perform as trained once I am done asking a thousand questions. That's just who I am. I don't want to simply learn what to do but UNDERSTAND what I am doing as well. I will ask many, many questions before and after each jump. I would be concerned about a student that didn't question anything.

Aaaahhh, but you didn't perform as trained on this particular jump, did you? You hesitated, had poor body position on the step, and de-arched... I doubt that's how you were trained You learned first hand why we teach the way we do, go with it next time. Bulldoze your way out the door, you need to exert some effort and be assertive, but it's just wind, it won't hurt you

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I did not feel that I had the ability/strength/skill/grace/charm/whatever to hold on to the strut. To loosely quote that Iowa cornfield baseball movie - I believed it and it came.

Good, now you know that if you DO believe you can get out the door, have a nice arch, etc, it will happen... just like the cinematic cornfield!

Glad to hear you didn't touch the chest strap... DON'T ADJUST YOUR OWN GEAR! If something doesn't feel right to you, ask. I've had students pull more screwy stunts adjusting their own gear... fortuntatly students get 3 gear checks prior to every skydive, so even when they undo chest straps in the plane (yep, I've had one do that), it gets caught.

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I'm all about the freefall. The canopy ride is just a necessity so I can survive it.

This mindset needs to get changed NOW. Do you know how skydivers tend to kill themselves? It's not in freefall, it's not with canopy malfunctions, it's under perfectly good parachutes. Learn to fly your canopy just as comprehensively as you learn to fly your body. Flying a canopy requires as much skill as flying your body. And can be just as much fun... you just don't realize that yet... keep an open mind.

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I'm prejudiced against things that are designed to save my life but don't fit right. I'm not worried in the least about looking cool. I'm worried about staying alive and (relatively) un-injured.

It may not fit right, but it will still save your life. There's nothing unsafe about a few bruises. Suck it up cupcake, we all go through this as students. Give it 20ish jumps or so on student gear before you start thinking of buying your own. Understand when you do buy your own, it will probably be a better fit, but still not perfect if you buy used. I have 500 jumps on my first container... better than a student rig, but still gave me those bruises on my upper arms. But hey, for $1800, that's ok. I still have that rig as my backup.

Diving into buying gear too soon and without knowing anything about the gear you're buying is just as bad as never buying your own gear. I bought my gear at 20ish jumps, but I also had been working as a packer for 4 months, so had a decent handle on gear information.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[danielcroft 2]

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danielcroft:

Relax and have fun - I can do that once I'm out of the plane. Again, it's the getting out that's where the anxiety comes in. On my very first tandem jump, once the chute was open my first words were "Are you fucking kidding me?!? Cut the cords and let's go again!!" Surprisingly, he refused. I'm all about the freefall. The canopy ride is just a necessity so I can survive it.

First, I actually said that "Have Fun" was something I couldn't do. I'm just getting it occasionally now. My angle is focus but that worked for me YMMV.

As for the canopy as just a ride to the ground, Brian Germain says you should love flying your canopy because most people get good at things they enjoy. I *actually* love flying my canopy, I've found myself wondering why we don't have the canopy version of wind tunnels (Ground Launching isn't quite the same thing). As peregrinerose said, you have a much higher chance of getting hurt under canopy so best start liking it now!

[MomDaBomb 0]

Atleast you know how not to exit the plane now. I don't know about you but I have a habit of over-thinking things... So much that I get stuck on the small details instead of the bigger picture. I do better when I close my eyes and visualize the jump on the way up. I do it twice and then try not to think about it after that. When I get to the door, I say to myself "F*ck it, I'll figure it out on the way down". I know you want to figure out exactly what happened so you don't do it again next time but what are the chances that you could make the same exact mistake at the same exact time in the jump, in the same exact body position? Maybe you should get a video next time?

[sdctlc 0]

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I wish I had AFF as a reasonable option but, as you know (since I just looked at your profile) Snohomish doesn't have AFF and the thought of driving to Kapowsin makes me cringe. Snohomish is bad enough...

I thought Snohomish had AFF previously?? Oh well.. I have not been to Snohomish in awhile, I dont think this year at all. I had been jumping in Bremerton mostly until they closed late last year and now I have been more often down to Shelton. Pretty views at Snohomish I have to say. You noted a cringe for travel to Kapowsin (Shelton) are you coming from up north? The drive around can be long from up north depending on the timing and taking the Ferry across to Kingston can be a pain also depending on times but the drive is easy from there down to Shelton..

Like had been said, don't push off on the Poised exit. I have had a number of students do that and they can get into some funky positions. Think Chest into the wind with a side step motion and not a twisting or turning push off the planes step. Some times it helps to be looking up at the wing and to keep looking up at it to help keep the body in the correct orientation while starting to fall away. Anyway, good luck and glad to hear your loving i!

Scott C.

"He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!"