When to Cut Away?

[dankleinstuber 0]

I have a question about when to cut away vs. when to go straight for your reserve....I'm reading through forums regularly and watching training videos on youtube etc and I'm getting conflicting information...

I'n the case of a complete malfunction (you pull your pilot chute but you get a bag lock, or pilot chute in tow) shoulf you pull your cut away handle and then pull your reserve? Or just pull your reserve?

The training videos I've watched all show the jumper pulling the cutaway, and then pulling the reserve but in some of these forums people are saying go straight for your reserve...

Can someone please help me understand when you should go straight for the reserve?

Thanks!

[sammielu 3]

Skydiving is really complicated and confusing to learn all at once. For newcomers to the sport, instructors break it down into manageable pieces of information that you add on through training jumps, then later licensed jumps, and build knowledge from there. Problems can happen and be resolved in less than a second so there is no time for confusion.

The same applies to people new to looking for skydiving information on the Internet - trying to take it all in at once leads to confusion.

The correct answer for licensed jumpers is: it depends (on the jumper, the gear, the malfunction, and the specific scenario).

The correct answer to you is: listen to your instructors. If you don't yet have instructors because you haven't done any jump training, then start training (go to a first jump course).

[dankleinstuber 0]

Thanks for the reply!

I have around 25 jumps, no malfunctions whatsoever so far, just curious if anyone had any insight on the total malfunction scenario when your main isnt out of the d-bag yet.

Thanks again, any help or knowledge from you more experienced jumpers is appreciated!

-Dan

[irishrigger 31]

HI,

for me there is a straight forward and easy answer that I teach my students and it is the following...

IF they have DEPLOYED the Main Pilot chute, I always teach them to CUTAWAY and pull the reserve!!!

in regards to pulling the Reserve only, I teach that if the Student is unable to deploy or pull the Pilot chute for what ever reason. Bare in Mind that this will be a high speed malfunction and you are running out of time very quickly.

Delighted to see you looking into this and being curious about it. never stop asking Questions if you in any doubt about anything!

one word of caution though, be aware of the things you see on YouTube or for that matter what you read on here. there can be a lot of different opinions on here which might confuse a jumper in the early stages like yourself!

the best thing you can do as mentioned above, next time you are at your DZ go and find a Qualified Instructor to answer your question. In my opinion that is the best way, face to face and the instructor should be able to explain clearly as to what procedure to follow. it is important that you understand the answer you get so that it is 100% clear in your head and that you understand it.

In the Meantime welcome to our Sport

Blue Skies and safe Landings

Rodger

[sundevil777 93]

Quote

I'n the case of a complete malfunction (you pull your pilot chute but you get a bag lock, or pilot chute in tow) shoulf you pull your cut away handle and then pull your reserve? Or just pull your reserve?

A bag lock always calls for a cutaway. No controversy.

A total malfunctions (can't find or pull the main) does not call for a cutaway. No/very little controversy.

As you move past being a newb, it is OK to know that a PC in tow is where there is some controversy about whether cutting away first is best. Lots of threads that focus on this. Don't believe those that claim only one side of the argument has any advantages. Understand fully what is being claimed before deciding which side to come down on, or that a particular person's good result proves their position.

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

[mr2mk1g 10]

sundevil777

Quote

I'n the case of a complete malfunction (you pull your pilot chute but you get a bag lock, or pilot chute in tow) shoulf you pull your cut away handle and then pull your reserve? Or just pull your reserve?

A bag lock always calls for a cutaway. No controversy.

A total malfunctions (can't find or pull the main) does not call for a cutaway. No/very little controversy.

As you move past being a newb, it is OK to know that a PC in tow is where there is some controversy about whether cutting away first is best. Lots of threads that focus on this. Don't believe those that claim only one side of the argument has any advantages. Understand fully what is being claimed before deciding which side to come down on, or that a particular person's good result proves their position.

This. In my view there are two schools of thought, each with perfectly reasonable arguments in favour of which way to go.

The don't cutaway school says why bother - you're doing 120mph at or below deployment height. Don't waste time, get your reserve out straight away.

The cutaway school says if you have only 1 set of reserve drills you are less likely to brain fart or hesitate. If reserve drill always = "cutaway and deploy reserve" then malfunction will always = your single reserve drill as opposed to stop and decide which version of your reserve drill you should employ in this precise situation. You are doing 120mph at or below deployment height after all.

There are other arguments each way about how the gear might behave post deployment but those two arguments tend to be the main ones deployed whenever there's a thread on this topic.

[riggerrob 558]

A complete malfunction (aka. total malfunction) means nothing came out of your main container (not even a pilot-chute), then your back is clear to pull only your reserve ripcord.

Most other malfunctions are 'partial malfunctions' with enough (of your main chute) out to interfere with reserve deployment. Partial malfunctions range from a pilot-chute in tow all the way to a madly spinning main. Because most partial malfunctions spin, they are at great risk of entangling with your (partially deployed) main. When you suffer a partial malfunction, your best option is pulling your cutaway handle, closely followed by your reserve ripcord.

P.S. Malfunction questions are best answered by a local instructor.

[dankleinstuber 0]

Thanks everyone for the response! Very helpful and great to know you can come here for advice from more experienced skydivers!

-Dan