When to become swooper?

[FlyinDawg 0]

When it's best time as expreienced jumper to learn be swooper? Like I mean as require by license or number of jumps? That's all I need know.

Flyin' Dawg or SkyDog


"To understand is to forgive, even oneself."

[Reginald 0]

When you don't feel the need to be cool or show off.

"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

[AFFI 0]

So, ummmm, never???

[marks 0]

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So, ummmm, never???

why not?

[AFFI 0]

Cuz that is when I will qualify:

"When you don't feel the need to be cool or show off. "

[marks 0]

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Cuz that is when I will qualify:

"When you don't feel the need to be cool or show off. "

swooping isn't for everyone, neither is skydiving. but some of us love it, don't we?
for some reason, i love to show off. but I also, hate to crash. but I have learned to crash well. knock on wood.

do you think it is "cool" to swoop? do you think it is "cool" to skydive? is that why you do it? no, im sure it is not, and swoopers don't swoop to "be cool".

but to answer the question, you can start learning as soon as you graduate, with some basic canopy control coaching.

[phoenixlpr 0]

You can start from the first jump. Swooping is high speed accuracy, so start with accurate landings and get more speed after 200-300 jumps.

[genitor 0]

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do you think it is "cool" to swoop? do you think it is "cool" to skydive? is that why you do it? no, im sure it is not, and swoopers don't swoop to "be cool".

If nothing else, I'm absolutely sure that a lot of people start swooping just to look cool.

[FlyinDawg 0]

thank you! i like that opinion as this. More than 200-300 jumps is like good reasonable to be swooper

Flyin' Dawg or SkyDog


"To understand is to forgive, even oneself."

[MB38 0]

I once overheard a conversation between a canopy coach and an overzealous DGIT. The lesson was effectively "when you get to the point where you think you're ready to swoop, take your jump number and double it. Live that long and you might be ready."

But I'm in no position to give advice, I merely pass on what I hear.

I really don't know what I'm talking about.

[AggieDave 6]

You should be learning how to swoop right now. Now, let me explain what that means!

To swoop you have to have accuracy and the ability to fly a consistant pattern every time. To be accurate every time you need to be able to fly that pattern. You don't get one without the other.

To swoop you have to be able to fly your pattern to put you over the correct point for your point of maneuver at the right altitude for that maneuver. If you can't do that you will never ever be a safe swooper or even safe to be in the air with.

To swoop you have to understand how your canopy flies in all different inputs. Its not just about yanking a riser at a certain altitude. Learn how to fly flat turns, learn how to adjust your glide (flatten or steepen) accurately. Learn how to bail out of your turns. Learn how to bail and still turn into a safe direction without becoming a divot.

The list goes on and on, but the short answer is get with a coach and learn as much as you can about regular canopy flight. You HAVE to have all the basics down very well before you can even begin to think about swooping.

A few weeks ago I decided to work out all the details that go into one swoop. The list was nearly 3 pages long and that was without the explainations. It was just a break down of all the little pieces that go into each swoop. The largest majority of the things that have to happen for a swoop all happened before touching a front riser.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[jurgencamps 0]

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A few weeks ago I decided to work out all the details that go into one swoop. The list was nearly 3 pages long and that was without the explainations. It was just a break down of all the little pieces that go into each swoop. The largest majority of the things that have to happen for a swoop all happened before touching a front riser.

Can you post that list? Probably very interesting for a lot people.
Jurgen

[Reginald 0]

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thank you! i like that opinion as this. More than 200-300 jumps is like good reasonable to be swooper

Just because you like an opinion does not make it right.

I know a number of serious swoopers all with 8,000+ jumps. They won't even start talking "swooping" with jumpers until they hit 1,000 jumps. That said learning how to fly a canopy, things such as accuracy, etc. ARE the basic skills that swoopers build on (as previously mentioned) so you have plenty to do until the time is right...whenever that is either 300 or 1,000 jumps or more.

"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

[Reginald 0]

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So, ummmm, never???

LOL!

"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

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and swoopers don't swoop to "be cool".

That is utter bullshit, Mark and you know it.

[marks 0]

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do you think it is "cool" to swoop? do you think it is "cool" to skydive? is that why you do it? no, im sure it is not, and swoopers don't swoop to "be cool".

If nothing else, I'm absolutely sure that a lot of people start swooping just to look cool.

then the same goes for people who start skydiving.

[marks 0]

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and swoopers don't swoop to "be cool".

That is utter bullshit, Mark and you know it.

actually chuck, it is in a sense, but it depends on how you look at it.

I would be much better off as a person if it wasn't for all YOU FUCKS! messing around in MY world.!

[bch7773 0]

you can always start messing around with your canopy, at altitude. Learn riser inputs, harness inputs, dives, recoveries, etc.

I have no clue on at what jump number you can start swooping though... all I know is I have 500 jumps and I don't swoop

MB 3528, RB 1182

[rehmwa 2]

Want to learn to fly a canopy? Want to be both comfortable and competent in the saddle? Want to know how to respond to unexpected issues while flying a canopy?

Learn CrW. It will be applicable to lessons you need for being a total canopy pilot.

Learn accuracy, etc. Take a course.

And do you want to be a 'swooper' (take it seriously, compete, frequently get out at 5K and not do nearly as much freefall, etc)?, or just have fun surfing some of your landings in when you feel like it? Or just being a better canopy pilot?

Or do you just think it's cool to buy and land a little spec at 100 jumps (not you necessarily, but a lot of newbies' egos think that this is just how it is - it's not)?

(aside - I'm not a swooper by any means, but I do like to occasionally get a nice long smooth front riser approach and surf my landings as far as I can on no/low wind days - when traffic isn't too bad. Doing this has tremendously helped in learning how to set up and get accuracy. And it also means learning what I can from those are 'truly' good at it.)

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[AggieDave 6]

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Can you post that list? Probably very interesting for a lot people.

Maybe, its in a bit of a short hand so I'd have to add explainations to a lot of the points on the list. This will have to wait for my next day off.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[micro 0]

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Can you post that list? Probably very interesting for a lot people.

Maybe, its in a bit of a short hand so I'd have to add explainations to a lot of the points on the list. This will have to wait for my next day off.

well, put in that day off request and get to it copper!!!

seriously though, your previous post was most informative... it had more substance than most other posts combined... this document you're working on has piqued my curiosity.

I miss Lee.
And JP.
And Chris. And...

[mjosparky 3]

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You can start from the first jump. Swooping is high speed accuracy, so start with accurate landings and get more speed after 200-300 jumps.

Very good responce, I will steal that sometime in the future.

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Yossarian 0]

i saw a mate stack it in recently (made a nice crater, bounced a few times and by an absolute miracle came out with only a few bruises, when u hear a (who i think was) a pro-swooper standing just behind u muttering 'he's dead' as soon as he inititiated the turn your blood runs a little colder, im much more inclined to get into crw and accuracy now, ive never really seen the point of swooping, but then im not really the extreme type anyway

[phoenixlpr 0]

I sweared on not ever jumping with a sub 200 sqft canopy in 2001.

I sweared on not ever swooping my Pilot150 when I've bought 3 years ago.

I had countless(150-200???) of 1000m jumps and I can land it quite well almost whereever I want.

I had ~50 double front riser approaches so far and I'm going to try 90 degrees approaches too.

[AFFI 0]

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I sweared on not ever jumping with a sub 200 sqft canopy in 2001.
I sweared on not ever swooping my Pilot150 when I've bought 3 years ago.
I had countless(150-200???) of 1000m jumps and I can land it quite well almost whereever I want.
I had ~50 double front riser approaches so far and I'm going to try 90 degrees approaches too.

I swore I would never swoop either, then one day (years ago) I screwed up during an off landing and found myself in a very bad situation - power lines to the front, and each side and I had no idea what a braked turn was yet and I was getting low so I made the decision to do a 180 and cranked a toggle down - To see nothing but ground coming up at me was as exhilarating as freefall and the feeling when the canopy leveled off as my feet skimmed just inches above the grass felt incredibly wonderful! Definitely felt as good as freefall!

I could have easily died or been severely injured that day, but the timing of the hook was perfect (lucky) for swooping, the surf was up and the adrenalin tasted so good - I had to have more!

The DZO took me under his wing over the next 500+ jumps and taught me how to better fly my parachute; he made me take my time and regulated my downsizing -

Today I am no "super swooper" but I can get nice ones that are long for me anyway, this is a huge portion of satisfaction I get from the whole of skydiving, it feels really really GOOD...

That being said, I do not recommend ANYONE take up high performance landings unless you get proper training, take your time and fully accept the added risk.

Mykel AFF-I10
Skydiving Priorities: 1) Open Canopy. 2) Land Safely. 3) Don’t hurt anyone. 4) Repeat…