MikeAF

[MikeAF 0]

My kids is a 300lb ex-lineman / center.  Where and how can he get his first jump?

 

Thanks,

Mike

[BIGUN 1,051]

On 4/17/2021 at 10:34 PM, MikeAF said:

My kids is a 300lb ex-lineman / center.  Where and how can he get his first jump?

Good Morning, Mike. One of the moderators pointed me to this thread. 

I am the founder of the Anvil Brothers Skydiving Team, but had turned it over to MaxxMadMaxxx at Skydive Houston. The original premise was to help skydivers over 200# to skydive better with their "little" friends, to help them find "Anvil-Friendly" dropzones to learn how to skydive and to bomb the World FreeFall Convention with nightly naked, no suit, no stress, sunset skydives to catch an eight way chunk and if you succeeded - you too; could get an Anvil Brothers Number.

To your kid. At 300# - I hate to say it, but the chances are almost zero percent that it isn't going to happen for two reasons, 1) Is the "Highest" Technical Standard Order (TSO) by the FAA is 300# for AFF. That's the equipment (Rig, Main, Reserve, Altimeter, suit, shoes, + skydiver - everything) cannot exceed 300#, 2) Trying to find an Instructor to jump with someone will also be difficult. There is no worse feeling in the world than to "lose" a student in freefall and hope you remembered to triple check the AAD, but to pray in freefall they "pull first" to get the main out there.

There are those that will tell you - "Oh AFF can can be done with a tandem rig." and it can, but the best of luck finding someone to reconfigure their tandem for AFF for a statistically one-time jump (by that I mean - the percentage of one-time jumpers is still very high). 

Tandem Jump - MAX TSO weight is #500 - that's Instructor, Student + ALL gear before getting on the plane. That would mean finding a TI that weighs about ~125# and who has the willingness to take someone your son's size on a tandem.

And finally, the prospect of your son getting hurt. Just a fact, but the bigger, the more prone to injury on landing. 

RECOMMENDATION: 

1. If your son is in a field (Football) where he needs to maintain that weight - ask him to focus on his priorities. Stay in what he's doing and let the dream of skydiving wait. We always say, "The sky will always be there."

2. If he can lose weight; he should get down to around 240# for his first dive with a height/weight that is proportional - should he continue, it's been my experience that after the first skydive and if they fall in love with it - they'll lose more weight and even faster. 

You are welcome to PM me with further questions. I'm always willing to help my fellow Anvil Brothers. 

Keith BIGUN

 

     

Edited April 19, 2021 by BIGUN

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

300# is going to be tough.

Tandems are out at that weight.

Solo (AFF) is going to mean special gear, along with instructors who can keep down with him.
Even static line would require special gear. And a bigger plane. I can't see putting a 300#  S/L student out of a 182.

IIRC, Spaceland Houston did 'big boy' students a while back.
You might start out by asking them if they still do or know who does.

I don't know if the Anvil Brothers are still around and active, but you might try to find some of them. It is/was a group of big guys who jump(ed).