I just want to jump

[unam sanctum 0]

I've found a spot, hopefully someone can vouch for the Huntington, WV dropzone. Honestly, I don't care as much as I should...They seem like like a good bunch.  I want to get my hours in so bad that sky diving safety means jack all.  I'm trying to dive off of cliffs,  Not sure why I need however many thousands of jumps when it all amounts to pulling the same device.  I get the risks, really.  But if I can pull a cord then I can pull it.   

[riggerrob 558]

Most cliff-jumping instructors will want you to show logbooks filled with at least 200 skydives before they will teach you the finer points of cliff-diving. Cliff-diving is often called BASE Jumping: buildings, antennas, spans (bridges) and earth (cliffs).

Frankly, it will take you most of 200 jumps to learn the packing and precision landing skills needed to survive higher-risk BASE jumps.

I mentioned precision landing skills because many popular BASE sites have tiny landing areas hemmed in by trees, railroads, large rocks and fast-flowing rivers, so your only safe option is landing on a small sand bar.

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

Try an AFF jump.

It's a bit more complicated and difficult than 'just pull the cord'.

[sfzombie13 307]

robert newlon field is my home dz.  you have to do a tandem there first if you want to become a student.  i wouldn't recommend it in the winter, and i don't think we are doing any fjc's until at least after safety day, which we often put off until april due to flooding, pic attached.  we do iad training, not aff.  very tight landing area, river on one side and a campground and railroad tracks on the other.  come on down and join us. 

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by sfzombie13
forgot the pic

[nwt 131]

On 1/11/2022 at 10:12 AM, sfzombie13 said:

robert newlon field is my home dz.  you have to do a tandem there first if you want to become a student.  i wouldn't recommend it in the winter, and i don't think we are doing any fjc's until at least after safety day, which we often put off until april due to flooding, pic attached.  we do iad training, not aff.  very tight landing area, river on one side and a campground and railroad tracks on the other.  come on down and join us. 

 

Dang. Does it flood like that every year?

[sfzombie13 307]

most of the time, yes.  sometimes it doesn't but it's not good to bet on it.  last year was the record, or was it the year before?  they all run together for some strange reason. 

[gowlerk 1,903]

On 12/23/2021 at 7:08 PM, unam sanctum said:

I'm trying to dive off of cliffs,  Not sure why I need however many thousands of jumps when it all amounts to pulling the same device.  I get the risks, really.  But if I can pull a cord then I can pull it.   

You don't. You can just buy some gear and take your chances using it. Man up.

[DougH 270]

On 12/23/2021 at 8:08 PM, unam sanctum said:

Not sure why I need however many thousands of jumps when it all amounts to pulling the same device.  I get the risks, really.  But if I can pull a cord then I can pull it.   

This website would have been a hoot for you in its heyday.

I don't think you get the risks, but that is ok, how could you at this point.

The main reason is that skydiving and base jumping in real life isn't like some side mission in a video game where you push a button at the last second to "pull a cord" and avoid your avatar going splat. For starters there usually isn't a cord, and there is also a moderate amount of complexity beyond just opening a parachute that make up the rest of a skydive: planning, preparation, and execution of a jump. Each of which could result in a really terrible outcome if not adequately addressed. 

Edited June 24, 2022 by DougH