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skydivercowboy

how to get down?

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ok so im having problems getting down to people that i want to dock on. if im on the same level as them i can get to them i just cant get on the same level. i jumped today and couldnt and its bothering me... i weigh 135 pounds so i dont have a fast fall rate as it. so if yall could give me some tips and tell me what yall do, i would appreciate it so much! so any positive info is very helpful and well appreciated... thank yall...
love that rush!

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You probably need to wear weights, but at your jump numbers you really want to ease into this. Get with some of the good RW jumpers at your DZ for more specifics about how weights affect your freefall and landing.
You don't have to outrun the bear.

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Proper suit, proper technique, weights if necessary.

The correct suit can make a lot of difference.

I fall like a feather too. If I'm jumping with bigger folks I have to wear a bit of weight (10# or so).

If you are maxed out on your fall rate you won't have much manuverability. Anything you do to make any sort of move will slow your fall rate and mess you up.
"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

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Learn how to delta dive. I too am very floaty. At first people recommended weights, they helped me get down... and below the formation.... Learn how to control your fall rate. Learning how to fall faster and slow, delta dive and float are skills that are more important than using weights or jumpsuits. Talk to your instructor or coach and learn how to fly :)

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

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Are you 2 feet high and cant close that gap?

Are you 10 feet high and cant close that gap?

Are you 100 feet high and cant close that gap?

Do you manage to get to a set distance, and cant close that gap but stay relative to the group?

Do you manage to get to a set distance, and cant close that gap and cant stay relative to the group, so they get further away?
Remster

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ok so im having problems getting down to people that i want to dock on. if im on the same level as them i can get to them i just cant get on the same level. i jumped today and couldnt and its bothering me... i weigh 135 pounds so i dont have a fast fall rate as it. so if yall could give me some tips and tell me what yall do, i would appreciate it so much! so any positive info is very helpful and well appreciated... thank yall...



ummmmm ARCH!!!!!!:D Seriously though ARCH and Dress for success. A fast belly suit will help. Does your DZ have a rental rack of jumpsuits? Go to the DZO and talk to him and try a few different ones.

I have the exact opposite problem as I am a big fat fucker so slowing down for you puny folks sucks balls:P

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

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im usually about 50 feet above and 25 to 50 feet away... i try to get into a steep dive but when i do it throws me on my back... right now im wearing shorts and a tight under armor shirt... this is really frustrating, embarrassing, and its really getting me down... i cant stop thinking about how i kept messing up.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5oSSdXmwtw this is the jump from yesterday and it was the 2nd or 3rd time to try to get down to someone, but i no i sucked it up... im in the blue full face helmet and in shorts...
love that rush!

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Assuming I was viewing the correct jumper, it appeared as though you were actually in more of a de-arched position that one would use to slow their fall rate?? Have one of your instructors take a look, hopefully you can fix it without having to mess with weights. That seems like a pain in the ass to me....

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Assuming I was viewing the correct jumper, it appeared as though you were actually in more of a de-arched position that one would use to slow their fall rate?? ..



To the OP - I agree - it looked like you (if that was you) were de-arching as you were trying to delta into a dive config. I'll bet you didn't even realize it. I'd recommend a few jumps, with video (that's important), specifically dedicated to coaching you on fall rate, with 1 or 2 people who are (a) experienced RW jumpers, and (b) good at teaching/coaching others.

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I think you're still to early in your learning curve to worry about weights, and different jump suits. I would focus on the fundamentals of stability, and fall rate, and basic docking maneuvers. And I would do that with a good coach, or even another more experienced jumper who's willing to help. I try to do drill dives with one other jumper, and focus strictly on fall rate the whole dive (my problem is slowing my fall rate). Maybe focus on 2-ways and then progress to larger formations. You friends will want to include you in larger formations that you are quite possibly not ready for yet. I have a similar experience level and feel like the more I jump, the more I realize how much I don't know. Take it slow, have fun, and be safe.

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do yall think that is ok or whats y'alls in put?



Sitflying as a substitute for a lack of diving skills?

I hope the phrasing of the question answers it for you.;)

Watching the video, I wonder if a simple hard arch (a real hard arch) would have gotten you down more easily than the dive attempts.

I'm no RW expert, but when I dive, I start in a standard belly arch "boxman", sweep my arms back and straighten my legs. I lower my head a little, but I don't de-arch at all. You looked like you were trying a "jackknife" swimming dive.

I think a couple jumps with a qualified RW coach and video would be a big help.
"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

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Don't take this the wrong way, but you and your buddies are all out of your minds, and headed for trouble.

It looked to me like nobody on that dive was very high-time, and all three of you had very little in the way of a 'plan'. There was no eye contact between the jumpers, no clear indication of who was the base, no appafrent break-off plan, no track by anyone on the jump, and the one guy dumped with you above him.

You should be embarassed to have that video on the web. It's nothing personal, and not that you guys are bad people, but that is a prime example of how not to do a three way skydive. The number of areas where you all left yourselves open to error is huge, and sooner or later one of those errors will manifest itself in an incident. Take this a wake up call that you need far more organization and planning with regards to who you jump with and what you do on those jumps.

As far as your skills are concerned, you seem to have a fundamental lack of udneratsnding on the basics of RW. Any sort of dive or delta manuver is only for a long dive down to base that exits long before you on a jump. Closing the gap between you and a guy just below you with either manuver is asking for the type of high speed freefall collision that will make both parties a big fan of AADs. The amount of speed you build-up, and then have to bleed off at just the right time, is significant and as such you cannot use those manuvers in close quarters. Additionally, you should never attempt to employ any skill you have not demonsrated a modicum of control over in a solo jump on jump with others. You should be able to demonstrate a clean transition to the delta, hold it with good control of heading and attitude, and return to belly-to-earth in full control, all on a solo skydive before even thinking about using it on a group jump.

Sit flying has no place in RW, and that's why you've never heard anyone referencing that tactic for closing a gap, or seen it on video. It's a horribly bad idea, for many of the same reasons you should not attempt a delta manuver in close quarters. The closing speeds will be significant, the higher the closing speeds, the higher your level of control needs to be. At higher speeds, every little mistake you make will be amplified, along with the force of impact when a collision occurs.

My adivce, in no specific order -

1. Plan your skydives to include eye contact beteen the jumpers, a clear-cut break off alititude at which EVERYONE will track in their own direction, and pull in their own airspace.

2. Reduce the number of jumpers to a two-way until such time that you can demonstrate a level of skill and control that will allow you to participate in the skydive, and be where you are supposed to be at all times.

3. Stop tyring to make shit up on your own. 'Guessing' how to do a delta at a time when it is not called for, and thinking that sitflying has any place in an RW jump would be good examples. Stick to the basics, and don't do anything you haven't been adivsed to by an instructor or jumper with 1000+ jumps. If you are in doubt about how to proceed in any circumstance, just ask. Making shit up will get you killed. Ask the questions, use the answers to plan your jumps, stick to the plan.

4. In terms of your flying, have you thought about arching? You would have made quick and steady progress down to the base with a good arch. Your trouble in reaching them was all related to your attempt at a delta. The attempt failed, and left you sliding around the sky de-arched and out of control. Consider locating a tight-fitting, nylon front jumpsuit, and possibly a weight vest/belt. Jump the suit every time you do RW so you get used to it and how it flies. Once you are comfortable with that, add weoght if you are still having fall rate issues. At 135lbs., you will most likely need weight - this is not a crutch, or cheating, just a physical reality. It will make your RW easier and more enjoyable.

This post may seem harsh, but that skydive was a cluster-fuck. As the jump progressed, my 'spider sense' was off the charts, and I wouldn't have seen the least bit surprised if that jump ended with an incident of some sort.

Think for a moment about your AFF or coach jumps, did any of them remotely resemble that? Or were they comprised of a controlled exit, a solid freefall dive plan, and a clear-cut break off with pre-determined pull altitude? I'm guessing the latter, and also guessing that those jumps exhibited a much higher level of control than the one on Youtube. You goal in the future should be that all of your jumps have a similar level of planning, control, and execution of the plan as your AFF and coach jumps.

Good luck out there.

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You jump at Skydive 35 South of Ft. Worth.

I would look at getting a coach to talk to you about RW skills, your "dive" was more of a de-arch than a dive.

Skydive Dallas has SDU coaches, I don't know if S35 does.... Get one.

If I am in the Dallas area, I will do free coaching for you at Skydive Dallas.... But I don't know when I will be back at SDD right now.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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What davelepka said - in spades.

Big emphasis on working your way to next things (like sitting) only after getting good at the basics (like arching and fall rate and tracking).

Also, get an RW suit. Maybe you can get lucky and find a used one that fits just right. Don't settle for "close enough." Get one that fits just right. My guess is yours will need to be tight. Work with your instructors and the local RW veterans who have jumped with you for exact recommendations.

IMO, if you buy new, get the booties now. Even if you don't use them now you will want them very soon if you are going to do RW. They can be folded under and tucked in easy enough if you aren't going to use them right away.

I tell students that their own well-fitted suit should be at or near the top of their shopping list. Good form and a good suit will get you a consistent fall rate, everything else will follow.

At your weight, you may need lead; but sort out your form and get your suit first.

BTW, why are you asking here? Are you looking to confirm what others on-site have told you? Nobody knows what you need more than the instructors and veterans you jump with.
" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

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actually dave... what happened was the guy in the dakine rags suit was the base... i was the only one that fucked up the jump... why we ended breaking early is cuz there was a glider underneath us... when he deployed i was 100 feet west of him in a track... so no things didnt go as plan cuz of me... no im not embarrassed to have that video on here... but really wish you wouldnt put me down... like i said in an earlier post... i want positive input...
love that rush!

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like i said in an earlier post... i want positive input...



You want positive? Do something positive.

Your feelings don't make things right. No matter how bad you want something to be one way, the truth is the truth. You don't like my post? Good for you, like I said at the end of my post, good luck out there.

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