Main or reserve?

[stefd 0]

If during a rw descent a member of the team was to
become unable too deploy his own canopy through
dislocation or unconsciousness assuming that you
are in a position to do it for him would you? - deploy
his main and risk a possible mal or deploy his reserve even though it may be smaller than his main
and go with him having a harder impact?

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Go for the reserve. It's designed to open and in many cases, it's the more docile canopy.

Plus I don't know why so many people feel that they need to be jumping smaller reserves than their main. My main canopy is smaller than my reserve.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[Remster 24]

I think in reality, you'd open what you can. An unconcious jumper isnt going to fall in a nice stable position. Catching him/her will be a huge feat it itself.

Remster

[BIGUN 1,069]

Quote

An unconcious jumper isnt going to fall in a nice stable position. Catching him/her will be a huge feat it itself.

And, therefore the question you have to ask yourself is...At what altitude are you done trying?

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[councilman24 36]

But for many (most) experienced jumpers the reserve is bigger than the pocket rocket main. Plus a reserve is designed to open with the jumper in any orientation due to its spring loaded PC. Unconcious jumpers fall on their back. Pull a reserve if a choice is available. Pull anything you can. And leave at your minimum opening altitude.

These saves are very rare (not counting AFF student dives). I can only think of 2 or 3 in the last 20 years, hmm only one for sure.

It's very hard to recognize in time and then have the skill to dock. I had a good friend knocked unconcious about 4th from the end of a 25 way exit out a small door DC-3. 1985 Freak Brothers Convention. One of the guys behind her saw that she was in trouble on the way by. He spent the rest of the dive (to 1000') trying to get back up to her and couldn't. Most of us didn't know anything had happened until we landed. She died. This was pre Cypres and when almost no experienced jumpers wore AAD's.

The need for these saves are even more rare these days, with wide spread AAD use among experienced jumpers.

And while it's good to think about these things, I hope you've made all the decisions about you will do to save your OWN butt when you have various malfunctions.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[stefd 0]

Thanks Terry,i'm not intending on being a hero and my drills are thought through before and on each lift.
Thanks for the advice.

[billvon 2,426]

>would you? - deploy his main and risk a possible mal or deploy his
>reserve even though it may be smaller than his main and go with him
> having a harder impact?

Or his main may be much smaller than his reserve. Keep in mind if his cypres fires he's going to be under a reserve anyway; presumably he chose one that will land him survivably in that case.

This has only happened to me once, and I deployed the jumper's reserve because:

a) I didn't know what main/reserve canopies she had;
b) she was on her back and had a BOC; a ripcord works better than a throwout during an unstable deployment
c) it was the easiest handle to reach and we were at 3000 feet.

I don't know if all that went through my mind (it happened sort of fast) but I knew I didn't have time to flip her over and I knew I could get the reserve out quickly.

[freakydiver 0]

Because small rigs are cooler.

-- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." --

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

And, therefore the question you have to ask yourself is...At what altitude are you done trying?

There are no friends under 2,000 feet.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[BIGUN 1,069]

Yep.. that's the bottom line (no pun intended).

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[lowie 0]

I think for me there are no friends under 3000 as that leaves me with about a 2 sec track max.

[BIGUN 1,069]

True.... Your license minimum opening should determine your stop.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

I think for me there are no friends under 3000 as that leaves me with about a 2 sec track max.

That statement makes me think that you are thinking. And if you keep thinking you just might survive in this sport.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Praetorian 1]

Quote

There are no friends under 2,000 feet.

this is one reason why I'm glad my best friends and family don't jump.
For any skydiver I'll try my best till I gotta leave, 2k sounds like a good place but I've never been in free fall that low so self preservation might take me out early (get scared and pull)... for Family or my best friends .. I'm there till my cypres pulls me ... or I hit with them. There are some people on this earth that I would not want to live knowing I let them go, even if it was hopeless. now I'm not counting on my cypres here, infact if it opened while i was still trying I'd probably curse its very existance. The worst part is I KNOW I don't have the skill to catch and save anyone. so IF I jump with close friends I will encourage them to be as trained as possible, with safe gear, ... come to think of it I like to see these qualties in everyone I jump with

Good Judgment comes from experience...a lot of experience comes from bad
judgment.

[riggerrob 558]

reserve because:

c) it was the easiest handle to reach and we were at 3000 feet.

[freakygirl 0]

Quote

Quote

There are no friends under 2,000 feet.

this is one reason why I'm glad my best friends and family don't jump.
For any skydiver I'll try my best till I gotta leave, 2k sounds like a good place but I've never been in free fall that low so self preservation might take me out early (get scared and pull)... for Family or my best friends .. I'm there till my cypres pulls me ... or I hit with them. There are some people on this earth that I would not want to live knowing I let them go, even if it was hopeless. now I'm not counting on my cypres here, infact if it opened while i was still trying I'd probably curse its very existance. The worst part is I KNOW I don't have the skill to catch and save anyone. so IF I jump with close friends I will encourage them to be as trained as possible, with safe gear, ... come to think of it I like to see these qualties in everyone I jump with

------------------------------------------------------
i'd say this sounds like something everyone should talk to w/ the people they love/care about that they jump w/. tell them what you would want them to do and when (alt) you would want them to quit trying. sort of like talking to your family about "what if i was in an accident...." make sure eveyone you jump w/ knows what you would expect of them. tell them that you want to make sure that they are going to be safe first. just a suggestion....

[TheMonkey 0]

Quote

tell them what you would want them to do and when (alt) you would want them to quit trying

are you serious? i am not talking with my friends about what altitude they should chase me to...it's not their job! it's my job to save my life and if i can't do that then that's the risk i take skydiving in the first place...with that said, they better chase my ass till ibounce!

---------------------
Never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience!

[yoink 321]

Quote

This has only happened to me once.

Did you ever manage to track her down Bill? If I remember correctly, she left the DZ before anyone could really find out what the problem was...

[sukaidaiba 0]

Remener the vast majority will have cypres which could get a save, so its not a ' I must deploy for them 'situation.

the ideal falling motion of something subject only to a gravitational field

[Kris 0]

Quote

Did you ever manage to track her down Bill? If I remember correctly, she left the DZ before anyone could really find out what the problem was...

You should have been in the DZ.com tent when we saw Bill walking in with that extra reserve handle.

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

Remener the vast majority will have cypres which could get a save, so its not a ' I must deploy for them 'situation.

That is not a very good thing to remember in any situation. You just keep thinking that the toys will save your life and one day you may have a rude wake up call.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[bob.dino 0]

It's not exactly a wake-up call they'll be receiving .

[mjosparky 3]

Quote

It's not exactly a wake-up call they'll be receiving .

You are right, poor choice of words. I was trying to be delicate. How about wake up dead?

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[sukaidaiba 0]

Quote

Quote

Remener the vast majority will have cypres which could get a save, so its not a ' I must deploy for them 'situation.

That is not a very good thing to remember in any situation. You just keep thinking that the toys will save your life and one day you may have a rude wake up call.

Sparky

If you read my reply in context to the thread, I'm not implying your cypres is somthing you should rely on. Merely pointing out that in the context of chasing an unconciuos skydiver to try and deploy either chute is difficult and dangerous and if you were not successful a cypres may well do the job for you.

Don't be such a jobsworth

the ideal falling motion of something subject only to a gravitational field

[jsaxton 0]

No one has friends below 2000 feet