Ok, this sounds silly but...

[spindlee 0]

Hi i have only just started Aff. The one big main reason for me taking up this sport is BASE jumping. I have been on basejumper.com and after some advice i found out i needed to get a lot of skydives first. Also i was told it's a good idea to jump an old BASE canopy. I heard that a lot of skydivers don't like BASE jumpers and i don't want to be alienated from the DZ guys just because i'm interested in base. i know its way to soon to begin base jumping but thats why i started skydiving. The question i want to ask is, do you think my instructor would understand my thoughts on the sport? thanks Simon

If in doubt, whip it out...

[Jazzthieve 0]

I'f you know it sounds silly why then ask to begin with cause the things you're asking realy do sound very silly and I'f I knew any better I would consider you a troll. Also why would you want to tell your skydive instructor you wanna go base-jumping, it's not like he can give you good advice on that, no skydiver can for that matter. Except for the canopy part skydiving and base-jumping have very little in common.
Btw jumping base gear for skydiving is as I understand it not allowed.

[DSE 3]

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I heard that a lot of skydivers don't like BASE jumpers and i don't want to be alienated from the DZ guys just because i'm interested in base.

Where did you hear this? There are several BASE jumpers at our DZ and at a DZ north of us, maybe it's just this region, but BASE jumpers are treated no differently around here than skydivers are. Two of our T/I and AFFI's are BASE jumpers, one of them spends a lot of time taking beginning BASE jumpers to the Perrine Bridge to learn/experience their first BASE.
Either way, learn about skydiving, being stable, deploying, landings before you worry much about BASE. It'll all come together soon enough. The bridges, cliffs, and other objects will still be there after you've learned the important things to jumping, flying, and landing safely.

I see you're in the UK. I know at least one AFFI there who also is into BASE. PM me if you want details.

[spindlee 0]

You are allowed to jump base canopies just not base containers for the obvious reson that it does not hold a reserve. I'm sorry if the question was silly but i'm only trying my best to get into the sport the most sensible way! I jump at Hibaldstow and i have heard there a few jumpers there and i will try and chat to them. thanks for the advice.

If in doubt, whip it out...

[Acoisa 0]

Sure, you can tell your instructor, but it won't make any difference...
Chill out, do your AFF, hang out around the DZ a lot and you'll eventually meet some BASE jumpers.

I've done the same and some friends took me to Lauterbrunnen last year so I could check out the exit points, watch them pack, watch them jump, party and talk about BASE. I didn't jump- I didn't want to, because I don't consider myself to be ready yet.. (and I don't think they woud've let me). I really enjoyed the trip though and learned a lot.

Meanwhile concentrate on AFF and Skydiving- which is totally awesome!
Jump the standard equipment, you can still start jumpin the old BASE canopy a couple of months before you know that you'll be doing a FJC..

[diablopilot 2]

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Hi i have only just started Aff. The one big main reason for me taking up this sport is BASE jumping. I have been on basejumper.com and after some advice i found out i needed to get a lot of skydives first. Also i was told it's a good idea to jump an old BASE canopy. I heard that a lot of skydivers don't like BASE jumpers and i don't want to be alienated from the DZ guys just because i'm interested in base. i know its way to soon to begin base jumping but thats why i started skydiving. The question i want to ask is, do you think my instructor would understand my thoughts on the sport? thanks Simon

My advice to not alienate yourself on the DZ, is show up and be a part of things there. Mention if you like your interest in BASE, but don't be over excited about it. If someone says your interest is silly, don't take it personal, just learn what you can and move on. Learn to skydive not only for BASE, but become a good skydiver as well. There are plenty of non-physical skills you'll pick up through all forms of skydiving that will help you in a BASE enviorment.

Have fun most of all.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[spindlee 0]

Thanksl for all your advice guys. Much appreciated

If in doubt, whip it out...

[tombuch 0]

I'm not aware of any major lingering conflict between skydivers and BASE jumpers, other than at a very few drop zones. I made more than 50 BASE jumps back in the day, and have been teaching skydiving in one form or another for 25 years. It's all good.

As a skydiving instructor, I do like to know about my students and their motivations. By all means tell your instructor you are interested in BASE. Then seek his advice about accuracy. At first you will need to fly a large student parachute, but eventually you should be able to do some regular skydives on a BASE canopy. Be cautious about that and wait. Then wait some more.

When you have accuracy nailed on your skydiving parachutes and feel like you are ready to do some BASE jumps, take a BASE specific training course. My preference is a program that runs as part of the annual October Bridge Day event in West Virginia, but there are some outstanding stand alone BASE training programs too.

As for jumping a BASE specific parachute...be careful. Deployments and packing are different, and not all BASE parachutes should be jumped from an airplane. Seek the advice of the manufacturer of the specific BASE parachute you wish to jump, and the assistance of a rigger with BASE experience. Go slow.

Skydiving and BASE are both different sports, and both are fun. As you build your skydiving experience, please don't forget to have fun and enjoy the journey.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[agent_lead 0]

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You are allowed to jump base canopies just not base containers for the obvious reson that it does not hold a reserve. I'm sorry if the question was silly but i'm only trying my best to get into the sport the most sensible way! I jump at Hibaldstow and i have heard there a few jumpers there and i will try and chat to them. thanks for the advice.

you can always get a baser rig and skydive/base in the same gear

www.thebaser.com

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www.facebook.com/agentlead

[diablopilot 2]

That is an incredibly bad idea for any low time skydiver, as the emergency procedures are very different and most DZ's are not providing round reserve training any longer.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[bodypilot1 0]

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it's not like he can give you good advice on that, no skydiver can for that matter.

Really? Why is that? Because no skydiver base jumps?

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Except for the canopy part skydiving and base-jumping have very little in common.

If your base jump anables you to reach terminal velocity, it has alot in common.

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Btw jumping base gear for skydiving is as I understand it not allowed.

Base canopies can be used for skydiving.


To the OP. Dont rush into base. One good way to aproach it is to ask around and do some ground crew with some locals if you can. You get a better understanding that way.

www.WestCoastWingsuits.com
www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

[DesertDevil 0]

Some skydivers, perhaps the more traditional skydivers, may not be that interested in BASE, but that doesn't mean they don't like BASE jumpers. If you're an unsafe person or someone who is full of himself you're probably not going to have that many friends. But most skydivers won't dismiss you just on the fact you want to BASE. I don't think it would hurt to tell your instructor, but you just wanna stay focused on getting through your AFF right now and just put BASE on the backburner for now. If you feel uncomfortable talking to your instructor, you may want to consider getting a new instructor.

I'm certainly not advocating this, but there was one guy couldn't hear or talk, so he wasn't allowed to skydive everywhere he went. He went on a bunch of tandems, which probably taught him some canopy control, but they wouldn't let him do his AFF's. He bought a BASE rig anyway, started to groundlaunch, hung out with BASE jumpers, and now he has around 500 BASE jumps. So non-BASE skydivers may help you on some things, but there are other important things that non-BASE skydivers definitely can't help you with.

Who the F told you it was a good idea to jump an old BASE canopy? I don't know if they told you to skydive with an old BASE canopy or basejump with it, but either way, it's a bad idea. If you BASE jump, your canopy is your main and your reserve, so you want to spend some money on a newer one. Your life is worth more than $1500.

[spindlee 0]

I think i am going to stick with skydiving for a long while, i'm really starting to enjoy it and love the atmosphere down the dz. Although i would love to base jump, i know that is a long long way off. I'm just going to put base jumping at the back of my head for now and just enjoy skydiving and to be honest i know for a fact i wouldn't feel comfortable jumping off a fixed object just yet and being able to sort out linetwists a couple of hundred feet above the ground! Thanks a lot for the advice, i have really thought about it and i realise that i am just going to stick with jumping out of an aircraft and enjoying myself. Cheers guys!

If in doubt, whip it out...

[cocheese 0]

Focus on skydiving the best you can. If you get bored from that then take a BASE course. If you still want to base after that, then you can sell your skydiving gear and buy new base gear.

I tried base just to try to understand why they do it. I still don't really understand it.

For $23 i get a safe, fast ride up, 45 seconds of freefall with friends, open at 3,500 ft with time for a reserve ride, land in a flat, soft, grassy area with a high performance canopy, and a hosiptal just a few minutes away. Pay a packer $6 and do it again.
I'm a rock star, not a rock climber.

[millertime24 8]

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You are allowed to jump base canopies just not base containers for the obvious reson that it does not hold a reserve. I'm sorry if the question was silly but i'm only trying my best to get into the sport the most sensible way! I jump at Hibaldstow and i have heard there a few jumpers there and i will try and chat to them. thanks for the advice.

Not true of all dz's. Ive seen people jumps base rigs on H&P's before.

Muff #5048

[AggieDave 6]

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Not true of all dz's. Ive seen people jumps base rigs on H&P's before.

If it was a US DZ and the BASE rig wasn't a TSOed rig with a TSOed reserve then it was in violation of the FARs. "Good" for that DZ to disregard federal law in regards to aviation.

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

[millertime24 8]

Unfortunately I have absolutely no reccolection of where I saw this done at. It was on tv perhaps...

Muff #5048

[millertimeunc 0]

If it was a reputable DZ, then it's very doubtful that it was a full-on BASE rig. The DZO stands to get into a shit-ton of trouble if they allow something like that.

The best things in life are dangerous.

[DSE 3]

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If it was a reputable DZ, then it's very doubtful that it was a full-on BASE rig, since the only one I've ever heard of that was TSO'd was a BASE rig with a belly mounted reserve that some guy up at The Ranch has recently developed.

Isnt' that the BASE'r? A BASE container on a Racer harness?

[millertimeunc 0]

I edited my reply, I should really read the whole thread before writing. Someone already mentioned the Baser, which was the rig I was refering to.

The best things in life are dangerous.

[Stuntbabex 0]

Like others have mentioned, I never noticed any tension between skydivers and base jumpers... it kinda doesnt make sense either since most basejumpers are also skydivers.

I myself have gotten into skydiving with every intention of picking up base. Did I do it just because of base? no, cause skydiving is a lot of fun too! Im taking my time and enjoying it before moving onto a sport where the fatality rate is even higher. Im gonna make sure Im really ready!

Best of luck in your pursuits.

[Genn 0]

I never experienced any animosity between skydivers and BASE jumpers (except online).

If you want to BASE jump- BASE jump (Find a Mentor)

If you want to skydive- skydive (Find an Instructor)

If you want to get some skydives in before BASE- do that.

What ever journey you choose to arrive at your destination- enjoy the ride.