Winter Skydiving in the Northeast

[daddy1313 0]

Question:

Given that the air is denser and the crowds are less why is there an extreme drop off in the jumping population in winter?

Lets face it in this day and age we can dress for any type of weather, so it can't just be the cold. As a newbie I wonder if it is less safe, the ground is harder, gloves, etc. Is it safe?

Skydiving is fun -- just wish it could be more year round

Mike

The timid are caught as often as the bold - life should be one
daring adventure, or nothing

Helen Keller

[JustChuteMeNow 0]

Skydiving is still doable in the cold but when the wind chill is sub zero from going 120 mph it does lose some of that fun appeal.
It is as safe as summer time jumping assuming that your winter gear doesn't cover your handles and your gloves allow you to execute your EPs if necessary. Of course getting your handles covered can be a problem in the summer time too.

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Skydiving is fun -- just wish it could be more year round

I'm pretty sure that moving south could help make this wish come true. I live in Iowa and so I do feel your pain.

Think of how stupid the average person is and realize that statistically half of them are stupider than that.

[SPAWNmaster 0]

part of the problem is that not all dzs up here are open year-round. and then the ones that are open are dependent on weather. in the upstate new york area i can tell you the weather is not consistent enough for more than the odd jump or two + some hnp's.

[pilotdave 0]

It is year round for some of us in the northeast. Most people stop just due to the cold. Can't bundle up like you can for skiing or whatever. It IS cold. But it's fun too...

Attached a few pics from last sunday in CT. Winter jumping is great when there's nice soft snow on the ground.

Dave

[jeremy_o 0]

Come to Wisconsin, we are there EVERY weekend. I think we closed for the first weekend in at last 3 years in January this year.

http://planetskydive.net/ - An online aggregation of skydiver's blogs.

[airdvr 197]

I get cold just looking at those pics.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[pontiacgtp00 0]

I wish I would have started skydiving in the summer! I haven't made a jump where its been over 50F yet, mostly its in the 30's or 40's. I usually wear like three shirts, a pair of sweatpants with jeans overtop, and then the jumpsuit. Keeps everything warm except my face and hands since I don't like to wear gloves when I jump.

[grannyinthesky 0]

Oh, I so know that feeling. Until the last two jumps, the ground temp had been in the low 20's (low 40's lately). I don't even want to think about what the temp was at 10000 ft. The weather Sunday is supposed to be sunny and in the low 50's. I can hardly wait. I've been wearing Under Armor, thermals, sweats and a jumpsuit. But, would I have waited for summer to start learning? Not a chance!!!!

"safety first... and What the hell.....
safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy

POPS #10490

[Para5-0 0]

Great shots!!!, but one word FLORIDA!!!

[Orange1 0]

Question from somewhere where snow is an extremely rare occurrence... what are the issues to consider jumping in snow? Is depth perception affected? What about getting your canopy wet? Anything else?

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

[kschilk 0]

I suppose I've done more than my fair share of "chatter jumps" but now, I'm pretty much over it. The best thing I've found, is one of those "warm-up" suits...like a nylon sweatsuit, with a flannel lining. I found it on the clearance rack at Wal-Mart, for $8.00. I also have a cold-weather Tony Suit, made with the heaviest materials and a turtleneck, which made a helluva difference...a wise investment, if you're in a cooler climate.

"T'was ever thus."

[gravitywhore 0]

We have been jumping all winter here in Ontario, Canada too.
just gotta dress for it ....
I love the incognito look

[Goody_23 0]

Quote

Question:

Given that the air is denser and the crowds are less why is there an extreme drop off in the jumping population in winter?

Lets face it in this day and age we can dress for any type of weather, so it can't just be the cold. As a newbie I wonder if it is less safe, the ground is harder, gloves, etc. Is it safe?

Skydiving is fun -- just wish it could be more year round

Mike

I dont feel the cold until I'm under canopy. It dosent bother me that much. I wish we had more winter jumpers!

Heres a few pics of us in Nova Scotia, Canada.

SKYDIVING = HAPPY

[pilotdave 0]

Quote

Great shots!!!, but one word FLORIDA!!!

Oh, I do florida every winter... that's my january trip: http://www.skydivingstills.com/gallery/4175268_wkmRj#243919793
Dave

[RMURRAY 1]

I think there is the idea out there that you can pack on as much clothing as you want. It is not true - you need to be able to handle any sitiation. Best is to buy the best type of clothing possible - ie from MEC in Canada. high quality, thin and warm. Also, just get used to the fact your fingers will be cold by the time you land.

I find winter jumping great - we get the usual group of local lunitics along with hardcores from other DZs that close down.

rm

[Airman1270 0]

While I haven't flown in about four months, I usually don't mind winter jumping. I still have some fond memories of being the only student in a group of about a dozen jumpers who showed up the last weekend of 1983 at Albany Skydiving in upstate NY, using a kerosene heater to preheat the Cessna while we scraped ice off the wings prior to the first lift.

My main problem with winter jumping was showing up at the DZ later in the day and trying to find enough people to fill the plane.

Cheers,
Jon S.

[SansSuit 1]

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I think there is the idea out there that you can pack on as much clothing as you want. It is not true - you need to be able to handle any sitiation. Best is to buy the best type of clothing possible - ie from MEC in Canada. high quality, thin and warm.

Or........... you can go the other direction.

Peace,
-Jeff.

Peace,
-Dawson.
http://www.SansSuit.com
The Society for the Advancement of Naked Skydiving

[grannyinthesky 0]

Damn that looks just way too cold. I managed to land in a well-plowed MUDDY field last week and trashed by shoes, so I had to go hone barefoot. That was more than cold enough when i had to walk over snow to get to my front door. All I can say is brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

"safety first... and What the hell.....
safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy

POPS #10490

[SansSuit 1]

Quote

Damn that looks just way too cold. I managed to land in a well-plowed MUDDY field last week and trashed by shoes, so I had to go hone barefoot. That was more than cold enough when i had to walk over snow to get to my front door. All I can say is brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

It must be all about the feet. I was wearing shoes on this jump.

Peace,
-Jeff.

Peace,
-Dawson.
http://www.SansSuit.com
The Society for the Advancement of Naked Skydiving

[grannyinthesky 0]

the shoes, huh? I jumped with shoes (and as many layers as I could get under the jumpsuit) this winter and it was damned cold. I can't even imagine with just the shoes.........No way............

"safety first... and What the hell.....
safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy

POPS #10490

[Zarkon 0]

My home DZ isn't open during the winter, I think because we have a grass runway and would require more maintenance? But there are some of us who travel to Rochester to jump on the weekends. I just wear a base layer, jeans, turtle neck, face mask, and gloves under my jump suit and I'm not cold. On very brisk days I've worn latex gloves under my batting gloves and it keeps them warm. Rochester also has a heated hanger so your really only cold for a couple minutes, unless your like me and land in the back of the field and have to walk through a foot of snow all the way back

[blackout 0]

Jumping during the winter is fun and exhilarating in the winter time, just make sure you wear gloves.

[pchapman 262]

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newbie I wonder if it is less safe, the ground is harder,

Sure the ground is harder... but the snow can be soft! It is great fun to swoop into snow.

It won't save you from a real dive into the ground, but you can screw around a little more than usual on landing. It has allowed a bunch of jumpers at my DZ to do belly sliding "superman" landings that one would be much more hesitant to try for the first time on grass.

Of course, like with swooping a pond, the safety it brings can be lost when people push harder than normal.