hackish 8 #1 July 26, 2007 I feel like someone is feeding me a line as I'm the DZs newbie. The guy said that it sucks to dive in the rain because you end up hitting the pointy end of the raindrops and it really hurts. I seldom accept a story like this without understanding it. So I was thinking that the terminal velocity of a raindrop depends on it's aerodynamic profile which is pretty good. Would a person's terminal velocity exceed that of a raindrop and to a significant degree? Perhaps if you're skydiving through a cloud that's forming precipitation the droplets haven't reached terminal velocity yet. Comments? -Michael Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DougH 270 #2 July 26, 2007 It is as true as rain... "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #3 July 26, 2007 Quote I feel like someone is feeding me a line as I'm the DZs newbie. The guy said that it sucks to dive in the rain because you end up hitting the pointy end of the raindrops and it really hurts. I seldom accept a story like this without understanding it. So I was thinking that the terminal velocity of a raindrop depends on it's aerodynamic profile which is pretty good. Would a person's terminal velocity exceed that of a raindrop and to a significant degree? Perhaps if you're skydiving through a cloud that's forming precipitation the droplets haven't reached terminal velocity yet. Comments? -Michael I have jumped in the rain before. It fucking sucks ass, let me tell you that. I was jumping from a C182 in tshirt and shorts. We had to come back down from altitude and fly under a cloud that was covering up the DZ. It didn't start raining until on jumprun when I climbed out and set myself up in the V facing the rear. Talk about shock! I fell off, and then all of a sudden I'm at terminal velocity and all those pointy ended drops are pummelling me! I covered up my face for a bit then pulled the pc. Man that fucking hurt. It rained all the way to the ground. I hurried gathered up my canopy and ran into the hangar, dumped everything on the floor, and tore off my t-shirt. THAT was when everyone stopped what they were doing and gaped at me. I had dime-sized red welts everywhere! "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #4 July 26, 2007 Precipitation can go up as well as down!! So speed can change. (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos340 1 #5 July 26, 2007 Fact: Rain in freefall Hurts!! The pointy end thing is a Myth but it still hurts like hell when it hits exposed skin in freefall. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bozo 0 #6 July 26, 2007 Raindrops fall at approximately 60 mph. A skydiver falls at 120mph. Those little hard bits of water are hitting you at 60 mph.....hell yeah they hurt. The little pointy ends can impale you and plug up your pores so you cant breathe thru your skin anymore. bozo Pain is fleeting. Glory lasts forever. Chicks dig scars. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,254 #7 July 26, 2007 Raindrops aren't pointy, that is just a line fed to many a new or non skydiver over the years. And while a lot of the time we are just hitting droplets that are suspended inside clouds, we do actually fall a lot faster than real rain too. Take a look.Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #8 July 26, 2007 Quote The little pointy ends can impale you and plug up your pores so you cant breathe thru your skin anymore. Didn't Mythbusters do a show on that?? "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bozo 0 #9 July 26, 2007 Quote Quote The little pointy ends can impale you and plug up your pores so you cant breathe thru your skin anymore. Didn't Mythbusters do a show on that?? hey...shutup Billy...i'm messing with the noob. bozo Pain is fleeting. Glory lasts forever. Chicks dig scars. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnskydiver688 0 #10 July 26, 2007 I believe in proliferating the myth. So I spread the word of this "fact" with religious fervor. So smite me! Sky Canyon Wingsuiters Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #11 July 26, 2007 Quote I seldom accept a story like this without understanding it. I ###king hurts. Enough said. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,254 #12 July 26, 2007 Quote Raindrops fall at approximately 60 mph. A skydiver falls at 120mph. Those little hard bits of water are hitting you at 60 mph.....hell yeah they hurt. Everything I've seen says the max is ~20mph. A raindrop big enough to go faster than that will get broken up by aerodynamic forces.Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skinnyshrek 0 #13 July 26, 2007 QuoteFact: Rain in freefall Hurts!! The pointy end thing is a Myth but it still hurts like hell when it hits exposed skin in freefall. Like you have ever jumped in rain your lucky to jump in sunshinehttp://www.skydivethefarm.com do you realize that when you critisize people you dont know over the internet, you become part of a growing society of twats? ARE YOU ONE OF THEM? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #14 July 26, 2007 I've yet to experience this, but a friend once told me about a BASE jump he made in the rain. When he left the object he could see the drops as a blur falling faster than him. Then for a split second there he was in freefall falling at the same rate as the rain drops and they looked like rain drops. Then he accelerated past them, they returned to being a blur. Trippy to say the least. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #15 July 26, 2007 Hail, on the other hand could be bashing you on the back of the head whilst in freefall... QuoteThis took some calculating, which I won't >bore you with. I calculated the terminal >fall velocity of an ice sphere the size of >a golf ball (1.68 inch diameter); it is >1626.5 cm per second (234.7 miles per hour). >This is assuming that the hail is a perfect >sphere, which it rarely is. Normally hail >is gouged out on the top and enlarged on the >bottom. More rime collects on the bottom >than the top as the hail falls. > >David Cook >meteorologist at Argonne Nat. Lab. (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #16 July 26, 2007 If rain fell at 60 mph, and you fell at 120, rain would feel the same in freefall as on the ground. Rain falls much slower than that, which is why it hurts so much in freefall and not on the ground. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnskydiver688 0 #17 July 26, 2007 What if your running? You could easily poke an eye out on the ground if you run fast enough. Sky Canyon Wingsuiters Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EricaH 0 #18 July 26, 2007 This makes me laugh. Imagine if rain fell at approx 120mph we'd all run inside everytime a storm cloud gathered overhead, cause that'd HURT! And if rain fell that fast imagine how fast hail or sleet would fall!! Sorry for pickin, but that's a bad thought! ps. I've jumped in barely there "rain" & ended up with red mini-welts all over - don't jump in the rain. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,619 #19 July 26, 2007 QuoteHail, on the other hand could be bashing you on the back of the head whilst in freefall... QuoteThis took some calculating, which I won't >bore you with. I calculated the terminal >fall velocity of an ice sphere the size of >a golf ball (1.68 inch diameter); it is >1626.5 cm per second (234.7 miles per hour). >This is assuming that the hail is a perfect >sphere, which it rarely is. Normally hail >is gouged out on the top and enlarged on the >bottom. More rime collects on the bottom >than the top as the hail falls. > >David Cook >meteorologist at Argonne Nat. Lab. I think he did his calculation incorrectly. Perfect spheres have a high drag coefficient, and ice isn't very dense. Edited to add - using a drag coefficient of 0.3 (from Google search on drag of golf ball), you end up with terminal velocity of 39m/sec or 87mph for a spherical lump of ice the size of a golf ball. (In fact the Reynolds number at that speed is low enough that Cd will be even higher than 0.3, so terminal will be even slower.)... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #20 July 26, 2007 What do you expect? ......... He's a scientist (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,619 #21 July 26, 2007 Quote What do you expect? ......... He's a scientist Oh, I thought you said he is a meteorologist.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #22 July 26, 2007 QuoteI feel like someone is feeding me a line as I'm the DZs newbie. The guy said that it sucks to dive in the rain because you end up hitting the pointy end of the raindrops and it really hurts. I seldom accept a story like this without understanding it. So I was thinking that the terminal velocity of a raindrop depends on it's aerodynamic profile which is pretty good. Would a person's terminal velocity exceed that of a raindrop and to a significant degree? Perhaps if you're skydiving through a cloud that's forming precipitation the droplets haven't reached terminal velocity yet. Comments? -Michael Small raindrops fall at 8 MPH. Big raindrops fall at 18 MPH. If they were any bigger, the aerodynamic forces would break them apart into small raindrops that fall slower. Skydivers without wingsuits fall at 100 - 160 MPH making for a 90-150MPH speed difference. Hitting anything going that fast is going to hurt. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnskydiver688 0 #23 July 26, 2007 Just use a tandem student as a shield! Come on where is the resourcefulness skydivers are known for!Sky Canyon Wingsuiters Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #24 July 26, 2007 > My Bad (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,619 #25 July 26, 2007 Quote > My Bad OK, but don't make a habit of it.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
