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bazelos

Full face helmet?

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As I have been going to an island every year in my life for 2-3months, I got to dive from very young age. Unfortunately I didn't know how to equalise the pressure in my ears at age 10, so I managed to get a (pretty much) chronic problem in both ears. It gets very bad when I have a cold, to the point that I get completely deaf from either left or right ear (thankfully not both yet!). Anyway, as I know that I have a problem, should I go ahead an invenst in a good full face helmet? Or will an open face be ok as well? When I was riding my scooter in island I didn't have a helmet on and I was ok, but bare in mind that the scooter didn't do anything more than 80mph, and it was damn hot too (35ish). But at 120mph, in the cold English weather, am sure its gonna be abit worse...

Your thoughts?
He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.

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It's not the speed that does it, it's the 9,000 foot elevation change in 60 seconds. Full face helmets aren't pressurized, so it shouldn't have a different effect than an open face helmet... unless I'm missing something.
I really don't know what I'm talking about.

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As you jump in the UK you won't be able to consider a full face helmet until you get your B certificate. Have a look at the BPA regs section 6:

Helmets

3.1.1. Student and FAI ‘A’ Certificate (Red) parachutists must wear a suitably sturdy open faced, hard protective helmet without a peak.

After you get your B have a look around and see what fits best. All helmets have pros and cons.

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Well I am ok with equalising now, no problem, I was thinking that it could affect my ears. Do I really have to have B to have a full face? What are they going to say, you can't jump with a full face unless you have 200 jumps?
He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.

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Quote

Well I am ok with equalising now, no problem, I was thinking that it could affect my ears. Do I really have to have B to have a full face? What are they going to say, you can't jump with a full face unless you have 200 jumps?



They'll say you cant jump it until you have 50 jumps and met all the other requirements for a B license,

Edited to add: You could always ask your CCI to take it to STC, good luck with that though:D

"This isn't an iron lung, people. You can actually disconnect and not die." -Dave

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You might find it easier to equalise your ear pressure with an open face helmet in freefall (pinching your nose and blowing) - with a full face you have a visor to contend with.

From experience.
Rich
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Everything that happens to you in life is your teacher. The secret is to learn to sit at the feet of your life and be taught.

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Unless your surname is Thomas. Then you get it okayed through STC because you can't breath without it, or something like that. :S

'Equalise' (hold nose, shut mouth and blow) higher. Not every 10s or anything stupid like that, but i do (if i remember/have time) somewhere in amongst the turning/tracking/pulling bit. Less of a differential to equalise = easier.

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Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club
www.skydivebristoluni.com

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Wait, no, I have to blow when I am diving, say back home I was going around 70feet (how much is 20meters in feet?), so I needed to hold my nose and force air in my ears through the eustachian tubes, but while surfacing I can just crack my jaw and release the air, at least that's what I do in an ac but I guess the rate of descent in a plane is much lower than in freedive so...
He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.

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