cypres

[sidewalk 0]

As a new jumper to the sport I have read all these different opinions of others concerning the subject of cypress or other reserve chute openers. Some say there’s no point to them and mainly they are unreliable or you shud not put to much trust in them. I wud like to know peoples views and results in a poll.

Travel to infinity

[KCJumper 0]

I put no more trust in them than i do in an air bag in my car. I don't want to ever have to use it and treat my actions as if i don't. But on the other hand in the case of something totally out of my control then well i'm glad to have it. Some say it's a waste of money but to me it's a sense of knowing that i have a safety device.

If people didn't like things like this than we would all opt for a cheaper car and lose the air bags. Just my 2 cents. Take it or leave it.
I don't make any jump with my cypress that i wouldn't make without it.

Patrick

[hookitt 0]

Just get it. It's a damn good AAD.

This will probably turn into yet another thread about jumping like you don't have it.

Get it, set it, forget it. If you do get it, by all means set it. I have friends that have needed it. I used to have other friends that needed it but it wasn't turned on. They are dead now.

dz.com has it's benefits, but when it comes to the AAD arguments you have to read between the lines. They all come down to one agreement.

They come highly recommended.

I just received 2 AADs back from a 4 year check from SSK. Here's what the sticker says that came with it.

!WARNING
Skydiving is a
high risk activity
which may cause
or result in
serious injury
or death
BUT CYPRES
dramatically
reduces that risk

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[ccowden 0]

You should absolutely never rely on an AAD or skydive differently because you have one, but for the cost, I think it is a cheap insurance policy and worth the investment. The simple fact is that there would be alot more dead skydivers if they didn't exist. The argument that it may malfunction and give you two canopies out or something is a lame one. The cases of that are almost non-existant and the saves FAR outnumber them. People mess up and shit happens. Even if someone is blatantly an idiot and is saved by their AAD, I still don't think they deserve to die. Rethink the sport? Yes. Die? No.

But there are other situations besides just messing up where having an AAD could save your life, such as if you got knocked out or passed out. Could you still die from the reserve landing? Yes. But I would like that one last shot to live.

This sport is so unpredictible and things go wrong, even with the safest of jumpers. If my cypres ever fires and saves my life, I am going to be glad I had it, no matter what the cause was. If your only argument to not have one is because it may malfunction, then you should probably stop jumping anyway because the stuff that IS on your back can malfunction on any give jump. If your argument is because you can do what is necessary to keep yourself alive without one, then obviously you think you can never make a mistake or something can never happen that you would need it. Either way, I think that is a pretty ignorant way to look at things. If your argument is money, I don't buy it. Everyone goes out and gets nice gear, nice equipment, fancy jumpsuits, and makes jump after jump after jump at about $20 each. You can afford it if you can afford to have gear and skydive.

It is everyones choice to have one or not. If someone chooses not to have an AAD, then more power to them. But if someone is giving you arguments why YOU should not have one, then I think they are just dead wrong.

[kallend 1,653]

Quote

As a new jumper to the sport I have read all these different opinions of others concerning the subject of cypress or other reserve chute openers. Some say there’s no point to them and mainly they are unreliable or you shud not put to much trust in them. I wud like to know peoples views and results in a poll.

If you have never made a mistake in your life, and the people you jump with are 100% reliable, then your surely don't need an AAD.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[wmw999 2,155]

It's stupid insurance. Kind of like car insurance. In other words, I pay for it, and I hope it'll work if I need it, but I know that the cost of needing it will be large, and it might just not be there. (after all, car insurance might not pay in some circumstances, or if it's the other guy's fault, he might not be insured after all). But, well, it beats nothing if I need it.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[ladyskydiver 0]

I've got a cypress, and I turn it on every time I get to the DZ and then promptly forget it's there - to the point that I've had people ask if my cypress is on and I don't remember if it is or not.

There are many threads on the cypress issue and people's thoughts on it.

I would never rely on my cypress. I bought it as an insurance policy in case I'm ever unconscious or unable to pull for some reason NOT because I've lost altitude awareness. It's a mechanical device and as such can fail but it's worth the money to have just in case. Get one but forget it's there.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[TIETZE 0]

I personally know of two people who would be DEAD if it was not for their decision to purchase an AAD.

Doc Mike was knocked unconscious exiting the plane.

Gina had oversized gloves and breasts that contributed to a partial pull of BOC pilot chute, good cutaway,(maybe unnecessary), and losing the reserve D handle. She said that she was fighting to find the silver handle again when she got ground rush, knew she was gonna die, then SMACK.... reserve!!!

The only down side is... a low pull on your main may get you "two out" or worse.

[efex 0]

RSL

Warwick University Skydiving Club

[tbrown 26]

I started jumping back in the seventies when AAD's weren't nearly as reliable as the Cypres or Vigil are today. In those days we considered AADs to be dangerously unreliable. They were okay for students, but not for experienced jumpers, especially doing relative work with lots of other people in the sky, because the old models could unpredictably pop at 3000+ ft and cause a fatal collision. But at the same time, those were the years that some really great jumpers went in with no pull, or a pull too low to do any good. Like jeanni McCombs, who had thousands of jumps and was a former US/World Champion. We worshipped jeanni. And she went in without ever pulling. We don't know why, and she never said, because she's dead. This was all before the Cypres. If jeanni had a Cypres, she'd only be severely embarrassed, maybe even humiliated, but almost certainly not dead. And she's just one of the more famous examples. There was Tom Piras, who had over 10,000 jumps and even had a Cypres - which he forgot to turn on. You can't turn one on in the plane, it's just not safe. So he told his friend, "remind me to turn this thing on when we get back on the ground". Tom got hit on the head and knocked out cold on that dive. He apparently came to and pulled his reserve, but too low to do any good. His death got people to start thinking seriously about using the Cypres, after all if it could happen to him....

Simple fact is that the Cypres and the RSL have changed the picture of what kills people in our sport. Used to be that "no pull/low pull" was the No. 1 killer. Now it's plowing a perfectly good canopy into the ground with you under it.

So spend the money, get a Cypres, hook up your RSL, and take a good canopy course. And NEVER believe that it can't happen to you, because it can. EVERY time you jump.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[ernguru 0]

I would not be alive if it was not for a cyprus. I am definately not a jumper who thinks, it's ok if I screw up my cyprus will save me. It is there as a precautionary device in case the worst happens. In my case I was knocked out and if it was not for the marvel of a cyprus then I would be straight to the point DEAD. I haVe since done well over 100 jumps since then thankfully with no incident.
Don't rely on on anyone or anything you can never know what might happen.

[John4455 0]

I personally know three people that were saved by a cypress.

How do ya like it Johnny?

[JohnRich 4]

What is the difference between "Trust it" and "When it comes to it i'll trust it"?

[AndyMan 7]

That's a very fine point. I often think about it when people talk about "depending" on it.

As far as I'm concerned, the only person who "depends" or "trusts" their Cypres is the person who removes his deployment handles before jumping, or jumps with handcuffs on.

As far as I know, no such person has done that except for stuntmen planning on removing the restraints.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[gravitysucks 0]

I recently bought a rig with an Astra on it. Riding up to altitude yesterday, I looked down and noticed I forgot to turn it on. Let me tell you, I will never forget to do that again. I was nervous as all hell and had a lousy jump. Maybe the more experienced jumpers will disagree, but I think that once you have jumped with an AAD you will never be comfortable jumping without one. I heard one guy with thousands of jumps saying how he didn't need an AAD because he's "never forgotten to pull," but I'm more concerned about dying while trying to pull but not being able to get it. Just talk to somebody who has had a cypres save in person, and that (short of having one of yor own) ought to be enough to sell you on them. As far as these people who say theres no point to them and they are unreliable, forget them. Anything you can do to increase your safety is a good thing. Thats why I choose to jump with an audible, 2 altimeters, and an AAD. Anyways, sorry for the long post but it was on my mind today and glad to see the topic come up.

[billvon 2,442]

>Maybe the more experienced jumpers will disagree, but I think that once
>you have jumped with an AAD you will never be comfortable jumping without one.

400 jumps without an AAD, 3900 jumps with one, and it doesn't bother me to jump without one - although I usually use one because they tend to do more good than harm.

[reddevil1 0]

50 //50 phone a friend ,if it works? ,,if not ,do you get a refund,suppose not ,they got you by the ball's, the end.

The point of no return what a rush.