The trees, the peas, or the pond?

[Andrewwhyte 1]

Depends on your definition of a pond. If you mean a small lake that would be bad; still water is hard. If you mean more of a marsh or swamp, that would be good (well, less bad anyway).

[billvon 2,400]

Depends on the DZ. The Ranch: Trees. Otay or Elsinore: The lake. It's not hard to hit a miles-long lake, but hitting one of the seven trees might be a challenge at those DZ's.

[DJL 232]

Hey, if I'm gonna crunch but can steer a bit then I may as well crunch near something that has easy access for an ambulance. So, for my dropzone, I choose the hangar. I figure the thin metal roof has as much chance of slicing me up at slowing my fall.

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[Ron 7]

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For what it's worth, I chose the trees because they're (a) a bigger target, and (b) I would hope that all that fabric would catch something on the way down and either prevent me from hitting the ground or at least substantially slow my fall. The peas and the pond, for me, are out of the question.

A buddy of mine went into trees...He had some stuff out, and never hit the ground....He also didn't survive.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[koz2000 1]

Just to make the guys cringe, on a military jump, several guys hit the trees after a bad spot. Anyways one of the guys didn't keep his legs together and ended up ripping his scrotum on a branch (luckily nothing came out) and had to go to Womack and have it stitched up. The rumor mill said he needed 16 stiches (he was in another unit).

SO point being if you're going to land in the trees, keep you legs together!
D

______________________________________________
- Does this small canopy make my balls look big? - J. Hayes -

[DanG 1]

Good answer. I guy I know had a canopy collision at a very low altitude, rendering his canopy unsteerable. He ended up landing on a T-hangar and puncturing the roof. Somehow he missed all of the roof beams, his canopy caught on the roof, and he ended up dangling a few feet from the concrete floor. Busted foot and some cuts and bruises are all the injuries he had.

I'd vote for the hangar, but pretty much either way you are screwed. Bhudda, Bhudda, Bhudda might be a good idea.

- Dan G

[JohnMitchell 14]

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Now if it's a bag lock, I'm saying my rigger's new car.

Huh ...

I have heard a story from my first instructor and rigger about the guy surviving a bag lock on BASE jump in Canada. Apparently 3 ft of snow saved him. When people on the top of the exit point saw what happened got down to get his body, they found him talking with his wife on cell phone ...

I didn't think of snow. You know, there's been 2 confirmed survivors of total malfunctions who survived because they hit in deep snow on steep terrain. Amazing sheznit. Hey , you know the downside of landing a baglock? After you land, the bag hits you going 120mph, and that really hurts.

[Mad47 0]

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Hey , you know the downside of landing a baglock? After you land, the bag hits you going 120mph, and that really hurts.

Oh that's why people always chop it ...

[DJL 232]

That would be the exact individual I had in mind, although I wasn't yet jumping at that time.

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[riddler 0]

Gotta go with Trees, just because I've heard more stories of people being saved by trees than saved by water or rock. Plus, I know if I don't get all tangled up when I die, then all my "friends" will definitely steal my gear before the ambulance arrives.

Amubulence Driver: Err, did this guy have a parachute when he jumped out of the plane?

Fellow skydivers: Hmm - didn't see one.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[sabr190 0]

Well, I guess I am stuck with the peas. West Texas has no trees and the nearest pond is 110miles..................damn!!

"The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few, or the one" - rehmwa

[testpilot 0]

There has got to be an open area between the trees and the pond.

Dave
D830
http://www.skydiving.co.za

[rickfri59 0]

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The water is almost as hard as concrete if you hit it at high speed

Almost would be good enough to say you're F'd either way. But here's why I post... There was a program on TV last week that examined what happened to a stupid stunt gone wrong. Five or six guys decided to swing off of a 185 foot bridge over water. Without going into detail about how they attempted to do this, the bottom line is that the cable/harness assembly snapped nearly at the bottom of the swing. It broke at the "perfect" to send them into the water at an estimated 45 degree angle (this was of course all video taped from several angles). The only reason anyone received significant injuries was that they all crashed into each other upon entry to the water. Big question was how did they survive hitting the water at almost 80 mph. The answer was the angle of entry combined with the cushion effect of the PFDs. O.K. here's the point... The people doing the analysis then considered the question; Is it any more survivable, in general, to hit concrete of water at high speed. They made two identical dummies with skeletons and flesh from materials that were close in density and strength of human equalivants. Dropped the dummies from the same height as the aformentioned bridge. One into a pond, the other onto concrete. Speed at impact was about 80 mph. Both hit the surface in nearly a feet first orientation. Bottom line..... The concrete was worse, but worse really didn't matter. If the dummies were made to human like specs., I hope to hell I never have to see anyone who's gone in at high speed.

[billvon 2,400]

>There has got to be an open area between the trees and the pond.

Not in many places I've been. Trees love water.

[lug 4]

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The riggers car

I agree, but in addition I wouldn't pass up the opportunity of taking out the rigger.

I would be happy under a reserve malfunction if I was over trees.

Memento Mori

[Genn 0]

The Trees...if that's not an option.....the crowd!