Hello, my name is Emily and I have a weight problem

[monte 0]

Oh, the plight of the floater....
When is it too early to start using weights? Having just around 50 jumps, most people I've talked to have said I should wait, exhaust all of my bodily resources learning to fly faster before I go rely on weights to speed my slow butt up. Last weekend, however I met a girl built very much like me: tall and slender. She told me that she worked hard on a faster fall rate, but, of course, there's only so much you can do. But her argument was that she wasted many jumps by not using weights, thus not learning how to really fly her body. If you're so concentrated on staying with your RW group, it takes your focus away from making the points and learning how to use your body to do that. I've improved my fall rate greatly over the last 20 jumps, but I feel like I'm facing a wall now trying to go through it.
Suggestions?

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The less a man makes declarative statements, the less apt he is to look foolish in retrospect

[sundevil777 93]

Use weights now.

There are plenty of guys and girls at SGC that will probably let you use their weight belts. Looks like you load your canopy pretty lightly, but be extra careful.

See ya at SGC next week.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[pilotdave 0]

My AFF instructors put weights on me for my first release dive. Get used to em! You wanna be able to fall with others in a neutral body position, not arching as hard as you can. Got a tight and slippery jumpsuit? If not, start with that. I added booties to my jumpsuit a couple months ago and to my surprise (and opposite what a bunch of people on here told me), my fallrate INCREASED. I've stopped wearing weights for almost all my jumps now. Such a pleasure to not have to wear em. I was so used to them that I'd even put them on for solo jumps.

Dave

[hookitt 0]

Weight awhile.

Ok that's not funny. Put on the weights.

You've already tested your range on the fast side. Put the vest on and relax a little bit.

Your skills will improve and your frustration will diminish very quickly if you don't have to fight to stay down with the group.

Hope that helps.

[Ncrowe 0]

Anyone other than me find it some what funny that her last name is " Little" ok its probably just me but i had to bring it up

"Don't Mess Around With the Guy in Shades- Oh No!!! "

[rmsmith 1]

You need some wind tunnel time with a coach.

[skipro101 0]

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Anyone other than me find it some what funny that her last name is " Little" ok its probably just me but i had to bring it up

Hahaha

[Remster 24]

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You need some wind tunnel time with a coach.

Unless you know her, I think its a stretch to say she needs that.

If she's small, I'd say an easier, more practical, and less expensive solution is to add lead. Are peopel getting scared of lead these days?

Remster

[Rdy2skydive 0]

I started wearing weights on AFF level 3. They really made a difference and I didn't have to work so hard. If you're floaty and can't stay with your group I don't see why you shouldn't start using them now.

[pilotdave 0]

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You need some wind tunnel time with a coach.

I've worn weights every time I've been in a tunnel.
Dave

[towerrat 0]

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Put the vest on and relax a little bit.
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all of the really good RW people at my DZ have gone to the LEAD BELLY. They say it's better for CG

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

• Quote

[AggieDave 6]

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all of the really good RW people at my DZ have gone to the LEAD BELLY. They say it's better for CG

Depends, there are some really really good RW chicks out there that swear by a weight vest for women, so it doesn't totally screwup a chicks center of gravity.

Basically it comes down to, find what works for you and go with it.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[skyyhi 0]

Hello, my name is Darcy and I wear lead when I do RW. . .

Okay, so I started wearing lead at around jump 60 or 70. . .can't remember exactly but I don't always wear it anymore. After some wind tunnel time to discover that my knees were too far apart to keep my hips down, I have learned to fall a lot faster - however, when doing RW I still need some lead. When I am concentrating on being in my slot and turning points, not having to worry about whether I am going to float up out of the formation is WONDERFUL. Also, since I underload my canopy quite a bit, I find the lead helps me land the thing. . .

Anyway, start with just a few extra pounds (say 6), then work up or down from there. And I suggest breaking formation and pulling a little higher than normal so you can practice your flare and prepare yourself for a possible difference in canopy performance and landing. Also, I find a belt to be much easier and more comfortable to fly than a vest.

But remember, I am a newbie to this sport and you should get advice from those who actually know how you fly. . .(i.e.; instructors). Good luck to you. . .

________________________________________
Take risks not to escape life… but to prevent life from escaping. ~ A bumper sticker at the DZ
FGF #6
Darcy

[dgskydive 0]

I didn't look at all the posts in this thread, but in case nobody mentioned it. Remeber that by adding weight you are also changing you wing loading.

A friend of mine wears something like a 5th of her body weight in lead on every jump. So think about that if you only way 100 pounds or so. It can really make a difference.

Dom

[dmbale 0]

Work on your fall rate before you add lead. Do some coach jumps where you work on only your fall rate and nothing else. Work on your range.

I have the opposite problem, I fall like a rock unless I focus on decreasing my arch.

[headoverheels 291]

Go ahead and add the weight. You will be surprised how much difference 6 pounds will make -- about 3 feet per second with the same body position, if your exit weight is about 150 pounds. You may need more than that. You will be trying to get the center of your fall rate range adjusted to that of the people you jump with. At the same time, you should be learning to expand your own range.

I find the weight more comfortable on my hips, using a belt, than on my shoulders, using a vest. The position of the weight requires slightly different freefall body position, but one gets used to that in a few jumps. Women often have a lower center of gravity than men (less shoulder muscle, more thigh), and can be more balanced by having the weight higher, and/or using a bootie suit. Booties add more drag, and will require more weight, maybe in the range of 4 pounds additional.

You can probably borrow weight vests and belts for a few jumps, to see the difference.

[pilotdave 0]

As I said earlier, I was surprised to find that booties sped me up a bit, and I've stopped wearing weights for almost all jumps since I got them. I'm just guessing I'm jumping with my legs up more now to prevent moving forward, and it's making me fall faster. I had been wearing 6 lbs though. Like you said, it doesn't sound like much but it makes a huge difference to me.

Dave

[skybytch 259]

If you are falling in the middle of your range without weights and staying with the people you are jumping with, you don't need weights.

If you are at or close to the max speed you can go just to stay with the people you are jumping with - ie arching so hard that any movement will cause you to "pop up" - then it's time to add lead.

The ideal is to be in the center of your range, so you can go up (slower) or down (faster) as needed. If you're already pushing your max speed just to stay with a formation and the formation speeds up... you've got nothin' left to get down to them with.

I didn't use weights at all for my first several hundred jumps, and I was proud of that ("I don't need weights, I can fall fast with anyone"). After wearing them on a few fast falling dives and in the tunnel recently my back has decided that I like them. A lot. I've jumped both vests with the weight at the shoulders and vests with the weight on the lower torso; I much prefer a waist belt.

Ten minutes in the tunnel with a coach and a weight belt would help you determine how many pounds are right for you. Barring that, do a few jumps with the same person (preferably someone who falls at an "average" speed) and adjust the amount of lead you're wearing on each one until you find the amount that puts you in the center of your range, falling easily with the other person.

[rehmwa 2]

Belts are great.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[PhreeZone 15]

Also choose wisely who you jump with. There are some people that fall like anvils at SGC I normally float a little bit on RW jumps at SGC, but go a little low off the DZ since the fall rate difference is there.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[aggie04 0]

I added weights on jump # 15 because my fall rate was sub 100. I tried a 5 pound vest and it wasnt enough and then tried a 10 pound belt. Did the trick...got my fall rate up to 116 on the first jump with it and 118 on the second. Not that my advice means anything since im a student but i say try the weights. Whats the point in spending more money trying it without when a few pounds might be what you need.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A life without a cause
is a life without an effect

[DancingFlame 0]

At Aerograd Kolomna, instructors will put weights on the student even for the first jump... otherwise, most of the instructors could not fly near the 45-kg wonder

[kallend 1,625]

Dress for success.

If you need weights, what benefit is there from not wearing them NOW?

...

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

[dgskydive 0]

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As I said earlier, I was surprised to find that booties sped me up a bit

Dave did you get different material on the suit with booties. Booties actually cause more drag and can slow you down. That is why when flying in the base of a Big Way you will see a lot of folks take their Booties off to help keep the fall rate up. This is a tip form Tony Domenico and Dan B.C.

If you didn't change the material on your new suit and you are falling faster. It may be from a few different things. It may fit you better allowing you to arch more therby increasing your fall rate.

Even though they do many things for us, booties = more drag = slower fall rate.

Dom

[pilotdave 0]

Nope, just added the booties to my existing jumpsuit. Doesn't make much sense to me (legs in more is my only guess). But the booties definitely sped me up. On my first jump with the booties, I was doing a 5 way I think, and wearing my weight vest. Approached my slot, and just as I was about to dock, I sunk right out. Going low isn't something I was used to. I was pretty baffled by it. Same exact thing happened again later on. I've always been much more likely to float if I reach for a grip or something.

So I started thinking about what was happening. Best I could come up with is that I was approaching the formation with my legs out a bit. When I got close to the formation, I pulled my legs in a little to stop the forward motion. Legs up, less drag, dropped out. So I dropped the weights and haven't needed em since except for a 2 way with a really fast faller.

Every time I've been suckered into wearing weights on an RW jump since getting the booties, I've gone low. Haven't had any trouble getting down to a formation since then either.

So I might be wrong about why the booties are speeding me up, but that's what happened.

Dave