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Jumpalot

Jumping your Reserve

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My last cutaway, I cutaway from my main for the fun of it, sucked it down and fired off the reserve. It was a hoot. I figured if the reserve doesn't open, I deserve what I get since I packed it. Is it risky or necessary? No. But neither is skydiving, or if you skydive, hook turns, etc. Everyone chooses a level of risk they are willing to accept. BASE jumpers jump with one canopy all the time. Some people consider that risk unacceptable. I do laugh when I hear skydivers call BASE jumpers crazy, as whuffos, sitting on their motorcycles, just out of their earshot are calling the skydivers crazy and some other people are calling the motorcyclists crazy. It is human nature to consider anyone that accepts a higher risk level than you crazy.

Everyone that has posted that anyone that would cutaway a good main and use their reserve is crazy, is considered crazy themselves by someone else for simply jump out of airplanes. So try not to be critical of those that accept a higher level of risk in their lives.;)

Derek

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skydiving is an unneccessary risk... there's no real long term benefit to jumping out of planes. some people just choose to add a little more risk to the ride. *shrugs* i'm not saying its something thats wrong or right, i've seen people do things much more dangerous then doing a controlled cutaway.

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If I wouldn't get in trouble, I'd do it without thinking twice about it.
Honestly!



If it turned into a ball of shit, would that be enough trouble for you? Have you even thought about it once?
Sparky
My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

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I'd have no problem with doing it; I've made plenty of jumps with just one parachute. I don't think I'd do it unless I had a good reason, though. (Like I had never jumped my reserve before.)



Do you think that is good advise for a greenie to be giving out? bbarnhous had a much better idea.
My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

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>Do you think that is good advise for a greenie to be giving out?

Definitely not meant to be advice! I would have no problem doing it, but then again I'm a BASE jumper and am comfortable with jumping with only one parachute. I wouldn't recommend anyone else try it unless they're comfortable with the significant increase in risk you get by jumping a one-canopy rig (which what an intentional cutaway with a two-canopy system essentially is.) As others have mentioned, there are both three-canopy intentional cutaway rigs for people who want to do an intentional cutaway, and rental reserves that people can jump as mains.

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[replyJust to be clear, I'm not advocating intentional cutaways for dual pack parachute systems. I hate reserve rides and if I never have another it will be too soon. I just don't think a clean intentional is nearly as stupid or dangerous as many things I see happening at the DZ on a regular basis that many jumpers think are extreme cutting edge moves to strive for. JMO.

Bob



Bob,

You're going to give the boy a headache.

BSBD,

Michael

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i've seen people do things much more dangerous then doing a controlled cutaway.

There is a huge detail you are leaving out.

You don't know the equipment inside and out. You have just over 100 jumps. (Yes that matters). You did not assemble or pack the rig. You did not know beyond a doubt it was correct. Yes you have a good rigger, that's not the point.

You went on blind faith that all would work out.

Derek understood every thing he was doing. I've seen his work, it's very tidy. I'd gladly put it on my back. I happen to understand equipment and it's function quite well but I still wouldn't blindly jump even Dereks work.

You don't have that type of knowledge. You just went for it. Hell I don't care if you perform a planned Breakaway, but it's pretty stupid to just blindly jump a reserve because you felt like it.

That is all. I still like ya Donny, but there's a reason people are getting on your case.
My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

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Even though I think that it's a dumb idea, I would have to answer no problem. In the scenario you've put forward you have control over altitude and body position as opposed to a mal situation where you may not have that luxury.
I had never had a problem pulling with a F*** up canopy, low altitude and spinning back to earth, too low to get belly down!

I have 100% confidence in my reserve. If I did not I wouldn't jump the gear in any situation.

I would never want to be under a mal and think "gee, do I really want to pull this handle?"

He who hesitates is lost... Literally

Although by the same token, I would hate to cutaway a good canopy, look up and stay " Oh, That's what happened to that molar strap!"
:P



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I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.

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I am very new to this sport but I'm gonna chuck my view in here anyway.

I can't wait to do an intentional cutaway.

BUT

it is a long way off. I am new to this sport and I know that I don't have the experience and skill to do it.

Once I have 500+ jumps and I can do it on a rig with three parachutes I'll give it a try.

Until then there is no way I'm pulling those emergency handles unless I need to.

When my reserve needs repacking I'm going to put my rig on and pop the reserve on the ground to see what its like to actually pull the handles. :)
Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.
George Bernard Shaw

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I would never want to be under a mal and think "gee, do I really want to pull this handle?"



I have been in that situation.

Doing a demo in the early '80's at Gallup, New Mexico (about 4-5000 ft. AGL) with a very tight landing area surrounded everywhere by huge boulders. Fortunately, I pulled real high and was able to clear the streamer.

I did not want to use my 26 ft. HI-porosity reserve in that situation. Plus, there was a $100 prize for accuracy! :D

The Safety flyer square reserve may have been available at the time, but VERY few had one. It was pretty stupid looking back at it, but it was also unheard of to not jump on breezy days because of the round reserve on your back. Even without high winds, most demos I have done would nowadays not be considered safe with a round reserve, but at the time it was not an issue.

It is good that equipment now does not involve wondering such things at a critical time as, "will I land harder under my round reserve or under this partial mal of my main".

It is my opinion that gear fear such as this may have caused some to delay too long before deciding to execute emergency procedures.

Using your reserve, without first deploying your main is an easy no hassle way to get some experience with your reserve. Just carry a couple or three large sized hook knives. You don't get the experience of cutting away, but it is safer than an intentional cutaway without a tertiary.
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

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