Sparta_Prague 0 #1 March 25, 2004 i took my first tandem about a year ago, as soon as i turned 16. I havent gone since b/c of winter +$ problems. The jump went great untill the instructor pulled the chute. as we desended through the clouds i felt alot of pressure on my chest.(making it hard for me to breath.) I notified the instructor and he losened my thigh harnesses whioch made the problem worse, it felt like someone was standing on my chest. I PASSED OUT at abotu 3000ft. The instructor noticed and began to kick me to wake me up. at abotu 1000ft agl i became concious and got ready for the landing as i held my chest harness away form my chest to help breath. We landed fine, i srood up and collapsed i guess b/c i was so exhausted. did i hyperventalate or did my instructor tighten me up to much or..........MY QuestioN is, does this happen often?????? Anyways im only 17 and i hope to start skydiving this summer when i turn 18 but this incident has really discourged me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jas8472 0 #2 March 25, 2004 Me personally, in my limited experence, this is the second time I heard of it but I've never attually seen it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #3 March 25, 2004 Sure, with some of the older harnesses still being used around the world (they're still 100% safe and usable), this can happen. It has to do with the blood flow being restricted at the shoulders and legs. Newer harness design really helps with this. Don't let it discourage you, before your next jump, talk to the instructor about that and I'm sure he/she will do their best to make sure it won't happen again!--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymedic 0 #4 March 25, 2004 these symptoms can also happen from endorphine release/anxiety from the jump...chest pain followed by passing out...it happens often enough that I have seen a couple sleepers come in for a landing out front....fun to watch em crash in. Marc otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #5 March 25, 2004 way to go... on accomplishing a "lifetime experience" while still in your teens.... For sure a tandem skydive can be a Physiological and Psychological Marathon, squeezed into a 20 or 30 minute Burst..... Your mind and your body are both under a bit of stress. Your reaction may have been less due to the harness,,,, and more due to YOU.... By that i mean you may use this as an indication that you might visit your doctor to be sure that all is well for you,,, in the cardio-vascular department.......just to be safe...... prior to your next jump...It would ONLY be fair to your future tandem masters... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #6 March 26, 2004 I have seen this happen to a couple of tandems. The scary ones were the three times it happened to IAD students. One guy passed out after he had turned onto final, one guy just after opening, and one woman I'm not sure when it happened. Nobody was hurt fortunately, but it is disconcerting. The dude who passed out right after opening told me he was doing his flight control check when all of a sudden the radio was saying "FIND A PLACE TO LAND! FIND A PLACE TO LAND! If this happened to you then you should definitely make your next jump another tandem. I wouldn't write off the whole sport based on one experience Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparta_Prague 0 #7 March 26, 2004 YEE i guess i might do another tandem Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites CrazyDave 0 #8 March 26, 2004 QuoteYEE i guess i might do another tandem one of the only things i can remember from my tandem was my ears hurting like hell..... i had the jump video'd and one of the only things i say when i get on the ground is ' its great but my ears popped a bit(me rubbing my ears like a crazy person at this point)' Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites electric_eye 0 #9 March 27, 2004 Saw a TM bring someone in passed out today. Not sure what altitude she passed out at, but what she remembered she liked alright. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites linestretch 0 #10 March 27, 2004 don't sweat it, it's actually not all that uncommon. I had 2 sleepers in one week, one guy, and one girl. But I am curious how you do on the second one. We had a customer here last week. He had done a tandem a year earlier, and had slept on that one. Sure enough, he slept on this one too.my pics & stuff! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Sparta_Prague 0 #11 March 28, 2004 Yea ill let u guys know ho it goes, its gonna be after september 20th 2004. b/c im just gonna wait till i turn 18. The first DZ i went to was the only one in the area that lets 16 year olds with parental concent, and its like a 4 hour dirve lol. Im gonna go to the dundas dz near hamilton Ontario. And when i did pass otu the firast ime it was only for like 10-20 mid way thorugh the canopy ride. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites emtff553 0 #12 March 28, 2004 I saw one tandem student pass out I think he held his breath fear or excitement I am not sure. I have not been jumping too long so I can't tell u from personal experience how often it happens, but from what I hear it does not happen too often.I suggest if everything goes well with the Doc definetly jump again you won't regret it, sounds like you really want to do it again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Andrewwhyte 1 #13 March 29, 2004 Hope you have a blast. Make sure you have some carbs in your system before you go. One hypothesis I've heard is that adrenaline stimulates insulin production and, if there is not much sugar in your blood you get a mild insulin shock until your body can produce some. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
CrazyDave 0 #8 March 26, 2004 QuoteYEE i guess i might do another tandem one of the only things i can remember from my tandem was my ears hurting like hell..... i had the jump video'd and one of the only things i say when i get on the ground is ' its great but my ears popped a bit(me rubbing my ears like a crazy person at this point)' Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electric_eye 0 #9 March 27, 2004 Saw a TM bring someone in passed out today. Not sure what altitude she passed out at, but what she remembered she liked alright. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
linestretch 0 #10 March 27, 2004 don't sweat it, it's actually not all that uncommon. I had 2 sleepers in one week, one guy, and one girl. But I am curious how you do on the second one. We had a customer here last week. He had done a tandem a year earlier, and had slept on that one. Sure enough, he slept on this one too.my pics & stuff! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparta_Prague 0 #11 March 28, 2004 Yea ill let u guys know ho it goes, its gonna be after september 20th 2004. b/c im just gonna wait till i turn 18. The first DZ i went to was the only one in the area that lets 16 year olds with parental concent, and its like a 4 hour dirve lol. Im gonna go to the dundas dz near hamilton Ontario. And when i did pass otu the firast ime it was only for like 10-20 mid way thorugh the canopy ride. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
emtff553 0 #12 March 28, 2004 I saw one tandem student pass out I think he held his breath fear or excitement I am not sure. I have not been jumping too long so I can't tell u from personal experience how often it happens, but from what I hear it does not happen too often.I suggest if everything goes well with the Doc definetly jump again you won't regret it, sounds like you really want to do it again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #13 March 29, 2004 Hope you have a blast. Make sure you have some carbs in your system before you go. One hypothesis I've heard is that adrenaline stimulates insulin production and, if there is not much sugar in your blood you get a mild insulin shock until your body can produce some. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
