ironeagle 0 #1 June 22, 2003 Had my first tandem on Sunday and loved it, too bad I sprained my ankle and chipped a bone doing it. I've since talked to a couple of other people who has done tandems and they said their landings were a little rough too. Is this typical for tandem jumps? My problem was i didnt have my feet up high enough or quick enough. I'm a pilot and I was expecting a little longer flare so the landing was a little faster than I expected. I'm kinda hooked and was thinking about getting into the sport and was wondering if once you start doing solos if the landings are a little more softer or easier. For students and jumpers with less than a 100 jumps do you get a lot of sprains and injurys? I know it will be different for everyone, but is it typical? I'm a pretty active guy in other activities and don't want to be down with sprains and breaks all the time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
poohbeer 0 #2 June 22, 2003 I'm a complete newbie but on the 5 days I was going for my AFF we were with about 40 people (30 SL, 10 AFF) and 'only' 1 person got injured. This because not following rules (landing downwind AND not flaring). The landings for me where WAY softer then with a tandemmaster strapped on my back. I even stood up most of them. ------- SIGNATURE BELOW ------- Complete newbie at skydiving, so be critical about what I say!! "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masher 1 #3 June 22, 2003 I've got about 75 jumps and I've only hurt myself once (strained ankle and knee), and that was because I stuffed up. I had a brain fart and didn't flare until my feet were on the ground. I would call your landing atypical, but thake that with a large grain of salt; I haven't been around for long...-- Arching is overrated - Marlies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blahr 0 #4 June 22, 2003 I have only 68 jumps right now, but I've stood up 61 of them (the bad landings being in the first 10 jumps) and I have not had any sprains, strains, or broken bones. 2 of them were tandems where we did butt landings intentionally. A couple bruises and a scrape is as bad as I've gotten. On the whole I'd say that tandem landings are harder than solo jump landings but wing loading cn make a big difference here :-) Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeTJumps 4 #5 June 22, 2003 Each tandem landing is different because of the amount of weight and help the tandem instructor has to deal with at landing time and the dynamics of the landing flare (just like switching from one size of aircraft to another all the time). We Tandem Instructors try to make everything as safe as possible for you, our passengers. Some landings are rougher than others. There is just a huge amount of "stuff" to deal with, but ideally, the landings can be sit down - slide into a base -soft or stand up and walk-outs. The equivalent is a drop off a three foot platform. By all means, it is very important for the passenger to get their feet up so that the tandem instructor takes the landing force. Wishing you many more safe jumps!Mike Turoff Instructor Examiner, USPA Co-author of Parachuting, The Skydiver's Handbook Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 562 #6 June 22, 2003 The injury rate for tandem students is less than 1 per thousand. However it is highly dependent upon students' foot position, as you have learned the hard way! Solo landings are generally easier and injuries are even rarer. As an earlier poster mentioned, most solo landing injuries come from doing the same sort of dumb things that wreck airplanes i.e. landing down wind and forgetting to flare. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ironeagle 0 #7 June 22, 2003 I also forgot to mention that the harness on both of my legs hurt like hell. I had bruises on the inside of my thighs. Are solo rigs more accomodating and when I go for another tandem jump should I wear something to help this? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jedeisurf 0 #8 June 22, 2003 Yes, a sport rig is much more comfortable. You will get much better landing by yourself in the future. A Wings articulated harness is is very comfortable, when and if you get your own rig I highly recommend one. David Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CloudOnMyTongue 0 #9 June 22, 2003 Not that I have enough experiece to answer this question, I will give you my opinion. Sounds like your leg straps were just tightened incorrectly. They should have been tight enough to not pinch ...anything... on open, but not so tight that they cut off circulation (this causes people to pass out too) Also, if you learn how to do PLF's really well, and if you remember to flare, then you'll probably not hurt yourself anymore. ~~PLF's allowed me to land 17 round canopies without injury, and those HURT! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
w4p2 0 #10 June 22, 2003 "The injury rate for tandem students is less than 1 per thousand" and "Solo landings are generally easier and injuries are even rarer" ----------------------------------------------------------- Two very interesting statements. Could you specify what is considered basis for an injury ( Insurance claim? Hospital admission? Emergency room visit? Sick leave? What?) and further Could you inform, what is the source of such statistics? Cheers: JL Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ironeagle 0 #11 June 23, 2003 What are plf's? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masher 1 #12 June 23, 2003 parachute landing falls.-- Arching is overrated - Marlies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FallinWoman 1 #13 June 23, 2003 PLF. Parachute landing fall. A technique used to minimize injury during rough landings, a PLF distributes the landing shock along feet, calves, thighs, hip and shoulder. ~Anne I'm a Doll!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 562 #14 June 23, 2003 Quote"The injury rate for tandem students is less than 1 per thousand" and "Solo landings are generally easier and injuries are even rarer" ----------------------------------------------------------- Two very interesting statements. Could you specify what is considered basis for an injury ( Insurance claim? Hospital admission? Emergency room visit? Sick leave? What?) and further Could you inform, what is the source of such statistics? Cheers: JL >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CSPA defines an "injury" as anything that requires the assistance of a medical professional. My "statistics" are a rough "guesstimate" derived from 26 years of skydiving. Since few skydiving organizations keep accurate records of accidents, incidents, injuries, malfunctions or total numbers of jumps, we are forced to make educated guesses. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
w4p2 0 #15 June 23, 2003 Thanks for the clarification. I appreciate your experience and wealth of knowledge but thought to ask for clarification, because as you properly pointed out, hard fact statistics on other, than major incidents are very hard to find. It would be very interesting to know, if any of the national organizations, that take out group medical insurances for the jumpers would be in position to publish the statistics of the claims as well as jump types and numbers on their particular area of operations. I think that this information would be a valuable addition to our general knowledge of our sport. Safe landings: JL Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phonics1981 0 #16 June 25, 2003 Ive only had 11 jumps but ive never injured myself landing (touch wood!). I do however, have a severe black bruise at the top of my thigh from the opening shock. God Damn it hurts!!! And then to hang in my harness for 5 minutes decending is a nightmare! ------------------------------------------------------ "Ive given up on sigs cos I make a mess of them!" ------------------------------------------------------ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tilion 0 #17 July 1, 2003 QuoteI also forgot to mention that the harness on both of my legs hurt like hell. I had bruises on the inside of my thighs. Are solo rigs more accomodating and when I go for another tandem jump should I wear something to help this? When I did my TJ, when under canopy my Tandem Master had me lift up one leg and slide the strap a little more towards the knee, then lift the other and do the same. This way I was sitting in the legstraps instead of hanging in them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
