Handles check

[174fps 1]

I was recently visiting another DZ
a very experienced (many thousands of jumps)
instructor/coach had to pull silver after failing to
do a handles check prior to exit.
He said the worst thing was that he had just told the
novice he was coaching to do a handles check and failed to do one himself.
PC handle was jammed in the BOC.

[Jimbo 0]

Quote

PC handle was jammed in the BOC.

I saved myself either a reserve ride or a low pull over the weekend when I found my PC handle jammed into the BOC on a routine handles check. They do work.

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[BMFin 0]

How was it jammed ? Was the handle inside the pouch or what was it ?

[Jimbo 0]

The hacky handle was found inside the BOC.

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

I touch all of my handles, plus rotate the rings in my 3-ring at least five times on every single skydive.

Chuck

[174fps 1]

Quote

I touch all of my handles, plus rotate the rings in my 3-ring at least five times on every single skydive.

Chuck

Never even thought of checking the 3-rings though I do
give my chest strap a good tug after checking handles.


Andrew

[mcrocker 0]

Same thing as Skymonkey. I check my handles, actually touching them in the proper order, hacky, oh shit, and plan B. Check my connections points (leg, leg, chest) and look/spin my 3 rings on EVERY dive. The thing on my back wants to kill me and I REFUSE to let it. I know it will the first chance it gets!

[BMFin 0]

Maby Im stupid, but what does the rotating of the 3-rings tell you ?

[jumpy 0]

If you leave the 3-ring in the same position all the time it can bend the middle ring making it harder or maybe even impossible to cutaway bad juju

[JamesNahikian 0]

It was common practice before each jump to rotate the individual rings which help comprise the 3-ring release system. The rationale was this clears debris such as mud or pea gravel from the attached webbing and preserves the system's mechanical advantage. Spinning the rings also enables a jumper to survey his rings for damage.

At the dropzone where I jump, we are taught not to rotate our 3-rings unless we experience an extraordinary event, such as slamming a riser in a car door or face planting ourselves in the peas, aside from performing routine maintenance inspections. Otherwise, spinning the 3-rings only serves to accelerate wear on the release system, since it involves rubbing metal across nylon. Industry people who have visited our dropzone have concurred in this view.

D. James Nahikian
CHICAGO

[darkwing 4]

I'm going to disagree with Jumpy on his reasoning for rotating the rings. "...If you leave the 3-ring in the same position all the time it can bend the middle ring making it harder or maybe even impossible to cutaway..." A bent ring is an extraordinarily unusual situation and means either a manufacturing defect, or a hugely hard opening (i.e., put you in the hospital).

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[riggerrob 561]

Rotating rings made sense if you got some of the soft rings made back in the 1980s.
Otherwise, fingering rings just leaves hand oils on them which accelerates rusting.
So unless you are jumping 1980s vintage risers, the only reason to spin rings is to keep you amused during the ride to altitude.

[rigging65 0]

Quote

If you leave the 3-ring in the same position all the time it can bend the middle ring making it harder or maybe even impossible to cutaway bad juju

Spinning your rings that often is bad juju as well. Oil from your fingers adheres to your rings, which attracts dirt, which damages webbing. Spinning them once a weekend (or after slamming it around...bad skydiver!) is sufficient to make sure you're not "bending" your rings.

"...and once you had tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward.
For there you have been, and there you long to return..."

[billvon 2,435]

>and look/spin my 3 rings on EVERY dive.

Back in NY a few people did this. You could always tell who did it; they had a black ring of corrosion around their middle 3-rings where the coating had worn off from the incessant spinning. One guy had actually notched his harness rings a bit from the friction.