risks about wearing weight belts/wests

[tosca 0]

I have jumped with 33 lbs extra weight, but I would need more.

I would like 66 lbs weights, but together with my rig and equipment (22 lbs) it means that my equipment weight ¾ of my naked body weight. almost me twice!

I get the feeling that wearing weights isn´t the same as actually have that weight as muscles and bones (since they kind of carry themselves), wearing weights somehow means that I have to carry more weight then my body is built for, trained for and used to.

What are the risks about wearing weight?

It´s not the increased wing loading aspect I think of, I can use a bigger parachute when I jump with weights. It´s about any other aspects of weight-risks.

[RozeAY 0]

Why do you need to wear so much weight? I only weigh 105 lbs and the most I've ever had to wear is around 17-20 lbs lead to keep up with some big boys.

[riggerrob 561]

The risk of drowning can be reduced by not jumping near water. buying an easily removed vest and practicing discarding weights while under canopy.
As for the general wear and tear and increased risk of fracture that comes with wearing extra weights, it will take years of physical training (weight lifting, cross-country running, etc.) to toughen your body. Hint, only a fraction of young soldiers survive this exhausting training physically intact.
Far wiser to start with the tightest Spandex suit available, lots of stretching and some coaching on how to fall faster without excessive weights, because your bones, tendons, ligaments, etc will not survive that much extra weight.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

With this unusually high (or any amount for that matter) amount of lead, I'd make sure I could ditch it in a hurry, just in case of a water landing.
The downside is...its got to be secure, so it doesn't fall off in freefall.
66lbs of lead is a lot, hell, 33 pounds is a lot, are you sure your jump buddies aren't teasing you, or wearing slick suits?
You are arching aren't you?
You are wearing a fast suit?

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[Ron 7]

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Replying to:
risks about wearing weight belts/wests by tosca
Post:
I have jumped with 33 lbs extra weight, but I would need more.

I would like 66 lbs weights, but together with my rig and equipment (22 lbs) it means that my equipment
weight ¾ of my naked body weight. almost me twice!

Im afraid that before I can give advice, I am gonna hafta see this naked body weight you talk about

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[grega 0]

think of what can happen at hard opening? or if you had to deploy a reserve. They open pretty fast you know, and G force at reserve opening is way bigger than at normal canopies. and i bet that even at normal opening weighs would produce some quite big forces on your body/bones... better reconsider putting that much extra weight.

"George just lucky i guess!"

[tosca 0]

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Why do you need to wear so much weight?

It´s not for freefall, I want to be able to do CRW more easily with heavy guys, even if I have the same size of canopy as they have (like if I borrow one of their canopies). I´m a rookie at crw and don´t want to make things more complicated than they already are.

[rigging65 0]

If its for CReW, have you considered putting an extra link on your rear risers and trimming the nose down a bit? We've taken some LITTLE girls with us on CReW dives and they didn't need to wear much lead at all with an extra link. Ask the folks you jump with what they think about it.

"...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..."

[dragon2 0]

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Why do you need to wear so much weight?

It´s not for freefall, I want to be able to do CRW more easily with heavy guys, even if I have the same size of canopy as they have (like if I borrow one of their canopies). I´m a rookie at crw and don´t want to make things more complicated than they already are.

Well it was suggested that I jump with lead to increase my wingload for CREW. I´d need about 13 kg (22% of my bodyweight, 57% with gear).

I´ve only got about 8 kg lead, and just carrying that around makes me shudder to think about all that lead around my ribcage in conjunction with jumping a lightning fast opening Lightning. No f* way, pardon my french.

And if you ever end up at terminal with that much weight, you´d get an *interesting* reserve opening, I´m sure .

Disclaimer: I have never jumped with weight before in my life, trying hard to avoid it too.

I´ll guess I´ll just have to wait until I´m allowed and able to jump a small canopy.....

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[relyon 0]

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Quote

Why do you need to wear so much weight?

It´s not for freefall, I want to be able to do CRW more easily with heavy guys, even if I have the same size of canopy as they have (like if I borrow one of their canopies). I´m a rookie at crw and don´t want to make things more complicated than they already are.

Get a CRW rig with a weight pocket on the backpad. That way under canopy the weight is on the rig, not you.

Bob

[mjosparky 3]

Taking a terminal opeing on a smaller reserve might make for a real "No Shit" story.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[PhreeZone 15]

Rear links... try them and they will help. Also get the experienced people to jump larger gear. There is no need to learn on a high loading. I learned at 1:1.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[faulknerwn 37]

For CRW, you're just going to need a smaller canopy. I remember wearing about 30 lbs of gear and 30 lbs of lead once, trying to jump a Prodigy 175 when that was all they had - it was exhausting at that just trying to do anything.

A smaller canopy is WAY preferable to wearing 60 lbs of lead :-) Links in the rear risers do help some as well.

W