0
Lazarus_762

First hop n pop...a bit nervous!

Recommended Posts

several folks have told me to just relax and stay aware of whats going on, but I'm a bit jittery...what would be your one best piece of advice, other than "remember to pull" ?

Airtwardo:"There is a bit of difference between a rigger with a nipper and a guy with 138 jumps and a swiss army knife...usually!"

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Focus on a good, stable exit. You'll give yourself a lot more time to pull if you're not spinning and flipping :)

Practice a few times in the mock up, perhaps get one of the more experienced jumpers to give you a few pointers. If you're doing a dive exit, lifting elbow to present to wind and curling your legs all the way back will help you get a good exit.

You'll do great! Have fun!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

what would be your one best piece of advice


Realize that your exit altitude is going to be way above what most people have for static line training - not only for the jumps with static line, but even for the first freefall jumps.

So, you have at least 100 times the skill at being stable and regaining stability than a static line student doing their first freefall, and you're going to be doing it from a higher altitude, so stop worrying and enjoy it! You could intentionally do an unstable exit and still have lots of time to make it right.
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

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Hard arch off the plane, belly to the relative wind (don't try to get belly to earth right away, just fly the wind), and remember you have plenty of time to deploy. If you were at terminal, you'd burn 1000' in 5 seconds, but after exit, 1000' takes ten seconds.
Hard arch because the air is "mushy" until you get some speed up.
I know you're supposed to deploy in five seconds, but for the first one I would rather see a stable exit and deployment that takes a little more time than something rushed and unstable.
This is the paradox of skydiving. We do something very dangerous, expose ourselves to a totally unnecesary risk, and then spend our time trying to make it safer.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
My piece of advice is to make sure you are in a stable position, don't rush the pulling. I've just made a few hop'n'pop, and I was in the same situation than you. I've been told to jump presenting my belly to the wind, rotating my body and head a little bit to look inside the plane as leaving, like saying good bye (caravan). Then you are supposed to be stable right from exit and able to pull. I did it twice, no problem. The third jump I did more or less the same. I had plenty of time to pull, but instead I chose to rush the opening to have more time to play with the canopy. I pulled way too soon and carelessly. The PC came in front of me and between my legs after that. I managed to grab the lanyard and pull it out of my legs at the same time as I rolled to put my belly down to earth (I was falling on my back). The canopy was open higher than any of my fellow jumpers had pull. But as somebody that was filming the exits told me later I was a "lucky bastard". I absolutely agree. That was stupid, it could have been really bad. I've learned from my mistake, I hope you can learn too.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
My first and pop was from 2500 feet on my 6 jump. All 5 previous static line. I found it easy. Just arch pull nothing difficult its all in the mind (fear of unknown)

Anyway you will be higher than 2500 feet.

You will say to yourself afterwards "that was a piece of piss " (Australian slang) for easy.

Onya mate !!
I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
My advice:
Practice stable, belly into the wind exits from altitude until you can do it with confidence and learn it before you attempt it at a low altitude.
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

My advice:
Practice stable, belly into the wind exits from altitude until you can do it with confidence and learn it before you attempt it at a low altitude.



Yes, if you are stressing you don't have the confidence that you would be much better off to have.

What Squeak said about watching the plane helped my poised exits from a C-182. I would just get real big and watch the plane, stable as you could hope for.
Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Keep your head up and read the numbers on the bottom of the plane




now there is some damn good advice...on the first one, I had my eyeballs glued to the DZ...not a good thing to do! It was ugly as a shit-burger with a dead frog on top, I tumbled, was on my back, turned over, got stable and pulled, and I had a stable canopy at 3500...(we do Hop n Pops at 5000). At that point I realized my jitters were totally absurd. I know how to get stable, and I had plenty of time, as many of you pointed out. I enjoyed the ride down, got a sweet standup landing, and went straight to manifest and got another jump ticket! The second one was stable, clean, relaxed, and a buttload of fun! I think I may do quite a few Hop n Pops during the colder months - can't wait for my next trip to the DZ!

thanks for all the good advice, folks!B|B|

Airtwardo:"There is a bit of difference between a rigger with a nipper and a guy with 138 jumps and a swiss army knife...usually!"

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I did my first hop 'n pop recently, and it went shitty. At first I underestimated the time to altitude (3500 ft in 3 minutes). First one out, and had trouble opening the door...
At jump off, I instantly reached for the pilot chute and pulled, and got unstable at opening.

Back on the ground someone called me over and showed me my exit on vide. I was politely explained how I could've done it better. It really helped, but it would've helped a lot if I had just relaxed :/
I am bad at this sport because I play by the rules.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

several folks have told me to just relax and stay aware of whats going on, but I'm a bit jittery...what would be your one best piece of advice, other than "remember to pull" ?


While pulling is a good thing it's probably the last thing you will forget (no pun ;). If there's one thing you should keep in mind regarding pulling it's not to rush it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Did my hop n pops last week, both at 5500 and 3500. And I just became certified two days ago:).

My only advice to you is relax. Relax is the key. You will realize that you do have plenty of time. That is the concept that is quite hard for us, newbies, to comprehend. Do what you have been trained to do and you will be fine.

Enjoy!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Did my hop n pops last week, both at 5500 and 3500. And I just became certified two days ago:).

My only advice to you is relax. Relax is the key. You will realize that you do have plenty of time. That is the concept that is quite hard for us, newbies, to comprehend. Do what you have been trained to do and you will be fine.

Enjoy!



What does "relax" actually mean? What am I supposed to do to be "relaxed"?
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote


What does "relax" actually mean? What am I supposed to do to be "relaxed"?



I joke that I'll just keep shouting louder at a student until they relax, sort of like 'the floggings will continue until morale improves'.

Seriously, I agree that "relax" does indeed always need extra explanation. But is there any better word to use?

One doesn't want a student to go limp on the one hand, but one doesn't want them to get nervous and do a totally wrong body position (e.g., look down & dearch), nor go rigid with tension (which can pull someone from an arch into a flatter position), nor be so stiff in the arch that they 'chip' in freefall, nor try too hard to push on the air (e.g., moving an arm in freefall will control your movement, but you can't just punch the air as you can lose surface area and lose control).

While in teaching one wants to emphasize the positive and the correct way to do things, in this case it is hard to say what is right without showing what is wrong.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

this used to work for us. at our club where EVRYone learned via the static line method...
( i'm talking Decades ago...)

increase exit altitude by 500 feet and suggest to the student,
that they "resist that initial urge to PULL" :o
Instead Finish what you started out, to DO. ..:)
which is to throw a nice arch !!!B| and feeel the relative wind as velocity increases.... Then... it WILL be time to pull.
We also used to suggest that the exiting jumper try their best to SEE the jumpmaster in the door, who will be smiling..... and waving to Them.

H & P's can be done at 3,200 to 3,500 feet... safely and successfully...
( hell , we'd get out at 2 grand... NO problem...Say, if the ceiling was low..:o:S.. of course Not students..;) but ANY C or D license holder...)

When an exit is at 5 grand or 5,500 feet,,, is the spot adjusted as needed???

Should the jumper also be spotting?? ( albiet with guidence from an instructor) on these early H & Ps???..OR is that too many "targeted learning objectives" ??

:)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
What does "relax" actually mean? What am I supposed to do to be "relaxed"?
***

I only can speak from my own experience. What I think may not work for others. We all came from different walk of life and getting to the result is often different from each of us.

Bear with me since I am not very good at explanation:

From my experiences, I need to relax mentally. I am (or was) known for tumbling at the exit. I already had been drilled on body positions, and the reasons behind it. My instructors told me countless times that I need to arch more, or get legs out. Even with all the drills that were instilled in me, I still had trouble with the exit. It wasn't until the hop and pops that I realize what my problem was. I tended to get nervous at the exit and was not aware of what I was doing. I simply exited and arched like I have been drilled to do. There was no thinking in this transition and that was the mistake. Clearly, this set up is wrong. So, I forced myself to relax mentally and try to understand why I had trouble with the exits. I started to think and pay more attention at the exit. I was able to recognize mistakes and/or potential mistakes at the exit and I allow my body to counteract to events as it unfold before my eyes. As the result, I saw a smoother transition with the “relative wind”.

How does my experiences apply to others? I figured that whatever the mistakes they have, it is probably because they stopped thinking (or got nervous), even if it was only matter of a second or two. And they probably wasn't sure how to react to those events as it unfold before their eyes.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote



How does my experiences apply to others? I figured that whatever the mistakes they have, it is probably because they stopped thinking (or got nervous), even if it was only matter of a second or two. And they probably wasn't sure how to react to those events as it unfold before their eyes.



I think this is spot on.
I've noticed that the more I jump the more I'm able to bring awareness to each moment, and to notice new things. At first it was noticing things I'm doing wrong and correcting them. Slowly I'm starting to become aware of others on the exit with me.

I think that space where you relax enough to be able to think is what you're talking about.

Astute observation!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
To be clear...
It's not the anxiety that allows the awareness to expand,

It is the reduction in anxiety that allows the awareness too expand.

Repetition is a great way to reduce anxiety. The more you do it successfully, the more comfortable you become and hence, your sphere of awareness increases.
My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
To be clear...
It's not the anxiety that allows the awareness to expand,

It is the reduction in anxiety that allows the awareness too expand.

Repetition is a great way to reduce anxiety. The more you do it successfully, the more comfortable you become and hence, your sphere of awareness increases.
***

I understand that repetition is a great way to reduce anxiety. In my case, it wasn't the repetition that got me out of the hump. It was the ability to think and react that lower my anxiety level.

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.

Guest
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.

0