Always learning!!!

[freeflir29 0]

Wow...after 77 jumps on this PD 190 and a lot of progression in the landing techniques I'm still learning. Weekend before last I did a high 180 hook and rode double front risers for about 4-5 sec on approach. Now...this isn't exactly the wildest approach I have ever made. Damn boring one by normal standards. However......it did produced one of the longest, smoothest, sweetest surfs I have ever done. I was very puzzled by this one. How did I get that much surf out of a relatively conservative approach? Here's what I learned this weekend about surfing.
1. Smooth is fast: I used to think that hook turning and flaring to land was a fast and violent affair. Hence my surfs weren't nearly what they could have been. I was robbing all the energy by forcing the canopy into a glide by throwing my arms straight out. Funny part is I saw myself on video recently and thought that I confirmed that my brakes had shrunk cause I didn't have my arms straight out yet was in level flight on landing. Turns out I just learned to be smoother.
2. Start your flair high: I first attempted surfing by waiting until the last possible second and throwing the brakes out to "make" the canopy glide. Too much control input just robs speed. I now use about half the amount of brakes and still end up with level flight.
3. Fly it till it just won't fly anymore. I see so many people, some on fairly high end canopies, that don't know squat about flying their parachute. It's freakin amazing. Many stab the toggles and "Shut Down" the canopy long before it's ready to stop. It was an amazing thing yesterday. I did about a 160-170 degree hook (I ended up kinda low because I was playing under canopy for a tandem vid) I actually felt the point where my parachute basically stopped flying. My feet were just above the ground and I could feel the toggle pressure go a little slack as well as I could "feel" the harness pressure lessen. It felt absolutely amazing. I have never been so "One" with my parachute before.
4. All would be swoopers!!! Swooping has very little to do with low turns. Learn to be smooth. Any jackass can haul down on a front riser and hook. Learn the finess of swooping before you worry too much about scaring everyone with super low turns. Besides...all that digging out just gurantees you'll get about 20 ft of surf from that VX 65. Most of all...be careful!! I have scared myself a time or two but I'm just lucky that I'm so canservative. I always had just enough to get me out of a bad situation.
Just wanted to share. Hope it helps some folks out! I know I'm having more fun now. I do love to swoop!!!!! "Houston? That place is full of Crack heads and debutantes."- Hank Hill
Clay