Don't get too comfy

[CBurket 0]

I had a bad experience under canopy last weekend. I recently got a new canopy loaded at 1.2 with 120 jumps. I had put 25 jumps on it without even falling down. Every landing in all kinds of wind was pretty much perfect. I wasn't doing any low turns and didn't intend to any time soon. However, on the second load of the day I was coming in straight and just got a little complacent about what I was doing. I starting worrying about the people watching I forgot that crashing was something I needed to worry about. I wasn't concentrating on what I was doing so I ended up flaring low. The crash wouldn't have been that bad except that because I got too complacent I didn't have my feet and knees together either. I crashed and sprained an ankle and a knee. I'll be jumping in another two to three weeks and it could have been a lot worse. I just wanted to tell everyone about this because its something you don't think about until you have to spend two weekends looking at blue skies and no wind while your inside watching bad skydiving movies. I got too comfortable under canopy and didn't think that it could hurt me and I got a not so nice wake-up call. There are probably lots of new jumpers out there at my experience level trying out new canopies so remember that every canopy out there can hurt you one way or the other so don't get too comfy and end up on the couch like me.

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

Too true. At least nothing was broken !! There was a good post before called "Never stop flying" which was like this - don't stop flying your canopy until your feet are solidly on the ground. There's no tomorrow - you ain't gonna live it for me - The Offspring

[wlie 0]

Same here. I bought my first gear, put about 6 jumps when I hurt myself. Got comfy, didn't look around on final, and at about 10 ft off the ground and 20 ft from my target a jumper overtook me and got close enough to take away my comfy. I stabbed my right toggle. Bad move. Hit the ground so hard I sprained my ankle and was out for 3 weeks. Good thing - I was already flaring my first stage.
Lessons learned - fly as defensively as you drive.

[billvon 2,433]

>I recently got a new canopy loaded at 1.2 with 120 jumps. I had put 25 jumps
>on it without even falling down.
Yep. It's easy to forget that making straight in approaches in good winds time after time doesn't prepare one to really _fly_ the canopy if things get more dicey - less (or more) wind, tighter landing area, obstacles, or a sloped field.
>There are probably lots of new jumpers out there at my experience level trying
> out new canopies so remember that every canopy out there can hurt you one
> way or the other so don't get too comfy and end up on the couch like me.
An important lesson that some people don't learn until too late.
-bill von

[freeflir29 0]

Quote

or a sloped field

Had do some fancy flyin Sunday with this one. I'm making my approach to the beach and due to canopy traffic end up sorta low and looking for a spot to dodge the throngs of beachgoers. Get in my right front riser and start my swoop right near the waters edge. Heheheehehee....forgot how steep the sand rises up from the water and had to dig it a little. Cool thing was I was only about 45 degrees off from doing a complete downwinder so I still got 60-80 ft of surf out of it. "Here I come to save the BOOBIES!"

[drenaline 0]

Quote

don't act too stupid for all the bikini clad hotties....

Bikini? dude go to a topless or nude beach, that would be fun if you can concentrate.
"Life is full of danger, so why be afraid?"
drenaline

[Tonto 1]

Good post. It aint over till its over, regardless of your experience level. Recently downsized to a 100 loaded at 2.0 to 1 and did 40 perfect landings in a row... then a slightly bad spot, some traffic and not as much speed as I'd have liked and I had to slide it in, dirty my ego and my jumpsuit. Keep it flying,
t

[MiataDRM 0]

Thanks for the post...hope you get well soon. DOOOOOOR!
**I'm a Pschydiver!
Majdi

[rhino 0]

One word....
Alieve Glad you are still here...
Rhino
Blue Skies .....

[goose491 0]

> don't stop flying your canopy until your feet are solidly on the ground.
this is good but I'm thinking the dive is not over until your canopy is on the ground and deflated. Too many people get into the habit of shooting one toggle up and the other down (anticipating trouble getting the canopy to the ground in some winds) before ALL their weight is supported by their own legs. This could be ugly should the wind "decide" to take you.

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!