Corking

[SSkydiver 0]

I'm looking at trying my hand at sit flying in about 15 more jumps. I always hear the term "cork" or "corking". What is being talked about when a freeflyer "corks"

[Vertifly 0]

If you lose your orientation in a sit or head-down position, chances are that you'll slow down A LOT. When you do that, it will pop you up, in relation to the other divers around you, quite a bit.

Corking can be very dangerous. If someone is above you when you cork....WHAMMMOH!!! That is why it is so important to monitor the number of jumpers going out at once - as well as the amount of jumps everyone has.

Corking is really a common mistake, it just needs to be anticipated. Don't worry, if you are learning sit-flying now, it will eventually happen.

In a sit, the thing is NOT to panic, go into a ball to keep the speed up a bit (you'll probably end up on your back), then just stick your arms out again... this will place you back into a sit position.

Best of luck SSkydiver!!!!

[mr2mk1g 10]

I dont think its inevitable that you will cork at some point during learning to FF - unless your a dumbass or no-one has ever told you about it.

You've done the right thing to ask about it, and now you know what it is, (see above). simple answer is DONT. People cork when they are learning sit because all they have done before is flat fly. So if they go unstable they revert to a stable spred and go belly to earht. DONT.

You have to get it ingrained in your head that if you go unstable go into a ball - simply curl up into a foetal position, then try to get back into sit from that. That way you will stay at relatively the same fall rate to everyone else and wont be a danger.

Simply run through the dive a lot in you mind before going up so that you are sure you will go into a ball instead of reverting to an arch.

[Vertifly 0]

Quote

I dont think its inevitable that you will cork at some point during learning to FF

I feel a debate coming on. Virtually unheard of, I'm talking even on solo's. Corking is part of the learning process.

I'm sure even Mozart stumbled on a few notes while he began writing music at the age of 4. Likewise, freeflyers will cork during record-breaking jumps too. It is part of the territory (that territory being 160mph).