Slowing down in a Sit

[vtamb81 0]

I've recently been branching out to the freefly realm and have done about 5 sit fly jumps with some coaching from experienced sitfliers (i'm starting to feel the pull of the DARK SIDE!!). I understand how to speed up (bringing your knees up so you look like a ball, or extending your legs >90 degrees, which is getting closer to the stand position), but i'm a little confused on how to slow you fall rate from a sit. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and i'll be asking some folks at the DZ this weekend.

[cvfd1399 0]

I was told to spread your legs out to the side at the knee joints. I tried it , and you can really feel the wind resistance that makes.

[Peej 0]

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I was told to spread your legs out to the side at the knee joints. I tried it , and you can really feel the wind resistance that makes.

That's right. Try flying with your ankles out to the sides and your knees together so you're using the surface area of the inside of your calves as well as the underside of your thighs. Alternatively you can backfly.

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[vtamb81 0]

Thanks for the advice everyone.....does spreading your legs at the knees offer any added stability??

[dharma1976 0]

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Thanks for the advice everyone.....does spreading your legs at the knees offer any added stability??

no it is more of a way to slow down your sit as your are flying it in your 90s right?

aka you want to have your thighs spread in a 90 degree angle.

the angle between thigh and calves is 90

and upper body is around 90...

then to slow down you basically kick your knees in to add more drag...

Cheers and Blues

Skyjunky Dave

http://www.skyjunky.com

CSpenceFLY - I can't believe the number of people willing to bet their life on someone else doing the right thing.

[jerry81 10]

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Thanks for the advice everyone.....does spreading your legs at the knees offer any added stability??

no it is more of a way to slow down your sit as your are flying it in your 90s right?

Actually, I would say flying with your legs spread and utilizing the inside surface of your calves/thighs definitely adds stability. You could say you're trying to straddle the air and rely more on your legs so your hands are free to move around. I know taking docks and flying them in headup has become much easier once I really started paying attention to how I use my lower body.

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[partyboy 0]

oh yeah, its fast

Up High!!

[dharma1976 0]

totally I agree, but I am trying to say is that he is talking of kicking the knees in is a way to fly slower, does it addstability, no... stability comes from the body position and being relaxed...

he was asking if kicking his knees towards each other adds stability, actually it creats a pocket for air to catch on so no it would add instability...

but it works to slow down in the moment...

Cheers

Skyjunky Dave

http://www.skyjunky.com

CSpenceFLY - I can't believe the number of people willing to bet their life on someone else doing the right thing.

[vtamb81 0]

well this sure gives me a lot to think about next weekend. I'll be trying keeping all my angles at 90 degrees, and then play around with different movements with my knees to adjust fall rate. I'm sure relaxing will also help....not being on my belly is still a really new feeling for me. Thanks for all the advice.

[Trent 0]

There's more than one way to skin a cat, so here's my 2 cents on sitting slow...

First, head-up flying is almost all in your legs. I've heard many people advocate the 90 degree stuff, and while it's a good start, I think it can be slightly modified to make things easier on new freeflyers.

I tell my students that sitflying well requires that you keep your weight on your feet or lower legs. In order to make that work, you have to keep your butt above your knees, otherwise your flying your butt and your legs aren't doing enough of the work. It also makes it easier to have the common "rock back" when people lose their balance. Keep your weight on your lower legs and/or feet.

Slowing down is tough because it makes you spread out the parts that you're using for balance. Like people here said, spreading your lower legs to the side will work, since you're now using the inside of your calves to add drag. I wouldn't advise keeping your knees together to "catch air" however. You're much better off, spreading your thighs as well to add them to the drag equation, while at the same time giving you more balance. This is pretty tough to do if you're keeping your legs at 90 degrees from your torso. So get above your knees and spread your legs. Use all the surface you have to both slow down and give you more control.

Now, if you got that far, you can maintain the wide and slow leg position, and lean back a little. Not so much that your knees get above your butt, or that you're laying on your back, but enough to get the wind on your back and neck. Now you've added a huge amount of surface area to the equation. This will probably mean your legs need to be a bit forward to counter the drive that your back adds, but you're already doing that unless you're in the splits. The more you lean back while maintaining balance on your legs, the slower you go.

A nice side effect of this method is that your arms and hands are pretty much free to do anything... docking, flipping off the camera, or even further slowing you down if necessary. But I'd stick to slowing up with your legs and torso first, save the arms for the fun stuff.

Hope that helps. If it doesn't make sense... well, it sounds better in person... can't help that!

Oh, hello again!

[skychick312 0]

Use your arms to help u slow down...pressing down on the column of air around you will definitely do the trick...also you can sit indian style/or knee fly when you get to that point of freeflyin!!!
Good luck

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Be the change you wish to see in the world!

[Bowen 0]

get a neptune and try differant positions on a couple of jumps. check the mph on the jump logs.

-Bowen

Retired Tunnel Instructor, Sky/Tunnel Coach

Former dealer for 2k Composites, Skysystems, Alti-2, Wings

[dropoutdave 0]

Why would you want to slow down? Make the other guys go faster.

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May Contain Nut traces......

[HydroGuy 0]

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First, head-up flying is almost all in your legs.
A nice side effect of this method is that your arms and hands are pretty much free to do anything... docking, flipping off the camera, or even further slowing you down if necessary. But I'd stick to slowing up with your legs and torso first, save the arms for the fun stuff.

Get in - Get off - Get away....repeat as neccessary

[livenletfly 0]

trent had some great advice, definatly follow it. my 2 cents you can use with his tips is arm posistion. rather than stick them straight out bend 90 degrees at the elbow, palms face down and slightly bent at the wrist. this will cup more air and add to stability, especially in a stand. i can actually maintain the same speed standing as in a sit doing this method. i prefer to stand or almost stand rather than a 90 and 90 sit. i tell people learning head up flight to try to mimic the posistion of sitting on a bar stool. like trent said butt above the knees. this is a very active posistion.
goodluck
and spreading your legs out definatly adds stability.

>

[ematteo 0]

Strong legs definitely help.

One other thing worked for me in the tunnel (and the air - big time):

Do the "Guy Arch" thing with your upper body, and lean back a little: Remember when you first learned how to skydive and everyone said to "arch from the hips, not your chest?" Well, do the opposite: arch your chest - I mean really stick it out like you're proud. keep your butt where it is (de-arched) and roll back your shoulders. Lean back a little so your back catches air. Totally works.

[Peej 0]

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flipping off the camera

More like flipping ON the camera, even with a cam eye i'm a complete dumbass sometime

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[brabzzz 0]

Duuno whether you mean slow sit, or 'climbing' back up from, for example, a floating exit ona big way sit (is there a difference?).

I'm no expert, far from it, but I found myself learning and doing a lot of this out in Gap and the method Eli showed us sure worked.

To cut my long rambly description short, 'hump god'. Really thrust those hips 'up' and hold it. Pretty much works for any movement. Aim, thrust and go! , maybe combined with splaying the calves outwards from the knee to grab more air.

Not a great explanation, but it sure as hell works whilst maintaining a good deal of control.

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Ex-University of Bristol Skydiving Club
www.skydivebristoluni.com

[Zoter 0]

I for sure used to use the 'big man ' method of slowing down.....arms out wide and down and legs spread further apart.....it works.

What I have seen and learned that is more effective and doesnt change yoyr body position radically is to 'turn out' your ankles to 'catch air'.....
Its like turning your legs so your knee caps get closer together and your ankles move further apart
As long as you keep your ankles symetrical you can 'throttle' the amount of drag ( and slowfall) you need without having to radically change your upper body position.
Importnat to make sure your ankles dont drift forwards or backwards so you dont drive or backslide.....but IMHO it only takes a real small input to illicit a big speed change...

[vtamb81 0]

AWESOME everyone!! I tried this out alst weekend and i could really tellk the difference when using some of these methods such as keeping you ankles on the same level and just putting your knees closer together to create more drag. Adrenaline Air Sports (my DZ) and most of the people in the Virginia Tech club are very RW oriented (which i really like), but it doesn't lend to lots of good freeflying advice. I love this website and everyone one on it. You guys rock. Thanks again.

Blue Skies
Aaron
Virginia Tech Skydiving Club

[www.skydivevt.com]
Edited: Can't figure out how to make this a clicky

[droquette 0]

I am fat.. my skydiving buddy is skinny.. I have tried all of these styles including the split. I find That the split with my arms out is what slows you down the most. But,,,, and theres always a but.. it is super unstable ( for me).. It does look cool in the videos. After the splits I agree with what the consensus of this thread... wide legs with the ankles even further out to help create drag along your calf and inner knee.. as well as having your arms out at 90 degrees.
Now I have to learn how to do the split in head down...
Happy jumping

HISPA 72 ----- "Muff Brother" 3733