Lazarus_762

I have a case of whiplash, plus I fall like a teflon-coated bowling ball. A typical deployment was alot like a car crash, and usually had me seeing stars...the solution was to have my rigger make me a pocket slider. it makes for soft slow openings with a lot less wear and tear on your body. Discuss it with your rigger, see what he says. you probably want to add 300 to 500 feet to your pitch altitude - it will slow your openings that much! 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!"

I only popped my shoulder once, but once was enough! I wear a neoprene and velcro brace on every jump... EVS makes some good ones, maybe you should try that before you get cut on. 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!"

These threads take on a life of there own. LOL! Indeed they do! I remember one thread I started. I posted that I was missing my pocket knife after packing my rig. The point I was trying to make was that, if you have doubts about your gear, don't manifest and just say, "ahh, it'll probably be alright!" Stop, take the time, and double check your gear...in my case, the knife was actually inside cell #4... I retrieved it, cussed for a few minutes then repacked and jumped. Later, I shared what I thought was a learning moment with the group - "if you have doubts about your gear, don't assume, double check and make sure!"...it immediately turned into a very nice 3 sided brawl about the proper technique of removing a broken band from a D bag, including one fellow chastising me for abusing my hook knife by using it to cut stow bands. I didn't even own a hook knife at the time! ;) I just sat back and watched the fireworks...but I also learned from the opinions expressed! BTW, the fellow who taught me to carefully slice a broken band off a D bag was a master rigger with 30 years experience in the sport...I just assumed he actually had a fookin clue...LOL! 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!"

that looks like it stung a little... put an ice pack on it, then walk it off! ;) 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!"

Depending on your jump numbers, skills and exit weight, and 1:1 loading is not necessarily anywhere near 'very conservative' at all. in my case, it pretty much is. I'm a big n00b, flying a big n00b canopy, a Navigator 280, AKA, a Freekin Circus Tent...it is docile and forgiving, and honestly they don't make 'em much bigger -a little bit bigger, but not much. Coming off an injury, I do have some tonnage to shed, and I'm being very cautious and conservative. I know what you are saying, but in this case, I'm thinking 1:1 is pretty conservative, especially compared to the OP 1.6:1 WL... 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!"

Nope. That's if you get lucky. What REALLY sucks is being paralyzed for the rest of your life because of the decisions you made. Dying is not the worst outcome in this sport... snip agree 100%. "Whats the worst that could happen?" answer: "Quadraplegia!" and yeah, I was actually very lucky, things could have been much, much worse when I went THUD. My main point was simply that complacency can seriously screw you up, a lesson I learned in a very painful way. Professor Intense F. Pain can be very convincing. 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!"

I thought about asking him that same question, but didn't for fear of being lambasted one way or another. Best- Richard that was my immediate thought, too...trips to the emergency room suck - BTDT. I am jumping a very conservative WL of 1:1, and still dug a hole like Wiley Coyote. If I had been flying at a WL of 1.6, and had to do a no-flare, full-speed PLF, I would have busted all sorts of bones... in my humble opinion, your biggest danger to yourself is the complacency you mentioned. We jokingly say, "What could possibly go wrong?", but we should never forget that all sorts of shit can go wrong, and being complacent while jumping gear that is beyond your skill level is a damn good way to become a broken sack of meat with no pulse. Reading about yourself in the Incidents section of Parachutist magazine is bad enough - being too dead to read about yourself would really suck. 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!"

happy to report, left-hand pull is simple, easy, and works just fine! 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!"

can I sit in your lap on the ride to 14K this weekend? I didn't say I use them, I was just making a suggestion...also not denying it, am I? LOL! no, I don't.... 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!"

Depends...not joking, buy some Depends. if anybody gives you any shit about it (sorry, bad pun), you can just tell them that every fighter pilot in the world starts gearing up by pulling on a pair of Depends...and then tell them to kiss your messy ass, cuz it ain't any of their business. 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!"

My rigger just finished switching my rig to a left-hand pull BOC... my right shoulder was too stiff to reach properly, and I had to bend at the waist to get to my handle, which caused me to slide sideways and headdown on opening - not good! so this weekend I'll spend an hour or 2 wearing it and practicing pulling left handed, and probably take an instructor with me in case there is a problem...WTWTCH?? 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!"

I popped my shoulder back in september, a really bad one with lots of pain, in a sling for 3 months, tons of physical therapy, etc...I bought a brace on amazon, did a tandem 6 weeks ago, and got current the next weekend. I did re-injure my shoulder at the dropzone, tho...I stumbled coming out of the john and fell on hands and knees on the concrete walk... what a dumbass. Anyway, yes you can jump with a dislocated shoulder, and a good tight brace helps alot. 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!"

whoops... maybe shouldnt have voted. n00b belly flyer, not a wing suiter - yet! 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!"

muchas gracias for all the good advice...gonna take it slow, PT like crazy, and make sure I never jump without a brace. Looking at March before I can try this again...something tells me I'm gonna be a little bit nervous the first 2 or 3 times when I get back into it 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!"

I popped my shoulder a few weeks back, from the opinions of the doctors and other bone specialists, I did a pretty damn good job of it, too! I'm looking at several months of physical therapy before I can get back in the air. I'll be taking it slow and doing all of my exercises, etc, but what other precautions do I need to take? Are there any special considerations for jumping that maybe a therapist would not think about? thanks... 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!"

tablesaw, it really was a freak accident. I was being careful, paying attention, totally sober, etc...but ther was a hollow spot in the wood, it zipped thru the saw, and my finger hit the side of the blade. the rotation threw it in front of the blade, it bounced right into the teeth, and *chomp*! ps, that shit HURT! still does, every day...boo-f***ing-hoo. 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!"

as if that would *ever* happen... sheesh! ;) 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!"

pushups? respect, bro! thanks, I'm sure I just need time and patience... 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!"

Protect that stump! A few weeks ago, I chopped off my index finger at the knuckle. Last weekend, I went to the Wounded Warrior Boogie at Gold Coast Skydivers in Lumberton, thinking that I was probably healed up enough to at least do a couple of fall rate dives, try out the new booties on the suit, fly the new canopy, etc...I put an aluminum splint over the stump to protect it from accidental contact with people, the plane, the ground, whatever. I didn't try to pad or immobilize it, though. I just didn't think I would need to. After my first jump from 14K, I was waiting for my favorite packer to work his magic, and Stumpy really started hurting - a LOT. I just whined about it a little (actually, a lot), took some drugs, and grounded myself. A few days later, I was typing at work, and the more I poked at the keyboard, the more Stumpy complained - I finally made the connection; you don't have to slam it against anything, or poke it with a stick. Vibration is enough to make the thing hurt, and when you fall at 130 MPH, everything is vibrating, including what is left of my finger. The next time I'm jumping, I will take steps to immobilize and pad Stumpy, to keep his complaints to a minimum. Even a small amputation can lead to big changes, but I am determined to figure this crap out and get on with my life. Blue Skies! 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!"

absolutely go, no hesitation at all, and get some airtime! You'll meet a ton of cool peeps and have a ball 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!"

I'll give you one piece of advice that I wish I had listened to at your stage...every time you go to the DZ, make at least one jump with a coach. Don't be like me, doing solo bellies and hop n pops, and never getting any instruction. Remember, you are still a student - get training! By the time I finally got my A, I had 15 hop n pops and at least that many solo bellies, and I knew almost nothing about jumping with other people...hire coaches! 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!"

all good advice, voice of experience? and from Wendy also...I'm thinking maybe a small plastic splint taped in place might be a good thing, to protect those nerve endings. Not gonna let this stop me from jumping, but I'm too old to pretend it doesn't hurt just so I can be a macho tough guy. I have no problem admitting I'm a wuss, so I will take all necessary precautions...thanks again. 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!"

ROFL! 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!"

I thought I was being SO careful, right up to the point where the saw chopped off the end of my left index finger...took my experience with pain to a whole new level! I don't anticipate any real problems jumping in a couple weeks, but then, I've never lost body parts before...packing is gonna be a bitch, but can anyone think of any problems I might have jumping? I'm right handed, plenty of finger left to hold my altimeter in place, still have 3 good ones and a thumb for the toggles...I think it'll be ok, what do you think? 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!"

I knew Jim, I wish I had known him better. He was a geuinely good man, friendly and helpful, cheerful and positive...this is a sad, sad day. Jim, you will be missed. Blue Skies, Black Death, my brother... 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!"