bkoch

I don't trust chiropracters at all. I feel like they have a vested interest in making sure my spine is screwed up and that they know enough about the spine to keep me needing to comeback. I hope completely I can get back in the sky someday. Its been almost a month and neck and back still hurt. Who knows what the future holds. Just for today, right? B "What kind of man would live a life without daring? Is life so sweet that we should criticize men that seek adventure? Is there a better way to die?" - Charles Lindberg August 26th, 1938

Just got back from the doc. Basically my jump career is effectively over. Based on the MRI a repeat injury to my neck or back could cause the disk to slip all the way out causing unknown reprucussions. If I end up jumping again it probably wont be for a long long time. Super bummed. Can't believe this crap. All because of a poor pack job on my Triathlon. I worried about a variety of things happening in my jump career of 264 jumps...PC in tow, horshoe...freefall collision, canopy collision...To be honest, I never worried about a Hard Opening. Now a hard opening has effectively ended my jump career for the forseeable future. Pack carefully folks. Your spine is fragile. Safe jumps everyone. Thanks for the memories. Brad

Thanks for writing. If the pain goes away, I'll be back in the air. I'm really kicking myself for packing so poorly. If anyone out there, whether seasoned jumper or a newbie is reading this - take time to pack carefully and learn to pack canopies that open softly. Save yourself the chiropractic bills and visits to orthopedic surgeons... B

Any idea how long it takes for whiplash to heal anyone? Doc says no jumping for three months. Seems excessive, but he says a whiplash injury with another whiplash injury can cause extensive damage. Anyone out there have whiplash before? How long until it healed? B

Poor packing on my part is what caused my injury. Sort of a whiplash type accident. Middle upper back has pain, but neck is really sore and it has been ten days. I didn't even know how bad it was until days later. Lesson I learned- Pack carefully - slider all the way up, line stows tight and the right length, rubber bands strong enough to hold. If I hear a 10 minute call and haven't started packing and don't think I can pack well in that time, I will bump off the load and wait until the next one. My impatience waiting the hour between loads cost me...I have to sit out of skydiving for at least three months if I want a chance at complete recovery according to my doc. I hope I make it back. Skydiving has been so important in my life in so many ways. B "What kind of man would live a life without daring? Is life so sweet that we should criticize men that seek adventure? Is there a better way to die?" - Charles Lindberg August 26th, 1938

Got injured skydiving recently and according to my doc, I am looking at a three month recovery before I should jump again. Just curious about how many people out there have chronic pain from injuries related to skydiving.

What are the softest opening canopies on the market today? Brad

I posted this in the freefly forum, but I realize it is more of a safety question so I am reposting it here: Just wondering - After a freeflying jump; in a sit or head down, how much altitude should I spend slowing down on my belly before I deploy my main? I want to be able to open around 3500 feet, should I allow 1000 feet to slow down or 1500 feet? Let me know your opinion. Thanks for writing. Brad

Hey folks, Just wondering - After a freeflying jump; in a sit or head down, how much altitude should I spend slowing down on my belly before I deploy my main. I want to be able to open around 3500 feet, should I allow 1000 feet to slow down or 1500 feet? Let me know your opinion. Thanks for writing. Brad

Wow, That is either amazing amounts of public honesty or just a flame... Either way, I see you are a BASE jumper. All the guys I've met around the sport who have BASE jumped for years and years have seen either a fatality or a life changing crippling accident in the BASE world. Keep BASE jumping lots and lots and you'll get to see what you want to see. Personally, I hope not to see or be a skydiving fatality. Reading about them is enough for me. -B "What kind of man would live a life without daring? Is life so sweet that we should criticize men that seek adventure? Is there a better way to die?" - Charles Lindberg August 26th, 1938

So far it seems, as is from the stories I heard at the DZ, that landing by far in a way leads the pack in terms of injury... I've heard around the DZ about some narly freefall collision stuff too, but I'm not surprised that landing takes the cake. Makes sense to me. B "What kind of man would live a life without daring? Is life so sweet that we should criticize men that seek adventure? Is there a better way to die?" - Charles Lindberg August 26th, 1938

There is a lot of talk in magazines, online and such about fatalities that happen in skydiving because we can learn so much about safety through knowledge of how people die in skydiving... but I read that a little over a thousand skydivers have an injury every year that requires a visit to a doc... I bet there is a lot to be learned from people's injury stories as well - what to do and what not to do. So for anyone interested in posting, I'd like to hear about anytime you have been injured in skydiving, what caused it, what was injured, and what could be done to prevent it? Thanks for taking the time to tell me. Brad PS 252 jumps and no injuries for me so far...knock on wood...

No, since they are patented. Normal business practice, nothing wrong with it. .....? That makes no sense to me. The three ring release and throw out pilot chute are also patented, but nearly every system today has them now. If the Sigma Tandem design is the best and safest design why don't other manufacturors pay the owner of the patent and update their systems? B

Hey, I heard at the DZ this past Friday that the Sigma Tandem design has made Tandem jumping much much safer. I was just wondering if all Tandem systems from all manufacturors have made the safety updates that the Sigma has on it? Brad

Thanks folks for letting me know the bright side of tandems and the link to the other thread about this topic. I'm jazzed about advancing in this sport. Since I'm in the Psychology field I am also intrigued at how people respond to an experience like skydiving for the first time. Brad "What kind of man would live a life without daring? Is life so sweet that we should criticize men that seek adventure? Is there a better way to die?" - Charles Lindberg August 26th, 1938

Hey folks, I'm interested in getting my Tandem rating as soon as I have 500 jumps, which I hope to have by this time next year if the waters don't rise. I only want to do Tandems one day a week and not have it as a primary job. I've heard what people don't like about Tandems, but I'd like to hear the brighter side as well. What do you like about doing Tandems? Brad

I agree with you on that one. I went snowboarding at the end of February for the last time. I bit it hard and my back hurt for two weeks. Glad the pain is gone there. This past Saturday I went scrambling and climbing rocks on a hike and fell ten feet, my knees still hurt. The worse thing I've felt skydiving was one time when I landed with my legs stiff instead of bent, and that tweaked them a bit, but nothing like the ten foot fall... God I love skydiving. Brad

I guess this is a similar question as the one the lady posed about adrenaline and the body. But last night in my grad school psych class the professor was talking about the body and how adrenaline effects it, yet sort of went on to the next subject before elaborating. My girlfriend is in the class and asked me if I thought skydiving a lot aged the body prematurely. It got me wondering... So, for those who have been around the sport, or just have an opinion. I'd like to know what you think - Does skydiving age the body prematurely? Or does it keep you young? What have you observed? Brad

Thanks for the reply. So how much would all this stuff cost me brand new and used, since I am starting from scratch?? Is it a good idea to buy used? -B

Hey, I'm interested in flying video. I want to start making skydiving at least pay for itself. Any ideas on what to buy? Where to buy it? Also, I jump a Tri 160. Is that a good canopy to have while jumping a Camera? Brad

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Hey, I ran into a guy today who told me that they are building a wind tunnel in Northern California somewhere, like Dixon, and it will be open in the Fall. Does anyone know if this is true? Brad

I was debating this issue with a non-skydiving friend trying to explain why skydiving was better in my opinion- No emotional problems associated with it. No obligations or heartbreaks on either side. Lasts longer? -B

Hey, Fear is normal. I felt it tremendously before each jump for my first 50 jumps or so. Lessening with each jump. When I retrained this past July and started making between 10 and 15 jumps a month since then, I have found the fear to be much, much lower. But like someone else said, that fear is part of the experience. Accept it, breath into it, and let it go. Keep jumping. The more you jump, the less you'll fear and the more possibilities in this sport will open up to your imagination. -B "What kind of man would live a life without daring? Is life so sweet that we should criticize men that seek adventure? Is there a better way to die?" - Charles Lindberg August 26th, 1938

Thanks everyone for all the information. I'll get this thing relined in a month or two after I put 20 or 30 more jumps on it (unless lines break before then) I've learned a ton on this website, reading the articles and the forums... Brad