I have been here twice - just got back from the 2nd trip yesterday - i don't know whats happened to Christophe and the Base bar, but its now under different management and most people seem to just have a beer at the little Skybar cafe at the end of the day - lost a bit of its character as a result! Anyway its still a great place to jump, the earlier the better - winds and cloud generally will pick up around 1 or 2ish, and can stay up for the rest of the day, although that's not to say you won't get a string of perfect days, just as you can get a string of not so good days - the most important thing is to know your limitations - if they put up a 100 jumps limit, think of it as atleast twice that - that's what the locals and some dz packers/staff have told me. If you don't see coaches/Babylon going up, there is a reason for that!
Be aware of turbulence from trees when in a north holding area landing approach. It can make the last 20ft quite choppy. Make sure people are aware of how long to leave for adequate separation - it's amazing as well how many of the instructors there just say to watch for a 45 degree separation angle between the previous group and your exit. Anyway - watch people and make sure you have good horizontal separation - be careful in the Porter not to get handles yanked - it's a bit of a squeeze in there, but generally fine. Make sure you keep 90 degrees to the beach for 5-8 seconds, after opening before turning back to the dz (as the guy before me forgot to do - tracking to separate and then seeing a canopy open below you and turn right straight towards you is never a good sight) - if you feel worried, make sure you tell people in a nice way, so that they know the deal - i think too many people get on the plane without knowing what other groups are doing, not bothering themselves with the right exit order, and not leaving enough separation between groups and after opening. Also, don't forget to check that you aren't out over the sea or "a burning field" as Ippo told me - i thought he was joking, but as he rightly pointed out the pilots can make mistakes as the spot is done with GPS, so just have a quick check down to make sure you are in the right place - check before run in especially if there are clouds high up - you WILL be getting out without being able to see through the bottom if cloud is thick so it helps to know you are in roughly the right place for peace of mind when getting out in thick cloud.
Keep your head on a swivel after opening especially if going out the Otter - there will be up to about 22 other people up there with you all working their way back to what is not the biggest landing area. Work out where you want to land out before you are at 500 ft looking for somewhere - there are quite a few hazards about (powerlines, canals etc) so know where they are and have a plan b before you get too low.
What else? Um, yeah the nightlife in Empuria is decent - most head to the Surf Inn which normally gets going from like 12 or 1am. Passa Rella the bike club on the beach is crazy - i went there on my last night which was pretty quiet, but have heard there is some craziness that goes on there, especially on the weekends in the summer, so that would be worth checking out. The Orange Kiwi is a good place to go to grab some food, and Bruno Brokken's restaurant the Oasis, on the beach front is good too.
Anyway yeah, in summing up, its a great dz - cranking out 10-12 jumps a day is doable, and the view is amazing - sunset loads can leave you lost for words to describe the scene to someone who hasn't experienced them. Just remember to stay heads up, know your limitations, and be safe and you'll have a great time!
Skydive Empuriabrava
in Spain
Be aware of turbulence from trees when in a north holding area landing approach. It can make the last 20ft quite choppy. Make sure people are aware of how long to leave for adequate separation - it's amazing as well how many of the instructors there just say to watch for a 45 degree separation angle between the previous group and your exit.
Anyway - watch people and make sure you have good horizontal separation - be careful in the Porter not to get handles yanked - it's a bit of a squeeze in there, but generally fine. Make sure you keep 90 degrees to the beach for 5-8 seconds, after opening before turning back to the dz (as the guy before me forgot to do - tracking to separate and then seeing a canopy open below you and turn right straight towards you is never a good sight) - if you feel worried, make sure you tell people in a nice way, so that they know the deal - i think too many people get on the plane without knowing what other groups are doing, not bothering themselves with the right exit order, and not leaving enough separation between groups and after opening. Also, don't forget to check that you aren't out over the sea or "a burning field" as Ippo told me - i thought he was joking, but as he rightly pointed out the pilots can make mistakes as the spot is done with GPS, so just have a quick check down to make sure you are in the right place - check before run in especially if there are clouds high up - you WILL be getting out without being able to see through the bottom if cloud is thick so it helps to know you are in roughly the right place for peace of mind when getting out in thick cloud.
Keep your head on a swivel after opening especially if going out the Otter - there will be up to about 22 other people up there with you all working their way back to what is not the biggest landing area. Work out where you want to land out before you are at 500 ft looking for somewhere - there are quite a few hazards about (powerlines, canals etc) so know where they are and have a plan b before you get too low.
What else? Um, yeah the nightlife in Empuria is decent - most head to the Surf Inn which normally gets going from like 12 or 1am. Passa Rella the bike club on the beach is crazy - i went there on my last night which was pretty quiet, but have heard there is some craziness that goes on there, especially on the weekends in the summer, so that would be worth checking out. The Orange Kiwi is a good place to go to grab some food, and Bruno Brokken's restaurant the Oasis, on the beach front is good too.
Anyway yeah, in summing up, its a great dz - cranking out 10-12 jumps a day is doable, and the view is amazing - sunset loads can leave you lost for words to describe the scene to someone who hasn't experienced them. Just remember to stay heads up, know your limitations, and be safe and you'll have a great time!