DaVincisEnvy

I'm not sure the problem is with the instructed portion of AFF or early coached jumps. Students really do tend to be overloaded at that point and far more focused on freefall. They're also either still under radio or recently off radio. It wasn't until I'd been off radio for several jumps and had to plan and implement my own landing pattern un-aided that I began to realize just how much I didn't know about canopy work and just how important it would be to learn as much as possible. Honestly, the most valuable portions of the canopy control course for me were the (more) in-depth discussions of the aerodynamics of canopy flight, the most common applications of specific canopy skills/maneuvers, the dedication of the hop n' pop jumps to canopy work only, and the de-brief after every jump. During the FJC and instructed portion of AFF, the basics of canopy flight were covered (e.g. standard landing pattern, flare height, flying in breaks, and how to steer with toggles and risers). However, the focus was almost entirely on how to do an A-card skill, not why that skill/technique works (why, aerodynamically, a specific input produces a specific result), or when to use it. And knowing when to use a skill early-on usually comes from discussing common applications, as well as by learning the basic aerodynamic theory so that students can properly apply those skills to not-so-common situations. I'm not advocating for or against the ISP here, just relating my personal experience. And my experience was that canopy work was not emphasized very much during the instructed portion of AFF. There really wasn't much emphasis during the coached phase, either, although that could have also been a result of being at a small DZ where there aren't many coaches (and solo-self-supervise students are vying for the attention of instructors who are already trying to get the next AFF student briefed and in the air). When I was filling out my A-card, I would usually ask an instructor what a particular maneuver/skill was and how to do it. Then I'd make a jump, complete the skill, and get signed off. For my own curiosity and out of a desire to be a more informed and safer skydiver, I would then seek out one or two of the most experienced jumpers at the DZ and engage them in a discussion about when to use that maneuver/skill and what some of the nuances, cautions, and consequences are of using that maneuver in different situations (e.g. be careful not to stall your canopy at 100 ft if you're using a flat turn to avoid an obstacle on final, etc). What my home DZ lacks in certified coaches, it more than makes up for in mentors, but as has been mentioned before, mentoring only works if the student and the mentor are willing. I've met many accomplished and experienced skydivers who will take literally hours to talk to and teach eager new jumpers. But I've met far more students who choose to ignore and avoid the advice of those experienced jumpers, and I've already seen several hurt because of it. The mentorship method works wonderfully (and, in my opinion, works even better than formal instruction much of the time) when the student and mentor both want to be there. But not all students will be of the persuasion or mentality to seek out knowledge on their own. In that case, I think that a formal requirement for a canopy control course before the A-license is issued is a wonderful idea. Yep, and I did, but it was really just going through the motions to get signed off on my A-card until I took that canopy course and learned the how, the why, and the when of those techniques.

Reading the thoughtful responses of so many experienced and respected jumpers makes me a bit hesitant to chime in to this discussion as a total newb, but since I'm nearer the experience level of those who are most frequently killed during canopy flight, I wanted to offer up my experience wrt canopy instruction and canopy flight at small and mid-sized DZ's. I took a canopy control course at my home DZ at 17 jumps. It wasn't expensive and it wasn't elaborate. The S&TA (an accomplished canopy pilot) taught the course one Saturday morning, and it cost students $50 plus the cost of the HnP's that comprised the practical section. In fact, I completed both of my A-license HnP requirements as part of that course. It was invaluable. While the basics of canopy inputs and landing patterns were taught as part of my AFF course, there wasn't much emphasis, and I hadn't had much reason to practice those at my home DZ (Cessna DZ, big landing area). In addition to reviewing the mechanics, usage, and applicability of the various toggle and riser inputs, the canopy course also covered inputs to get you back from bad/long spots (upwind and downwind), flat turns, reverse turns, harness turns, flare technique, stalling, tricks to enter the landing pattern when you're not exactly where you want to be at 1000 or 1500 feet, braked approaches/landings, accuracy tricks for landing, how to properly land downwind or crosswind rather than risking a low turn, etc. Our instructor filmed and de-briefed our patterns and landings after each jump. Like many have said time and again during this discussion -- if the student doesn't have a reason to learn those canopy skills, they won't. And if they don't have an opportunity to learn those skills, they won't. This course wasn't mandated by my DZ, but it was organized and strongly encouraged for new jumpers. I, and the 5 or 6 other students in my class, were eager and excited to learn about the capabilities of our canopies and how to use them safely and effectively. Most pre A-license jumpers want to learn canopy skills! Pre A-license (before students start heading off to new and unfamiliar DZ's) is a wonderful time to teach eager young jumpers the skills they need to survive. And I'm all for making more advanced canopy training a part of each progressive license or part of the license renewal process. No one should ever stop learning, and I, for one, am already looking forward to taking another canopy control course now that I have my own gear. I've also taken a few downwind landings to avoid those low turns. I was nervous as hell when I realized I was going to have to make my first one (new DZ, and I mis-judged my landing pattern). But thanks to that canopy control course and discussions with many experienced jumpers at my home DZ, I knew that the downwinder was the better option than a low turn. And much to my surprise, even in 10kt winds, it wasn't so bad. I flared at the correct altitude, had just about zero vertical speed, and slid it out in a cloud of dust like a baseball runner sliding into home. I think it's a pretty good idea for new jumpers to make at least one or two intentional downwind landings in light winds so that they understand that they're not something to be afraid of and certainly not something to avoid in favor of a low turn into the wind. And I'm sorry I can't remember who posted the comment about mentoring young jumpers, but you are absolutely right. I have been so fortunate to have made some wonderful friends and mentors in the more experienced jumpers at my home DZ -- folks with 1000+ jumps who have always been wiiling to jump with and advise a newbie on topics ranging from buying a responsible first rig to RW techniques to flying and landing safely at new and far busier DZ's. I cannot thank them enough for taking me under their wing and making me a far better, more skilled, more conscientious, and safer skydiver.

I just got a pair of the KSO's yesterday after my brother swore by them for years (he wears them so often that by the end of the summer, he has a FiveFingers tan on his foot!). I went on a 2 mile walk wearing them and wasn't sore the next morning -- but then again, I tend to run around barefoot whenever the weather allows, so perhaps my muscles were already used to the work. Be aware: If your walk or run with a pronounced heel strike, these shoes will cure you of it within about a mile! I find them incredibly comfortable, and if you like walking/running around barefoot, you'll probably enjoy them, too. My suggestion would be to find an outdoor outfitter in your area that carries them, so you can try them on before you buy. Determine whether you like they way they feel, and try on the different styles to determine which one fits your needs best. I chose the KSO's because I like the snug fit, the full foot coverage to literally Keep Stuff Out (hence the name "KSO"), and the slightly tacky-feeling soles. I haven't jumped in them yet, but plan to this weekend. As others have said, they don't offer much protection, so take that into account. But they should allow you to slip on a jumpsuit without taking them off and the tacky soles should give a good grip on the step, bar, skid, etc.

+1 I hate packing, too, but I know that it's because I lack the experience to be efficient. A much more experienced friend showed me the "put one s-fold in the bag, then the other" method that so many others have mentioned here, and it made a huge difference. I still don't like packing, but I refuse to pay a packer to do what I am too lazy or frustrated to do. In just the last 10 or 15 jumps since I've adopted the new packing method, it's gotten easier. So from one newbie to another, hang in there! Besides saving money and learning more about your canopy and its opening characteristics, another side-benefit of packing for yourself is that you make each jump count! After all that work and sweat in the packing tent, you want to make sure that whatever you do on your jumps is worth repacking that damn slippery canopy

As newbie, I stay pretty conservative with my pull altitude: no lower than 3500' (and unless I'm doing more than a 2-way, it's usually closer to 4000'). With an 800' snivel, that puts me comfortably in the saddle by 2700'. If I don't like what I see by 2000', it's gone. I use an RSL and AAD (Cypres)

I'll agree with you that the Fusion is not an ideal canopy for many students, and to be fair to the staff at my home DZ, I was told this before I jumped it the first time. That canopy was primarily for rental gear -- I asked to jump it because I was just tired of jumping a 210 when my exit weight is about 165lbs :-/ However, the very thing that makes it less than ideal for many students (high sensitivity to body position on opening), can, in my opinion, actually be a good thing if a student or new jumper knows what to expect. Lightly loaded, the Fusion doesn't seem to have a strong propensity to spin up newbie jumpers so badly on opening that they need to chop (no cutaways on that canopy that I've seen or heard of at my DZ, anyway). It can scare them a bit though, scare them enough to take a good look at themselves and their own bodies throughout the deployment sequence -- from wave-off to full canopy deployment. I honestly can't speak for other newbies, nor should I with only 9 months experience in this sport, but for me, personally, I'm glad I had the opportunity to jump this canopy. Because I was jumping a less forgiving canopy, I didn't have the chance to develop some of the typical newbie bad habits that can come when jumping an extremely forgiving canopy (poor body position, wriggling around to look at the canopy as its coming out of the bag, grabbing risers during the early/mid deployment sequence). And learning to do something right the first time rather than having to re-train myself after several hundred jumps of ingrained sloppy habits is something that I think will serve me well. But again, that's just for me personally. I have no right nor desire to speak for students in general.

Warning: Comments from an even newer newbie than bucketlistpilot Not much said about the Fusion so far, so here are my .02. Take them with a grain of salt considering my (lack of) experience. My home DZ has a Fusion 190 for rental and/or student use. I did most of my A license on that canopy, loaded at about 0.85, and I really liked it. My first few AFF jumps were on a Pilot 210, and the Fusion was definitely more fun to fly (I'm sure the slightly higher wing loading helped, too) -- responsive into and out of turns and with a powerful flare. I never had any problems on opening, but I was just about the only student who didn't. (Worked out well for me -- no competition for that canopy since no one else wanted to take it for a ride!) My openings were always soft -- it sniveled for about 700 feet at my wing loading -- and almost always on-heading. There were a couple of times that I opened into a 45 degree turn, but those corrected themselves before I even had a chance to grab rear risers. In about 20 jumps on that canopy, I had line twists once, and that was only about two wraps (and I know my body position wasn't symmetrical at pull time on that jump). However, almost every other student I talked to at the DZ is afraid of it -- they complain of frequent line twists and diving turns on opening. Based on my own experience, I hold that it's most likely a result of asymmetical body position on opening, but that's nothing I can prove. You obviously have more experience and would be loading it higher than I was, but since only one other person has chimed in about the Fusion, I wanted to offer what limited info I could.

I jump because it puts my life back into perspective – it returns a sense of awe and childlike wonder and brilliant color to a world too frequently tainted by the grayness of disillusionment. All of the little problems in life take a silent backseat as soon as the door opens – as others have said, literally nothing else matters once you hop out of that door. It’s one of the few times when your life is truly and completely in your own hands, when every action has an instant consequence (whether good or bad). Skydiving is as close to a state of Zen as I’ve ever managed – I’m totally and completely in the moment, utterly unselfconscious, and for those five minutes from Door to Ground, the world is only sky, and life is freedom. Skydiving is overcoming the most basic of physiological fears to experience a beauty and peace of which humans for millennia have dreamed and which so very few have actually achieved. Every skydive is for me a re-affirmation of how I wish I could live every moment of my life – with wonder and awe and beauty and peace.

Thanks for the clarification. One suggestion for improving your stamina for toggle and/or riser pulls would be pull-ups or bent-arm hangs. Experiment with whether your finger tips are facing towards or away from you and with how far apart your hands are to isolate the same muscles (arms, shoulders, and back) you use when pulling on toggles or risers. Most gyms have an assisted pull-up machine where you can set weights to off-set your own body weight -- lower weight, higher reps.

I third the yoga suggestion -- regularly practicing yoga will improve your strength (all muscle groups), flexibility, balance, and general body-awareness. Look for a more physically rigorous style of yoga to really hone your strength. If you're looking at a gym, such a class will probably be called "Fitness Yoga" or "Power Yoga". At a yoga studio, talk to an instructor, but you'll probably want to look into Ashtanga or Vinyasa yoga.

I bet that lightning-lit tornado was an awesome (in the true sense of awe-and-fear-inspiring) sight!! That's not something you can ever forget. My brother and I also spent many a night in the basement huddled under the solid wood, antique coffee table (I always thought the coffee table was overkill considering we were already about 6 feet below ground, but we learned pretty quickly that it's best not to argue with a flustered parent in the middle of a thunderstorm, even if your legs are cramping up). I know it sounds a bit crazy to those who didn't grow up with it, but I really do miss Oklahoma's storms. You cannot help but feel awe and wonder in the swirling, streaking midst of something so incredibly powerful that develops from the potential of calm, blue morning skies. Nature at its most amazing. And to those who say, "I'd never live somewhere like that" -- It's a lot like skydiving. You buy good insurance, educate yourself about the risks, develop detailed and practical emergency procedures, and, if the shit hits the fan, implement those EPs! In the meantime, enjoy the most vivid and powerful show on Earth!

Ahh, I miss Oklahoma. Spring was always exciting ;-) Driving through softball sized hail, having funnel clouds form over your car, watching 100+ mph straight-line winds rip up all the trees in your front yard by their roots... fun childhood memories!! (for the budding meteorologist, anyway) I do, however, think that after May 1999, 2003, and 2010, if I lived in the OKC/Moore area, I would be seriously considering re-locating. The god of severe wx statistics seems to really have it out for them...

I'm a newbie, too, but it sounds like our experiences have been similar, so here's my $0.02 about what I've learned. Tunnels and free fall are (obviously) different. What's an advantage during FF can sometimes be a bit of a hindrance at the wind tunnel. I have the same sort of arch range it sounds like you do, and my "default" position is arched enough to fall with people 10-20 lbs heavier and several inches shorter than me. I was given really positive feedback about my body position during my AFF training, and the versatility has been a huge advantage when jumping with other people. But when I went to the tunnel, it took me a good 10-15 seconds just to get off of the floor (I had to both de-arch and get the tunnel operator to turn up the velocity a bit). The less surface area you present to the wind (the greater your arch), the faster you'll fall in free fall and also the more air pressure is necessary to keep you afloat in the wind tunnel. So, next time you go to the tunnel, if you have trouble staying afloat, my suggestion would be to de-arch, and if that's still not sufficient, ask the tunnel operator to turn up the wind a bit.

Hi Brad -- congrats on the jump, and welcome to the community! It's an amazing adventure :-) I made my first jump when I was your age (and also a very broke college student), and it's taken me over 6 years to finally get my license. I started AFF twice between then and now, but either ran out of money or ran out of good weather. My suggestion would be to not start AFF until you have the money together to get yourself all the way through the progression. You learn a lot quicker when you can jump multiple times in one day and on consecutive weekends (i.e. when you're not spending weeks between jumps to scrounge up the money to pay for your next one). It's expensive to lose currency during AFF since those jumps will be some of the priciest you'll ever make, and many DZ's will make you repeat your last AFF jump if you go more than a month between jumps. (I probably spent an extra $500 on training because I didn't plan my timing or finances well and had to repeat jumps.) It's also a good idea to ask your DZ about their re-currency policy for AFF students before you sign up. But do indeed look into packing at the DZ! You should make at least $5 per pack job, and with experience, you should be able to pack a canopy in well less than 10 minutes. You do the math on how much you could make on a busy weekend! Sure as hell beats work-study ;-)