SCOTT735

Wow, broken bones seems to just be part of the skygiving experience (it's still worth it). Now I just want to learn better how to do a good safe, slow landing so that I don't break something every five jumps. And as you all have said...get proficient at the PLF. I have some things to work on before I will be ready to jump again...thanks. This sport is too amazing to just walk away from at this point.

Is it OK to ask how many of you broke a bone during training and eventually kept jumping? Anyone do it more than once? Not sure if this is a subject that folks don't like to discuss or not.

DAVELEPKA, Thanks alot for the advice. I'm really looking for some sound input from this forum since you all have the experience. Of course I will go over anything I hear in this forum with any instructor I get for a jump. I will insist on using the 290 student canopy from now on (after I heal, make sure I fully understand what I did wrong and regain the nerve to jump again). Both times I used the 290 the landing was soft. this was the second landing that I touched down with more speed than I could stand up with and they were both using a 250 and a 260. Man, I really want to sort this out and continue jumping. I hope I can since this is the most excitin/fulfilling sport I have ever been involved with. Thanks again.

I posted this in the safety forum as well, not sure which is more applicable. Well I feel pretty dissapointed. I just started jumping (have felt completely hooked on this crazy sport since my tandem jump a couple of months ago..age 47), and now I broke my hand during the landing on jump 5. I did my final static line PRCP, which went great until I landed. I was going faster than normal (maybe flared a bit late?). I am not sure, I am pretty sure I flared when the radio said flare/flare/flare, but didn't slow down as much as the previous times. I did notice that the canopy wanted to turn slightly left during the ride down but it felt fully controllable. I tried to do a PLF, but I think I had my hands fully down at the side of my hips instead of in front (toggles in hand). So I guess my left hand was between my left thigh and the ground as I slid a bit on my left side (my knuckles were scraped not my palms). My wrist is fine, but I broke two bones on the back of the hand between my knuckles and wrist. It sucks, this was the first jump that I didn't feel really scared and while I was under canopy I felt confident that I would get to do my first jump off the static line that day...oh well, I guess I am done...at least until spring. I weighed myself at 213lbs, with all my gear I weighed 248 and I jumped with a Manta 260 student canopy. The wind was about 7mph (I didn't feel it was any stronger than my other jumps). Well if you have read this entire ramble of a post, I would appreciate any advice to help me overcome this. I really want to jump again, but I am abit concerned about this happening again. Any advice on learning more about landings without jumping so that I can jump again with some confidence would be appreciated. This sport is really amazing and I don't want this to be the end of it. My instructor didn't really have any advice..he said he did not see the landing, and the radio guy didn't have anything to say about it.

Well I feel pretty dissapointed. I just started jumping (have felt completely hooked on this crazy sport since my tandem jump a couple of months ago..age 47), and now I broke my hand during the landing on jump 5. I did my final static line PRCP, which went great until I landed. I was going faster than normal (maybe flared a bit late?). I am not sure, I am pretty sure I flared when the radio said flare/flare/flare, but didn't slow down as much as the previous times. I did notice that the canopy wanted to turn slightly left during the ride down but it felt fully controllable. I tried to do a PLF, but I think I had my hands fully down at the side of my hips instead of in front (toggles in hand). So I guess my left hand was between my left thigh and the ground as I slid a bit on my left side (my knuckles were scraped not my palms). My wrist is fine, but I broke two bones on the back of the hand between my knuckles and wrist. It sucks, this was the first jump that I didn't feel really scared and while I was under canopy I felt confident that I would get to do my first jump off the static line that day...oh well, I guess I am done...at least until spring. I weighed myself at 213lbs, with all my gear I weighed 248 and I jumped with a Manta 260 student canopy. The wind was about 7mph (I didn't feel it was any stronger than my other jumps). Well if you have read this entire ramble of a post, I would appreciate any advice to help me overcome this. I really want to jump again, but I am abit concerned about this happening again. Any advice on learning more about landings without jumping so that I can jump again with some confidence would be appreciated. This sport is really amazing and I don't want this to be the end of it. My instructor didn't really have any advice..he said he did not see the landing, and the radio guy didn't have anything to say about it.

Thanks for the advice Skymama. Yes, my wife and I have talked now quite a bit about this crazy sport in the past week. She came home and said that she is still real scared, but that she is OK if I want to do it again...she is great (almost wish she held her ground to give me an excuse not to doit...I felt pretty scared during both jumps). She wanted me to get a good physical to make sure there are no issues (heart, etc) that could be dangerous for skydiving. I have always gone to the Dr for regular checkups with no issues (never asked him to check with skydiving in mind though). The weather isn't very good this weekend,, so hopefully i will go try it again next weekend (I'll keep reading about malfunctions and such until then). I did check my life insurance...NO EXCLUSIONS...yes! If I did get hurt I should be OK at work for awhile (I will just plan on that not happening). Thanks again, I hope it all works out for me to do this some more....it is AMAZING.

Well, I did a tendem jump with my two sons about four weeks ago and we all loved it. I had a tough experience during the canopy ride, shortly after it opened I felt sick and started to feel like I might pass out. I reasearched it in these forums and concluded it was probably due to the canopy harness. I couldn't stop thinking about how amazing it was, wanted to do it again, but was worried I would feel that same thing during the canopy. Last week I went back to the skydive center and got to talk to my tandem instructor and he agreed it was probably the tandem harness and would be different in solo harness. Well I did the ground school that morning and did my first static line jump....incredible...I felt great during the canopy ride...I feel hooked. My wife was pretty upset that I wanted to do it again, but she is starting to come around...she really wants to be supportive, but is really scared I will get hurt. I think we will both learn a bit more about it and then if she feels OK, I want to go through the training. This is an amazing sport...I wish I would have started long ago, I am 47 now, but still want to get involved. The feeling was incredible!