Basejumper.com - archive

Is there a recomended # of regular skydiving jumps before getting into base? Any other things one should consider? Just wondering.
Thanks

The "textbook" answer is 200.

My real answer is: as many as possible. Just be sure that your canopy control (read: CRW skills), accuracy and tracking are well dialed in.

My (rather wordy) advice on this topic is linked above, where it says "Getting into BASE."

I might as well ask here and get flamed.

Bridge day is the third saturday in october - its june now. If I register, I dont know if I will have enough jumps, but I might.

They only require 50 - i'm there. So should I register, and if I end up with 80 jumps by then (I dont know about finances right now), can I still jump and be safe?

You all see my question - its basically a question of reality (safety) vs. enthusiasm.

It would be dissapointing, but maybe wiser to just wait another year, just spend this year volunteering at the exit point. What do you all think?

Oh geeesss... here acomes the flamin'!

If you plan on a water landing, I think you'll be ok.

I'd recommend waiting, but you have to decide on the whole enthusiasm v. safety thing.

Your greatest chance of trouble is probably going to be trying to land in the BD landing area.

I may be wrong, but I don't think that you'll get flamed over that one, it's a pretty popular question.

Bridge Day is an excellent place to get your first taste of base. The problem I see, is that if you go up there and get "hooked", You'll be way under the jump requirements for anyone's base course...

Ganja

Not to try and scare you, just give you a little dose of reality... My buddy freeflynick made his first and second (which turned out to be his last) BASE jumps out at this past BD.

Nick is a very experienced skydiver (probably 600-700 skydives when he went) and a very conservative canopy pilot. Overall, I can't really think of someone (besides a hardcore CRW dog) who would be more "prepared" for a jump like this.

I gave him packing videos, showed him things to read, helped him with launch technique in the pool... and actually wound up packing his canopy for him lol.

First jump went perfect. Nice exit, good count, nice opening, landed in the LZ.

I went after him. At the time I had about 75-ish BASE jumps so I was fairly in tune with things.

I noticed some nasty rotors right as you approached the LZ. When I flared I tried to stand up and hit the rocks fairly hard, jarred my heel a bit and had to roll it out. At that point I decided to roll everything out from then on.

You can probably see where this is heading...

Nick makes his second jump. I wasn't around at the time but I've watched the video. Everything went dandy again... until he tried to land. He tried to stand up the landing, hit a rock and shattered his heel. He's still having trouble walking to this day.

If you were to do a buttload of jumps, starting now, with a big canopy, preferably the one you'd be jumping out there, and get it (and you) dialed in, yeah you could probably do the LZ. Otherwise, if you DO do it, do as Tom says and take the water. There will be plenty of boats to fish you out.

And if you want to stay comfy while wet... you might look into a kayaking dry suit as undergarments.

Oh, and I was wearing my trusty-dusty HanWags. Were it not for them, who knows, I might have been Nick's gimp-buddy that day.

So it is not a problem to then register and go do my first BASE jump this BD.

The choice between water and the LZ, is purely on what is safer. I don't care about being uncomfortable and cold, if it is that much safer, I would much rather do the water.

Going for the LZ would be too risky at this point (IMO).


Next Question then....

What canopy would I jump? Who do I need to talk to? I see they do have a few for rent? (I have PMd Jason, he will get back to me).

Bert, look me up at SGC and I can point you towards some locals that can have you ground crewing and learning about BASE if you want.

Last I asked around all the rigs were almost all spoken for and you would have better luck finding a friend not going and using their rig.

Hey, thanx Eric, I should make it up either this, or next weekend. Apreciate it!

I wouldn't let some one borrow a rig for an intentional water landing or tighter dry landing area I didn't think they should try for, but will provide for chaperoned jumpers I know at the legal span in the potato state.