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Hi all!!!!

can someone tell me, where can i see the wind behavior in different objects? like dams and buildings!!!

thanks
Paula

 
Picture water rushing down a streambed. Look at the way it rushes over, under, and around rocks that are in its way.

Thank God, we can't see air, if we did, I don't think we'd have the courage to go and play in it . . .

Nick
BASE 194

from Tom's "so you want to BASE jump FAQ"



and he isnt kidding.. I bought this book for research and fell in love with the photographs..i had to buy all my favorite river rats copies as well...

Paula....

Buildings are by far the worst objects to judge wind conditions.
Especially if they are surounded by other buildings and you
know the wind is blowing hard.
I find the best way to see wind conditions like..............
Up-draft, Down-draft, or Bad Rotors that move across or are
coming off other buildings is to let someone else exit first
and let them be the wind dummy .

Absolutely. That's why we have DJ.



Bryan

Aside from the Album of Fluid Motion referenced above, consider bringing some talcum powder up top. You can trail it off in a stream and get a good picture of what's going on down below.

So that's why they always put us new guy's off first... I shoulda known it wasn't for the reasons they kept telling me....

Ganja

I have the Album of Fluid Motion and Understanding The Sky as well. Very good, informative books.

Other good impromptu wind drift indicators...

Toilet paper
Small piece of a plastic bag (though not biodegradable like tp)

When all else fails... spit.

My personal fave, though, at least on higher, more remote objects, is my patented Pee Drift Indicator.

ground crew beware....

that's my problem!!!!

Most of my jumps are solo jumps!!! And when i jump whit other jumpers i'm the first one to exit!!!

we have a dam with more or less 100 mts, and last week my friend went there to jump! was not he's first jump there! he check the wind from the top and the wind was good! but after the opening he could not control the canopy! the canopy fell on a vertical line!
he finished in the hospital with some broken bones!!

we know that was becouse of the wind at the opening time!

so how can i know the wind behavior on a dam?

thanks
paula

Dams are similar to cliffs as far as wind is concerned except that usually you are in a "channelled valley" or a "canyon" of sorts. Any wind at all from the front side will usually result in an updraft. Wind from the back-side can be dangerous too as it rolls over the top of the object and causes turbulence on the side you are jumping from.

In my opinion, it is best to jump dams in no wind conditions. I have jumped dams with a slight wind coming over the back-side, but only if I plan on going deep, and there is no evidence of wind at opening altitude.

You mentioned that your friend jumped when the winds were good. Unfortunately, things change from time to time -- I guess the best thing we can do is make an educated decision based on the conditions over a given time.

I always try to have some kind of wind indicator so I can see what the winds are doing at my opening altitude. Toilet paper if the winds are very light, toilet paper with a tiny rock in it if the winds are a little stronger, spit, etc.

Either way, I usually look for no wind conditions.

Hope this helps,

Bryan
(my experience is only based on 11 jumps from 3 different dams)

Have you thought about releasing a helium balloon in strategic locations where turbulence might be a significant factor? Dropping talcum powder and various things can give you information near the exit point where it may not be useful. The locations near the ground are where information is most useful and that's why I believe the inconvenient method of using a balloon is superior to other methods.