Basejumper.com - archive

Maybe we can have a polite discussion about low pulls. Not a contest as to who goes lowest, but some general safety thoughts on doing low pulls.
I will start with some of my thoughts.
Use your best parachute and set up if performing a low pull. Many times have I seen people at a certain bridge doing low pulls with round canopies. I think it is fine to use a round for water jumps, but why low pulls? They seem to open a little less consistently than squares, but that's only my observation. I would want the canopy that is most consistently opening super fast if I were doing a low pull.
Be careful judging altitude. Do not rely on your judgement for counting off seconds, as judgement may be impaired by the surge of adrenaline, or the visuals one gets. again, only my opinion, but I have found that I can't count worth a darn on my BASE jumps. so, I try to pick out visual clues to let me have a better judgement of pull times. Another advantage of jumping low stuff (sub 250ft), is most jumps for me are go and throws. no counting, just go and throw and then hope for the best, think for the worst.
Don't do competitions to see who can go lowest.
I mean seriously, the winner dies? that's no prize. or worse yet, the winner gets paralyzed? Because if two BASE jumpers are entering a low pull comp, uh-oh. They are already HARD CORE by nature, and then they are about to go a little more hard core by performing low pulls.
So, basically I think low pulls can be, and are fun and safe. as long as we can perform them with relative safety. Every BASE jump is a low pull by USPA standards, but then again most of our jumps are illegally performed anyways. stupid trespassing laws.
food for thought
Peace,
Thomas

If nobody catches you, it's not illegal!

I once saw a "catapult-jump"made by 2 russian figther-pilots,they was safed by the pumping efeckt on the round..
Here is what i mean:
While a round parachute opens,it first open full,then it will pump(looks like it strems,at thispoint you fall at full speed again),and then finaly it opens for good..they was out of the plane so late,that they was landed under the canopi before it pumped.1sek later and they woud be dead..

I have never jumped a round,but this were far lower than i would take my Fox..

Not saying that you should try this,just to say that rounds also are fast..

Does this forum and its very nature need a discussion on low pullin'?

Just a thought

Be Safe

M

sure, why not? This could be a fun discussion, maybe even interesting. who knows, something useful might come out of it. I think what Faber said is pretty useful to know. I have never noticed this pumping effect, but now will look for it.
Maybe this thread will promote safe practices for low pulls, if there is such a thing.
Here are some questions:
At terminal, where do low pulls occur? I have heard around 300 feet.
Of course, from 300 feet starting, that is a low pull just in jumping. But I have heard that a 2 second delay from a low object is practically the same as a go and throw. as in, both happen as quick. Anyone care to comment on this?
Peace,
Thomas

"the nature of the forum" I meant that I thought it was here to enlighten skydivers to the fact that BASE is not just a romantic idea of jumping off stuff and going "yee haa".

A discussion on Low Pulls in BASE I think does not fall into that realm.


most people who read the DZ dot com forums are skydivers so why will they benefit?

and my comments on a go and throw from a low object or a 2 second delay off an not so low object - if you are open sub 100 ft - yeah it all happens fast!

Be Safe!

very valid points. BASE jumping is not a romantic idea. It is a very serious sport, and a very dangerous sport. Inherently dangerous, just like skydiving, only with much bigger dangers. The risks are the same. Life, death, serious injury, or paralysis.
Skydivers may benefit from reading this as they may re-consider the question:
"To BASE or not?"
low pulls occur skydiving also. I have never intentionally done one (), but have been open at 1400feet, which is way too low for most skydivers to accept. and all I could think was that I hadn't started a BASE jump higher than that, yet.
I heard a friend of mine who had an opening at something like 450 feet, marked on his pro track. needless to say, discussion was given to him by the skydivers who witnessed this. That is pretty low for a skydive standard, but a BASE jumper might pull at 400 feet during a terminal jump. Might. or maybe lower. I bet the guys jumping wing suits do some low pulls, but they also have a different freefall speed. all factors to consider.
also, freeflyers have something to consider from this. They are going much higher speeds, so break off occurs higher up to bleed off the extra speed. but they know this already, so it would not be new information. only something to think about.
Peace,
Thomas

Use the rigth gear to the rigth jump...Skydiving gear aint made for going that low,use a BASE rig.In my world you could flip it 180,why take a BASE-rig on a skydie?Not that it woudnt work,but why risk it while you could go for the skydive rig..

What is low?While i started skydiving i thourgt that 2000ft was low,now(while im not laying here)i like jumping of an objekt sub 600ft,thatr means that my limit at the time is 200ft...I think its a personal thing,always working..

Jeez. How many times must it be said? SKYDIVING AND BASE ARE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SPORTS!
live it.
learn it.
huck it.

Different sports? Yes. Completely different sports? Hardly.

It's reasonable to compare them because there are so many critical similarities and relationships. The two are alike the way softball and baseball are alike or the way chimpanzees and humans are alike. 99% identical DNA with some interesting differences in the remaining 1%.

It's especially interesting to compare when there are differences.

Ever Play both softball and baseball? Because, umm....I bet you would rather get beaned by a ball in softball than baseball. There is the difference.
Skydiving is softball. Nothing hurts too much, unless you get thrown out. Baseball, you can get severely injured (hit by pitch) and still get a free base. Only problem is you may need a designated runner to take your place.
Just my .02
peace,
Thomas

I kind of agree and disagree.

I see BASE and skydiving as subcategories of parachuting. But the skill sets needed to be an accomplished (and safe) skydiver are very different from those needed to be an accomplished BASE jumper.

Heck. Even within skydiving there are dramatic differences in the skills required for each subdiscipline... RW, freeflying, CRW, S&A, swooping.

BASE requires skills similar to those required in several skydiving disiplines... tracking, body awareness & canopy control primarily... but they are used in different manners and environments. And there are many skills unique to BASE... launch stability, aerials, site analysis...

When someone talks about BASE & skydiving in the same breath I try to emphasize that they are very different sports requiring different skills and having different safety issues. They both require the use of a parachute, but beyond that they are quite different.

Yeah, but if the ground catches me, I am dead.
just another thought.
in a BASE forum, most aren't concerned with "RULES"
Crap set in front of me by people who don't like me. What kind of rule is that? a crap rule.
Flush it, and vent the smell.
Peace,
Thomas

These are Sangiros rules, i have highlighted some of them for you.

The rules of the Dropzone Forums are pretty simple. There's not many of them, but they'll be enforced.

The rules are:
1) No personal attacks. None.
2) No jokes or references to pedophilia. None.
3) No advertising
4) Stick to the topics in the topical forums

Those are all the rules! Everything below simply plays to forum etiquette.

Some things will make you unpopular:
1) Spam
2) Mindless post whoring
3) Repeating yourself
4) Rudeness
5) SHOUTING

Some things will make you popular:
1) Lurk. Spend some time before you storm in
2) Search before you ask
3) Punctuate and spell check
4) Help newbies
5) Be nice

Finally, a few good ideas:
1) Don't feed the trolls!
2) Substantiate your claims
3) Think before you post
4) Use your common sense
5) Don't run with scissors

These can change and is likely to evolve over time. Have fun!

Safe swoops
Sangiro

One rule you will not find here is:

This ain't no democracy.

Exactly right. Ain't no free speech allowed anywhere anymore. I guess the world is too SOFT!
I guess maybe I am repeating myself?
Peace,
Thomas

On here rules is rules, we have all fallen foul of them now and again, and people are tolerant..to an extent.
Free speech is allowed, but if we all said what we wanted to, this site would go to hell over night.
I picked out a few areas on there (yes deliberately) because a) you are not really that offensive. b) you have experience. which leads to c) You have something to offer.
I am a relative newbie on here really, and to some of the newer people it may be off putting hearing about death and all the other benefits it has to offer.
We all have shit days, i just hope the next one will be a little less shit.

....end of transmittion....
Peace back at ya.

This was a fairly interesting thread before it began to devolve into a discussion/gripe session/rant about rules.

We do have rules here.

If you don't like the rules, I suggest you PM sangiro, or post to Suggestions and Feedback with your ideas for changes.

Sangiro is the rule maker on this site. If he wishes to change the nature of the rules, that is his decision. If you don't wish to abide by his rules, no one is making you post here.

Might I suggest that your views on rules in general would be better aired in the Talk Back Forum than this topical forum.

Thanks for starting an interesting discussion. If you want to continue a discussion about a BASE topic such as Low Pulls, feel free to start another thread.

Let's try to keep the discussions here on topic.