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Can you give me advice on the best way to get started into this sport?

Research, mixed with mediocre internet skills

not to be confused with eachother.

that question gets asked fairly regularly. it also implies that you have not wandered around this site, or used the search feature. this is NOT skydiving where someone happily shows you around as you pay for services. you need to do homework.

see: Clicky

is skydiving really neccessary?

If you're asking whether or not it's a good idea to have skydiving experience, the answer is simple. YES, get it! No let's play devils advocate...can you get into BASE with limited or no skydiving experience at all? Sure, but you're inviting opportunities to f yourself up. That said, some of the best BASE jumpers started without ever having jumped from a plane, not once. My point to you is this. Go to REI tomorrow and buy a pair of shoes, harness and couple of cams. Put it all in a bag, drive to Yosemite Valley and climb any one of the 2k+ walls. To do that safe and help ensure you'll live, training is key. The foundation for good training in BASE is, for many people, skydiving. Lots of it!

I was at the DZ this weekend and it's sad how many folks have been skydiving for many years still can not land without eating shit. Learn how to fly and land a canopy in a large open field before you try to land on a boulder field in MOAB.

Guess this could go on forever...and I'm sure it will. Like wwarped said, this gets asked ALL THE TIME; a good place to start is the little search box. If you type "getting into base", you'll have a month of reading ahead of you. Good luck in your adventure.

That depends on what sort of BASE jumps you do.

People have successfully static lined bags of dog food off bridges into big landing areas. Other people have jumped off the same bridges and managed to spiral into boulders after parachute problems, but if you limit your jumps to those sorts of objects your chances of avoiding major injury without skydiving are pretty good.

I think more interesting jumps involve tighter landing areas and objects that can kill you if you don't fly away from them in free-fall.

The problem here is that if you're the sort of person who's going to BASE jump as a hobby, you're also going to want to do the more interesting jumps. A few hundred accuracy landings and tens of maximum tracks will give you better odds on both sorts of fun jumps, but you're _much_ more likely to get there where the preparation involves a six minute pack job and plane ride than a BASE pack and some hiking.

If the jumps you're doing aren't interesting you'll find a way to make them more fun.

After over 100 BASE jumps and 1500 skydives I broke myself (minor nerve damage, limping like an old man, tibial hole, likely to blow up other joints if I jump with the half inch titanium rod holding my leg together) on an easy jump which would otherwise bore me by picking an interesting < 10' clearing to land in, not noticing the flat area to the right (after a few dozen jumps off the same object, you don't think about it), and deciding to land a little short of the clearing in the weeds so I couldn't crash unto the trees past the clearing.

You don't want to do that even if you do have good disability (60% of wages) and health insurance.

I've read close to every bit of reading concerning getting into base and base gear on this website...because of the activities i participate in i concider myself to have exceptional air awareness and i just wonder if i'm really helping myself by spending lots of time and money on skydiving. I have done two AFF skydives and I don't see how jumping the perine would be any worse for canopy landing practice...maybe even better because u can practice flaring into water...and you're on an actual base canopy.

And I think you're missing a point already stated.


You might be fine if all you plan on jumping is the Potato bridge.

There are things to be learned in skydiving (like tracking), that may save your ass on other types of jumps. The skills needed to safely jump the Perine, are not the same ones needed to jump a 1500+ foot antenna. Or a building, power tower, 400 ft cliff, ect.

Another aspect of "skydiving first" that is getting lost, is the mentorship. Used to be that you showed what kind of person you were before someone took you along and showed you the ropes. You were challenged to be willing to put in the effort to learn and work. Countless lessons were taught after hours through packing lessons, walking and scouting sites even without the intentions of jumping them that night, and ground crewing for others. Now all that is needed is a credit card and a weeks time.

When it comes to cross over experience, there's none that matches up with base. When you say "air awareness" what do you mean? You have paragliding time? That translates *somewhat* to canopy time, local meteorology, maybe ethics and hopefully gear inspection and maintinence, but not to packing, deployment, malfunctions, freefall, urban/technical landing areas, and reaction times. Climbing experience is pretty good for access and rescue skills, but doesn't offer a the rest.

Skydiving comes pretty close, and can offer more if you're willing to tailor it towards BASE as many have done. When done with AFF buy a rig that holds a BASE canopy. Do balloon jumps to practice dead air exits, get a rigging ticket, or simply mentor under you local rigger/loft.

Some skydiving students feel brushed off when they bring up BASE to their instructors early in their progression. That's not always a bad thing. Often students seem to have a "YouTube" enthusiasm, but no apparent willingness to put in the effort. If someone truly wants to get involved in BASE, they will be receptive to learning. One must also understand not everyone wants to teach BASE, or sometimes people will say "no" now, because in their mind, the student is not ready yet. Unlike skydiving, there is no formula progression, no ISP, and no "one fits all" progression.

BASE is is a 100 fold less forgiving than skydiving when done in the long term. Countless people have half assed their way through 1000 or more skydives, and plenty have survived the Prine, but take the Potato Bridge out of the equasion, and the number of goof offs that survive in BASE is tiny.

nope and neither is it to use a condome while having sex whith a stranger...but why risk fuckingup becourse as small things?
freaking stupied.. dont be a jackass..
theres a reason people advise skydive experience.. its not to be a pain in the arse but its good training and great fun..

first, read the fatality list. there have been good people with skills equal to or superior to yours that have died on the perrine. second, what is the difference between landing a canopy at the perrine as oppose to skydiving? easy, 3500 ft. the point is to learn how to land on terra firma, not water. water should be an out, not your aim point.

at the end of the day you're going to do what you want. but if you want the tools to help stay alive take the advice you get on here.

Well dude if skydiving is already boring you
after 2 jumps then fuck it, skip SKY jumping,
do 2 BASE jumps, then skip that weak shit,
and get right down to the real extreme thing,
ROBBING BANKS while on SMACK!!

Not only is it more dangerous than skydiving
or BASE jumping, well cause sometimes you
get shot at, BUT if you are successful not
only do you get to live and avoid prison
you also get a big bag of money

several posts have already provided solid advice, but it may not be appropriate for you.

for better personal advice, I'd recommend answering 2 simple questions:
1) what are these activites that provide the exceptional air awareness?
2) what are your BASE goals?

if you only want to do one or two jumps, odds are you can get away without many skydives. others have done it.

many here have either been injured or have assisted the injured. that colors their advice. BASE gets ugly, fast. if you wish to have a long career in BASE, you'd do well to get as much training as possible. skydiving, paragliding, rigging, ropework, first-aid, wilderness training, etc. all prove beneficial. I bet every active jumper realizes they could know more.

why begin the sport with a knowledge deficit?

Bingo.

I really appreciate all the advice. I am going to search around Texas and see what i can find as far as skydives companoes.

all of my experience is with the USAF and climbing cell towers,

Thanks again all

are there any base jumpers in Canada?
I'd like to start base jumping(finaly) but I would like to have an experienced base jumper near me for the first jumps. Is there anyone willing to help me? (even with advices)

If you have enough skydiving experience then go take a First BASE jump course. You can go the mentor route but if you don't know anything about who's who in BASE that way can be hit or miss.

There are several good courses so start researching with this one:

http://www.apexbase.com/courses.asp

They will answer all your questions on the phone or through e-mail.

NickD

jumpers from Canada have been known to post on these forums. but I thought Canada was rather large. you might wish to limit your location a bit...

the best advice is to always refine your skills. practice accuracy on every skydive. jump a large 7 cell canopy. do crw. take a first aid course. become a rigger. etc.

if you do everything you can to develop relevant skills, I'm confident you'll run into a BASE jumper.

shit on top & jump off

When asked "why are you here?" during my first static line course at my local drop zone 4 years ago I replied " I want to BASE jump"

3 years later after much research, lots of money and endless effort I am living my dream!

As stated there is nothing wrong to start skydiving purely to get into BASE but that is only a small step of a long journey!

happy days

This is related very much to this comment:

"Often students seem to have a "YouTube" enthusiasm, but no apparent willingness to put in the effort. If someone truly wants to get involved in BASE, they will be receptive to learning."

I know a skydiver with over 600 skyjumps who wanted to get into BASE hopping so bad. Did first jump off a large A --- airbreak opened fine no problems landed without incident. 2nd off Mr. Potatohead, stowed, over-delayed a bit and opened with a blown toggle. Now you would think a skyjumper with over 600 jumps (which, of course, means 600+ parachute landings) could land a big-ass parachute in that big-ass field they call a landing area at the Perrine, without a problem. This individual broke an ankle on landing.

Most of the time when a wannbe BASE hopper comes on this site and says "why do I need to skydive, I can just learn how to BASE off that bridge in S. Idaho", I just laugh my ass off.

Listen to what the rest of these people are telling you. Learn some skills in a much more forgiving environment (that being skyjumping) and most of all show some respect to more experienced jumpers in your area. You'll be very surprised at how far that can get you. Don't think you can become this great, all-time, bad-ass, BASEman overnight.

Cheers-

"all of my experience is with the USAF and climbing cell towers"
You have access to cell towers?
I think he is ready!