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Its seems to be a general consensus is that one must have "X" number of jumps at minimum to BASE.

Anyone feel that a continuous skydiving career not only compliments BASE but improves those skills, or is BASE enough, once you have become current and active? For any reason?

Unless you skydive with a BASE canopy, I feel BASE is all you need as long as you are current with it. Then again I only have 45 BASE jumps. So, lets here from the experienced crowd.

-TJ

Edit to add: The reason I ask is I was recently (December) involved in a plane crash and before and since then there is no skydiving in the area besides a demo here and there for me to stay current.

I think that misses the whole point.

It's not about some number. It's about what skills you've developed. I've seen guys with 50 skydives who had focused on prepping really BASE-specific skills to transfer over. I've also seen guys with 1000 skydives who had no real accuracy or close quarters canopy maneuver experience.

What you learn is a lot more important than some arbitrary number of jumps.

Same goes for a lot of BASE issues, actually. I cringe when I hear people say you need "X" number of jumps to go to Moab and jump slider down cliffs. You don't need any specific number of jumps--what you need is solid object avoidance skills.

Doing a hundred 15 second delays off Kjerag doesn't prepare you for a solid 180 off a 300' cliff in Moab. Neither does a hundred 2 second delays in Moab prepare you for tracking off big walls in Norway. They just require different skills.

It's about the skills--not the numbers.

I think there's some truth in that.

Just don't mistake being current on an easy object for being current on a very technical one. Start slow on the easy things and make sure you're back up to speed before you go back to the nasty stuff.

You also should have included that you already have around 700 skyjumps and have a pro rating.



Sense I'm already posting might as well add my 2 cents. Your canopy skills are more than adequate. I don't think you HAVE to skyjump anymore. Staying current in BASE should be enough.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't trying to necessarily go by jump numbers, I understand the need for skill level and competency to start BASE. I was more or less referring to being past that state and using skydiving in general to (not BASE specific skydiving) improve your skills.

I also agree that staying current in the type of BASE to be performed (i.e. tracking, dirty low or technical BASE) is important.

So, to play devil's advocate, being current is low static line and go n' throws. Some sky tracking should improve on longer delays BASE jumps in conjunction with the low BASE jumps.

I guess that skydiving can definitely help, but is not necessary if you are current in the type of BASE jumps to be performed.

My main question was to see if the experienced thought that skydiving helped them in general for BASE or if it was not necessary.

in response with that is it safe to say that you could do 50 to 100 base jumps at the bridge practicing object avoidance drills and canopy skills and be able to jump at moab with no sky dives?
just hypothetical of course.

Don't hurry :)

besides the obvious skills, it is an attitude. get enough skydives, and you have a D license. remaining current (per USPA) is rather easy.

it is fine to take the winter months off and then resume jumping. changing canopies, wearing gloves, and humming it low after a layoff is NOT the best course.

learning when you can push and when you should back off is a skill that translates quite well to BASE.

then the random ugliness that happens at a dz can help you learn about yourself, and how you respond under pressure. wanting to get back in a jumpship AFTER being in a crash with fatalities is remarkable.

every jumper should select their jumps (in BASE or skydiving) based on their current skill level.

learning when you can push and when you should back off is a skill that translates quite well to BASE.
+1

It's going to be a lot easier to get the canopy time from an aircraft of some sort, because it gives you so much more time to play around up there.

In theory? If you were a complete natural and had very good coaching for those jumps, and focused them entirely on a well planned training progression? Probably. But I've never seen someone actually do that. Everyone starts out with the best of intentions, but training and practice turn out to be just so boring, and the guy who was rushing to begin with usually can't be bothered to slow down to actually practice those skills. It's much easier to throw off 50 unpacked jumps and then say "ok, ready for Moab."