Basejumper.com - archive

This is awesome. I've been reading all of the "read this first" posts and realize that I'm right on track. I just finished AFF6 and am starting to look at gear, license requirements, so forth. There is alot more to learn about skydiving (please note that I'm not even mentioning BASE, that will be a couple years away) than I ever imagined. I mean really, how hard is it? Just throw a piece of fabric on your back and fall out of a side door? My eyes are truly opened and I'm absorbing all there is to know and learn. I'm looking at my 3rd wind tunnel session this saturday (my arch needs a little work) and have managed to get my teenage daughter hooked on this as well.

So, back to me. I'm 40, 6'4" 220. I'm already seeing that it's a little bit of a challenge being a taller individual in the sport, but not out of the question. One of my instructors at Perris is taller than me (mike k.) and I'm sure he's had issues with gear just as I will. I got into skydiving more or less because I was fed up with riding my sportbike in the mountains and constantly being surprised by the amount of squids (teenagers riding overpowered bikes with minimal gear) getting smashed up every weekend on Angeles Crest Highway. I've always put safety first, in fact insisting on it. But then I'm one of those idiots that's knee down sliding around Palomar on some ungodly early mornings... I had been interested in BASE jumping as far back as when I was a teenager, growing up in Tahoe. There were a couple cliffs that I'd take and I'd think to myself, "One of these days I'm going to find an epic cliff and scare the shit out of myself". Needless to say I did, backside of Alpine. Luckily for me I crossed my arms in front of my head so I didn't suffocate from landing headfirst into 6 feet of virgin snow. Sucked. So when I first got on motorcycles I knew better than to pull wheelies and try to put my levi-clad knee down on the corners. I KNEW it was something that would come with time...

Which brings me back to current. I'm not even considering BASE jumping at this time, I'm going to work on my skydiving and canopy control. Wingsuit at 200 jumps? Maybe. If I feel I'm safe enough (and as long as a mentor feels I'm ready) then yes, I'd most definetly want to get into wingsuit. But I'm not rushing. BASE jumping? Looks f%$#ing awesome. Hell yeah. Anytime I mention that I started skydiving to people it's seems to be hit or miss. "You'd never find me jumping out of a plane" or "Damn, I want to do that!" With me it was finally time to start. Plus the damn CHP incident reports are really starting to bug me. I know there's risks. But it seems safer to me to jump off a cliff (with proper training) than it is to ride a motorcycle in Southern California nowadays...


Skydiving consists of many different disciplines and all of them are fun. Unfortunately, not all of them prepare you equally well for BASE. -BASEwiki

Is there a particular discipline I should pay more attention to? Just starting out my A license is my first priority.

If you don’t already skydive, put BASE out of your mind for a while and stick to being a skydiver. -BASEwiki

not a problem, like I said, I probably won't even consider BASE for at least another two years.

Great forum, the humor is awesome. Hope to stick around and learn as MUCH as possible. Thanks!

-Shayne

also as a hobby I've taken up photography, got a 1000mm lens and have been taking pics of exits from 12,500 at Perris. crazy stuff.

Accuracy is always a good bet -- maybe not for all your jumps -- but being confident in putting a large canopy on a dime of your choice will make you an ueberrad face-humper.

Generally, being able to fly your body at all angles is useful too, as well as being comfortable in unorthodox positions (ie other than boxman).

That's my experience and observations from the last decade; it's free advice, take it at face value.

Yeah man, Street Motorcycles have become more
dangerous as other drivers' skill has declined plus
most are distracted with phone,text,radio,tv, etc.

My wife prefers I go BASE jump rather than take
my friends' R-something out for a street ride...
(dirt bikes are about as safe as SKY jumping).

As for advice, learn to pack NOW and never buy
a pack job if you can help it. Do some stretching
to improve your flexibility. Do some exercises to
improve your basic in-air movement. Once you
have an A license politely say no to jumping w/
a group of low timers unless it is a tracking dive.
Stick to 2-ways for a while, you fly more, learn
more, and it is usually more obvious who is the
person fucking up the dive. Practice Tracking!
It helps on most skydives and Slider-UP BASE.

I have much more but that is enough for now

What? that sounds like a whuffo talkin about BASE....

Ummm, I started riding as a kid,
both dirt bikes and street bikes,
3 weeks in hospital, 7 surgeries,
etc., so how I am a whuffo?!?

My basic premise is simply that:
BASE and Street Bikes are MORE
dangerous than SKY & Dirt Bikes.

You disagree? Did ya usta pit
for Bob Hurricane Hannah?

I think a closer comparison is IMHO

Moto= BASE : not a question of if you are going to get hurt but when and how bad.

Street and Skyjumping considerable tamer cousin. You can still die but its up to you how FAR and fast you push.
( I dont see any 65 year old motocrossers but alot of 65 yr old tandem instructors)

Never pitted for Hanna, but did work for the AMA, motocross, street and motard. Rode with Bartram, guy cooper and travis for a summer.

So yeah I disagree :)

All I heard was

...teenage daughter with addictive personality...

You should have no problems finding a mentor

"But it seems safer to me to jump off a cliff (with proper training) than it is to ride a motorcycle in Southern California nowadays..."

Based on what? Observations from watching base jump vids on dikmo and tubeboob? Your post implies you've got loads of exp. riding street bikes but 0 base jumps? Thats a fairly bold statement to make with a whoppin' 0 jumps under your belt.

I've been watching the Olympics and there's this guy name Michael Phelps. He swims across the pool really really fast and it seems easy.........but I bet it's not.

Sorry, dride. I didn't mean to imply that I know anything about jumping. I don't. Is it safer than riding motorcycles in Southern California? I don't know. I was just stating that with the amount of fatalities happening nearly every weekend down here that I'd rather hang up my leathers then get caught up with some idiot racing up the mountain in my lane.

and by the way, swimming is easy. going fast is a bitch...

BASE jumping has fewer variables that need to be controlled to better your chance of survival than riding a liter bike in SoCal traffic = FACT.

With that said, both are stupid choices and easy to become complacent in as your success rate increases.

Goodluck in Skyjumping and BASE. Remember, you have alot to lose.

No need to apologize, I was just being a dick......trying to prep you for what to expect in these silly forums. I do have some advise: never, ever take anything in these forums serious. Someone posts something that "sounds" legit, do your OWN independent research to follow up on it.

In all fairness though, Ive never been on a street bike before, crotch-rocket, harley, goldwing, etc nothing. I would not go on a street bike forum and intorduce myself as a base jumper and say "hey i think street bike riding in socal is safer that base jumping".

good luck in your journey aff level 7 is a peice of cake!!!

my $.02 about stuff that doesn't matter...

dirt bikes are as dangerous or safe as you make them.
Examples:
You can ride cautiously on a trail or desert and be safe. Motocross would be comparable to BASE though, because you're going to get hurt (like you said). Doing an FMX show is much more dangerous than BASE though IMHO.

been a while since I've been on. first place I went: the introduction section. You guys are awesome. I'm glad I spent some time (3 minutes) thinking of a proper intro before just posting up "I wanna BASE, what's the first step?"

Still chugging along. Been hot as my wife's underwear at Perris lately so been a little lax in jumping. Back at the sportbikes sweatin bullets at mach 1.2 in near-dark conditions to avoid the cages. Had a fucker in my lane last weekend and his face was lit up by his cell phone. Fly safe, drive safer.

fuck, so chicks rock next weekend is going to be hot as shit? (im referring to temperature)

how are the nights, does it cool down? im gonna be sleeping in the back of my truck, so im hoping its not super hot at night

 

Nah, it's just a late summer heat wave, will be outta here by mid week. This weekend looks mellow, upper 80's. Probably low 60's overnight. But then again I'm jumping Saturday so it'll prolly be extra fucking hot just for me. But you'll be good.

you know how i know your gay?

you look me directly in the eyes when you swallow my load..............

beware the catcus thornface platypus!!!!!!!!!