Basejumper.com - archive

BASE Beginners

Shortcut
Lesson in complacency
So just giving a quick heads up to newbs and peeps with experience.
This was uneventful, but a real lesson to me without gettin sliced by the reaper. As i started climbing over the rail at perrine this weekend, with canopy in hand for a TARD, my buddy stopped me because my chest strap was undone. Not loose, but completely unrouted. It was a TARD so i most likely would have been fine but i was working on 3 second delays all weekend, so god for id this was a belly jump this could have ended everyones fun this weekend.
Lessons learned:
Just because i am at the 70-ish jump marker, and have mostly cliffs under me belt and am feeling like i can finally start to call myself a base jumper, DO NOT stray for your routines and gear checks.

If youre doing things out of the norm like unpacked jumps, CHECK CHECK triple check everything like your life depends on it cause it does

If you leave your packjob to go pick up jumpers like i did, dont let that be such a major distraction

The funny thing is, in skydiving i check my shit like 6 times from pre-board to pre-exit, why would BASE be different? You should be even more OCD. Such a simple and stupid mistake shouldnt happen, and will NEVER happen to me again. The fact was that i stowed my lines all nice, went to pick up some jumpers, came back, and harnessed up, and was more focused on keeping my lines in the tailpocket for the tard and barely climbing into my harness than i was focused on safety. Thankfully this was none entful, but a real bitch slap to me. Please stay focused and dont be complacent!!!!!

Flame away if you feel the need
Shortcut
Re: [TransientCW] Lesson in complacency
Congratulations for posting...and to your buddy for noticing. Smile
Shortcut
Re: [TransientCW] Lesson in complacency
TransientCW wrote:
The funny thing is, in skydiving i check my shit like 6 times from pre-board to pre-exit, why would BASE be different?

That is an interesting phenomenon. I can see how the sensory stress of a loud airplane and slipstream is a good reminder compared to the normal relaxed shit talking shenanigans of modern BASE. I am extremely OCD in parachuting and glider flying, I even use my standard checks/rhythm in other aspects of life. (Leg straps-chest strap-big chuck pilot chute/rescue handle-balls or wallet-phone-keys-glasses or gloves-helmet-goggles etc)
Shortcut
Re: [Calvin19] Lesson in complacency
Calvin19 wrote:
That is an interesting phenomenon.

I've never been able to understand it.
Shortcut
Re: [TransientCW] Lesson in complacency
Is that a real 3 seconds or my version of 3? glad your good man and thanks for posting. I have personally caught two (others) chest straps at exit. My second E ever a gentleman and scholar pointed out to me that my leg strap was twisted once. Must have been so damn nervous I didn't even feel it haha. Thank god for him as I am almost guaranteed a 20 left as it is, and this was my left leg strap... Haha that's one if the many reasons I like jumping with others. Plus I get to jump sooner than the 34 times I check my bridle routing... PS... "You pu$$y popping mutha fin king of bridge day" -Bernice longbottom.... AKA snaggletooth...
Shortcut
Re: [TransientCW] Lesson in complacency
TransientCW wrote:
my buddy stopped me because my chest strap was undone.

This!!

Check yourself and check your friends gear. Make them do the same. We always did this 4-5 years ago on exit, but I doesn't seem common anymore.
We need more of these post on the forums, thank you Smile
Shortcut
Re: [TransientCW] Lesson in complacency
i usually always check my stuff one more time while im on the exit just to make sure. one time after a long day of banging out jumps i was sitting on rail ready to exit and decided to check my legstraps and chest strap one more time. chest strap looked good, leg straps were both completely untightened. that woke me up!

i feel like maintaining a level of alertness with regard to attention to detail and prejump routines etc is many times the hardest part. im glad im in a routine of checking my gear before exit because that would have been weird Wink