Basejumper.com - archive

I'm experiencing a culture change and wondered if other people have had similar experiences?

I have 1100 skydives, am a Formation Skydiving coach (UK), was working hard on big way and swooping and FS coaching.

Last year I did a 50 Cal course with Andy, superb course, so much content and a very well structured syllabus. And now I come back to the UK. I hook up with a great mate for base jumping and life is peachy.

Tomorrow the weather in the UK is perfect for skydiving, the rest of the long weekend (fri-mon) is shite, so this is an opportunity not to be missed, right?

But I have this "can't be arsed" feeling nagging me. I'm happy to drive for 3+ hours to do one jump in the middle of the night and fuck me up for work tomorrow. But skydiving tomorrow? Meh lol

What do you guys and girls feel?

Yep, BASE jumping will change your priorities.

But it also makes SKY jumping more laid back (fun)

since the risk is lower and you get 2 rolls of the dice.

I'm reminded of a road trip I was on some years ago with Frank Gambalie and another friend, we were on the way to jump the power towers near his mom's house. There was an Aerosmith song on the radio, and Frank asked, "What does 'jaded' mean?"

Haha yeh i feel the same i drive up to 9 hours just looking for antennas and base jump spots that most of the time dont even work out to be jumpable...and about to drive few days to basr jump..yet im getting to the point where i wont even drive 2 hours to go skydiving
This is probably what happens as a result of my first base jump ages ago and realized even a 190ft gay static line is better then a whole weekend skydiving and its my own show not somone elses conditions /rules
But yeh thats me im sure not everyone feels the same

My DZ is 20 minutes away and I haven't been there since June of last year. The weather is getting nicer, and sometimes I have the urge to go skydive, but don't. I do go there to pick up break cord or get a couple of patches or talk shit with other jumpers about BASE.
I agree, I will drive for an hour or more at 1 in the morning, spend a few hours jumping/screwing around, then crash in bed at 3 or 4, and I get up at 5:30 to get ready for work (a redbull for breakfast and lunch and around 2pm will make me productive at work, I think I have the formula down; doesn't seem to screw me up that much anymore.) Even if its a 120' static line with a shitty LZ (I actually like those low jumps.) Plus, I'm a poor blue collar working man, so I think of the money for skydiving - I could buy a pilot chute, or a sweet new bridle, or try a new helmet, or get some boots, or try a new pair of cargo pants that will be light, have big pockets for gear and stash bags and have double knees and gusseted crotch and don't look completely tactical and are comfortable.
I decide to BASE jump and continue the search for perfect cargo pants.

" continue the search for perfect cargo pants"
Ha ha ha I have never stopped doing that

120ft fuck that shit i got a 120ft static lineable spot close to me but i havent done it yet because im became way to much of a pussy since i got my titanium femur lol on that note has anyone broken there femur again after having a full length titanium rod inside it??
Im really worried about what would happen not enough to be half sensible but yeh still.. surely someone has done it twice

I have a rod in my left femur. Doc said I wouldn't break it. I might bend it, but I won't break it

Yeh thats what im worried about the rod bending and destroying everything around it...cant be good either way

I have found over the years that my enthusiasm for either tends to go back and forth. Some months all I think of is BASE then others I would much rather dump all my money on skydiving. I will always do both, there is too much cool shit to do in both sports to give up on one.
I would also say a much bigger motivator for me is who I am jumping with not what type of parachute is involved.

Ill give an opinion of a new jumper, and seen it a lot in the north east.

i only skydived for skills at the start it was interesting, but felt like school.
I have been in BASE a year done over 100 jumps in the east and mexico some amazing but all requiring a tonne more energy, making skydiving so much more fun easy, and more fun to push the skills bigger WS smaller more radical canopies, freestyle freefall all come to be so much more fun! id probably jump aircraft's a lot more if they where more available and cheaper, but nothings like a nice scary BASE jump off a new object.

id say there just different sports, and really depends on what your feeling.

I'm experiencing the opposite right now. Can't be arsed to drive 30 min to my local object and haven't jumped in months, however I've been obsessed with free flying and swooping for the last year and I still can't get enough.

Do what excites you at the time. I haven't quit BASE, I know a the time will come when I feel hungry for it again.