Basejumper.com - archive

Due to injuries in my lower back and neck from various accidents (some BASE, some other) I am pretty much having to accept I'll probably never jump again. The openings are what kill me and even hurts skydiving. I've done all the therapy, steroid injections, stem cell injections, and whatever else with minimal change in pain. Now it's time to seek something else because I am bored. I went paragliding last summer and it was alright but didn't quite hook me. Obviously tandem is going to be less exciting but still I couldn't see myself dying to get into paragliding or speed flying. So other than those two options does anyone have experience with getting into another sport that took your mind off BASE?

Edit: I'll add I am a climber and sure soloing is fun but it really is nothing like jumping.

Have you considered just moving to something entirely different, instead of looking for a 'next best thing' substitute?

It's not cheap, but you could look into private pilot lessons. It's not an adrenaline thrill if you're doing it right, but still very rewarding.

Free diving or underwater caving sounds like it has the adrenaline factor without the opening shock.

Edit to add: I haven't been able to jump for a little while either. I don't think a true substitute for jumping exists, if you ask me. SCUBA and flying other things are still pretty awesome though.

I get what you are saying and agree with that mindset being healthy but for me I miss having something that makes me feel alive. As much as I love climbing it doesn't do that very often for me anymore because I have been doing it a long time. It has to be a really epic/rare day to get those feelings back. Basically I'm searching for something exciting and new to learn but for me exciting generally has some hint of danger.

The whole cave diving/free diving thing does sound cool but I live in the mountains so probably not a whole lot of that going on here.

Not sure which mountains you live in, but you might not have to travel nearly as far as you think for some very interesting diving. All the rocky mountain states have something decent.

Whitewater?

What kinds of injuries are they? PT can vary drastically in quality from one provider to the next, so there may be some more stuff you could do that could lessen your pain.

Edit: have you done any treatments for chronic pain? Pain can persist after tissues have healed, caused by an over-sensitized nervous system.

Don’t give up on BASE yet brother !
I would go for some wingsuiting. The newer suits are so efficient that you can flare way high up before you pull and the openings are softer than anything else you’ve experienced.
On speedflying, check YouTube.There are guys grinding The Crack so deep I’m thinking we never even come close to that with our suits. Also, they are proximity mowing the lawn for like 5 minutes at a time.

Get your pilot's license

Triathalons,

Standing in a wetsuit in freezing water with a couple thousand people way way way more fit than you ready to swim a couple miles. That gun goes off every three minutes and wave after wave of folks take off. Knowing that gun was going off and it was my wave to start swimming was as nervous and shitter as any BASE jump I've done. Just my one cent..

Hang gliding? Mountaineering? As others have said scuba sounds awesome too.

I do a lot of other sports and activities, mountain bike riding can be pretty full on. I race Super Moto too, which gets the heart going, my favorite is riding my dirt bike with some mates, we do a few multi day trip rides a year, high speeds and sketchy trails, 50 odd idiots in the middle of nowhere. I used to race road bikes but that is expensive but will for sure get your danger fix. I do adventure racing too but that is just for fitness.

Yoga

I mean this in the nicest way possible and only going off a few posts on here so take what I say with a big grain of salt. Having injuries from BASE preventing you from doing it, and let’s just call it what it is, an adrenaline addiction is pretty synonymous with what you’re describing about “feeling alive”. I mean is this mentality really serving you, or are you serving it? Maybe you don’t need to be filling a void that has dealt you some permanent injuries? Again I pose these as questions not to judge you but maybe to look from a different perspective. Anyway best of luck and hope you find peace and something you’re searching for.

Buy a paramotor, seriously.

I appreciate all the feedback. I guess I posted this hoping something magical would come out of it but I think I knew the answer already deep down. Nothing will straight up replace BASE. I think speed flying will likely be the closest thing.

In response to Mitch and whoever targeted more of the mental health aspect of this situation, you are all correct. While I agree with this sentiment, I have tried for years to break this feeling of "needing" a sport like this but I have decided I would rather feed the itch than go the buddhist monk route.

Thanks for all the comments.

like this guy?

i'm not into the monk thing, but if i had to, i at least like that the european monks brew good beer!

Try tec diving (especially deep air, "BASE" side of it), or cave diving if you want a full-on trip. If you get a bit of help with your gear on the ground, your back & neck will be fine in the water. This activity has all the dangers and built-in drugs you can handle (and then some), and if you do it right you'll be shitting your pants for hours instead of mere seconds

Paragliding & speedflying might or might not be a substitute for BASE (didn't work for me), however statistically they won't be any safer or better for your spine.

Yoga etc is a great path. Just beware that it's more of a spiral than a straight line and it might bring you right back to the exit some day - feeling much better, at least!

After stopping a couple of times for 2 & 3 years (no injuries, just loosing interest for a while), i've found that nothing could replace BASE as such. However, BASE itself has evolved so much that what i do now (wingsuits in the mountains) has very little in common with slider-down urban rage of 25 years ago.

bsbd! Yuri.

Freediving got me more focused, relaxed and the challenged I needed to heel up as well made me healthier.

Also a nice warm mellow flow of excitement after a nice long dive that I could relate to I felt after a good base jump that lasted for days sometimes.

I good gym work out as well when your back allow you to start again, but swimming was the thing that got me out of the back problem in the first place.

Nothing compares to WS base, so I understand you being bummed if you can't handle openings.
That's why I stopped CReW and slider down.
As someone above said, WS jump openings can be quite manageable and something to consider.

In the meantime, cycling, swimming, mountain hiking could keep your head healthy.

Thats what you believe now, that wingsuit flying is the ultimate, and you might die young or old still believing the same. You have to remember back in the days, just jumping off something and especially a new object might have given the same feelings. But the more jumpers and the more videos, that also faded away, even we got better tracking and did more challenging jumps.

Jumping have been a huge part of my life, but not all of my highlights is jumping, and the further behind it gets, the more faded the colours being. Some few jumps I do remember of course with bright colours still, but those jumps was more about the people who joined and the nature. The whole package if you understand. Still a solo night hike in to Troll wall, and early morning solo jump from the Techno exit in february, stands out brightest.

Flying is beautiful, and the more you endorse and cultivate it, the more important it feels to you.Right? So, whats next? Im sure everyone ask themself what can possible top this shit? And the answer is to grow older and be wiser ;-)

Im surprised Outrager did not mention extreme breathing yoga, that also brought out some interesting colours and a new dimension that brought me places I had not been before yet

I'm not arguing with what you've said, actually I agree with it, but kleggo is no young hothead. He's been around about twice as long as you have, and has a well matured history in parachuting and other adventure sports. He was there 'back in the day'.

My response was maybe a bit more general than just a response to Kleggo. As I said, you might die young or old and still feel the same, because you did not have to make chenges for any reason. It is a life passion and very addictive one. I also believed I would still be jumping by now and continue 10 - 15 more years or until I got hurt or died. Then I was forced to adjust my approach and what I did in my life, so thats what I had to work with.

I could have started base again when I got the back problems and the pain under control, but then I was no longer willing to risk my back or "jump back on the needle" again. I had new experiences, and new interests that kept me going.

I cant say it have been easy, but It gave me another perspective and new possibilities in life.

I just wanted to say, there is a life without base in it also, and base might not feel so ultimate with new experiences, even it will take awhile and some effort and dedication to leave that part of life behind you.

For some, base is maybe the closest thing you come to a religion, you believe so strong, commit 100%, and when you are in that bubble, there is nothing else.

However we all can just talk about what we know from our own experiences, and the most immportant to share for the OP, life can be good without base to, and the most important we have, is our health, and I know personaly how devasting a back problem can be. From being fresh and young, to start struggling with something that limits your freedom, is hard to overcome, especially when many of us need this active lifestyle and use it as medicine to overcome other challenges in life.

I have a fused C5 – C7 with structural problems in lumber and thoracic spine not to mention breaks elsewhere. I know the pain mate.
The intensity attraction may not fade nor be comparatively substituted by another means...I’ve raced an F type Jaguar that does come close.
I agree and respect all comments within the thread and like several have suggested, swim!
If you’re in the mountains, find a lake and hit it or get down to the ocean.
Perhaps consider low SD and/or wing suit training to wash off a truckload of speed then with specific body positioning during opening sequence may help preserve your spine and minimise further pain.
This does not answer your question I’m sorry and I don’t doubt you’ve considered this.
Best ahead.

That's exactly it. The important parts are the whole package.

I remember telling a story about an important jump one time, and starting with 'so after jumping X, we drove over to' and getting interrupted with questions about the previous (high profile object) jump, which wasn't particularly meaningful or important to me.

The experience is a complete package of everything surrounding the jump along with the jump itself.

We race off-road Moto and trucks. I have some seat time in can am x3 and it is insane in the desert . Racing them is fairly inexpensive and a lot of events are adding sxs classes. Sustained adrenaline. 80mph through a whoop section passing people is legit. Check it out.

Which reminds me : 120mg of intramuscular Ketamine hydrochloride just as you are peaking on acid will provide a sufficient distraction from BASE jumping activities.

Similar effects can also be achieved on a single breath hold, as 434 has mentioned earlier

Sadly, these methods have been abused in the past to supplement rather than substitute BASE

bsbd! Yuri

I have met some people on bath salts who seemed to be having an exceptionally good time, too.

Unfortunately I had to tackle them all physically and/or chemically.

Dudeman17 - you rock!
Who you calling mature?

Who has time for LSD these days, though?

Will it have similar effect when combined with DMT?

Not really. You want it to last, hence IM and not IV

Freediving and psychedelics. Not necessarily at the same time.

We are looking for work exchange volunteers to work with snakes in zululand
Perfect place to feel alive

Ask chuma. He has been ...
Google "snake pharm zululand"
D

Here ya go, bro:

OMNI Hoverboards -- The first flying hoverboard

Looks like you could even wear your BASE rig... slider down/off. -- "Just In Case"

Hat Tip: roostnureye

Isle of man TT?