Basejumper.com - archive

from a Quote from TA


What are peoples general view on experience? I think that jump numbers mean shit - I feel that number of objects (varying) has more to do with experience..........

I mean I would say that although that someone may have 500 jumps from a legal span and maybe their pulling out gainers and various "novalty" jumps - he maybe more experienced in the "dead air" environment but would not someone with 50 jumps from 30 different objects ranging from 200 to 3000 and B A S E - be more experienced as a BASE jumper - but as soon as you mention 500 jumps people react that "wow he must be real experienced" - and think the guy with 50 jumps would be seen as not so...........

Most BASE jumpers I meet wont ask you your jump numbers until you have known them for a while and have become friends - most will ask about the type of objects you have jumped only .............. but is there still a "numbers" game happening in BASE???

Just interested in peoples thoughts about "numbers" thats all.................

yep im at home and bored!!!

there are different ways to be experienced at...
That said i mean that a jumper who has tryed serval different objects at different altitudes will be more experienced in genneral,as he/she will learn to use the gear all around,but the guy you mention,will sure be more experienced at his object and different manuvers..

Number could be useful at least for fast orientation.

And you could be wrong.. i have near 600skydives,most of them is freefly,now tell me,what will you expect of me???
hopefuly not much as i only flies my sit ok...(we has a dz were we had to learn it from the start,and now i dont borther anymore..)

There are a couple of outstanding 500 plus jumpers from NC. They have pulled off some unique ones, the best of which, to me, was when they laid on the roof of a gondola before the operator arrived. When the gondola got halfway between the mountains, they, half frozen, launched.

First off, I've only been in the sport for one year this month. But out of respect, I don't see where experience has to do with anything, or jump numbers for that matter. I mean as it relates to the average jumper who jumps for the fun of it, down in their own little corner of the earth.

I can't recall ever seeing anything in BASE where you had to have xx number of jumps in order to be labelled "experienced". I suspect there may be times when certain "experienced" jumpers may require you/me to have a certain "experience" level in order for you to jump with them at a certain site. And understandably so. For instance, the Cave BASE trip. I believe they require you to have 30 BASE jumps before going. Umm, the Turkey Boogie, I believe they were wanting participants to have at least 30 jumps before attending that.

I personally know and jump with a person who has 1100+ BASE jumps. He won't mind me saying, most of those are from the same span. But that was his personal goal. He does not brag about it, flaunt it, or put himself in an "elite" status because of it.

Do I personally think that someone with 50 jumps from 30 different objects has more experience than he? No.
I may be wrong, but the 1100+ jumper will have more exposure than the 50 jump, 30 objects, jumper.

Would a newbie like me be more willing to ask advice from the 1100+ jumper or the other? I think the 1100+ jumper.

There is something to be said for the 1000 club. Especially those with less than 5 years in the sport. They are jumping their asses off. Whether from one or two sites, or from 30 different sites.

My jumping is geared more towards the number of objects jumped, however. I could very, very easily make a jump or two every single night from one or two objects, but I don't. I have a bunch more objects to jump in the future, and I'd hate to burn myself out on one object just for the sake of logging jumps so I can meet someone elses "experience" status level.

Jump when you can, have fun. Screw the jump number game.

I leave for Moab this coming Thursday night. I'm so excited I'm bout to piss myself.

Rod

I may have worded this incorrectly - but when people hear he has 500 jumps compared to hearing 50 jumps where does your thought go to who would be more experienced? do we sub-consiously play the numbers game? I agree numbers are worthless and not worth a thought (yeah i know i have thought and made this post) - but do you think that we do make a judgement on numbers albeit non thoughtful???

I know from my experience that off my local I dont think about things as in detail as someone i take to it not jumping it week in week out - who is better prepared? Me who has done it alot but maybe has become "too" comfortable on my local or the guy who is racing through his mind everything you should be thinking about???? Now theres a thought?!?!?!??!

Im not saying that I am complacent on my local but just trying to make a point............ surely if your that tapped in on each jump you make it keeps your senses tuned in more so than someone flicking the same thing all the time............

just trying to provoke thought........... thats all.......

I think people are also neglecting the "time in the sport" factor. My mentor has just shy of 400 jumps, and another poster here has under 200 jumps, neither of which are very many by today's standards.

That said, they each have 10+ years in the sport, and their knowledge is reflective of that.

I see your point, and am not disagreeing with you.




the 500 jumper without a doubt.

this is my point (i think) - if you met someone with 500 jumps only from the legal span would you think him more knowledgable than the 50 jumper from 30 objects???? who would you trust on a B or E???

the one who had done a few from them or the one who had jumped more (albeit from the span)??????


this is my point about jump numbers meaning shit?!?!?

I know in the real world this aint the case and a guy with 500 is probably got experience with many things - but if all are from a span - why would you trust him more??????

just a thought provoking thought!! hehehehe

be safe always!!

Like everything else in life, i would 'rate' somebody by a whole number of factors.

Time served in particular disciplines (skydiving included too), variation of objects & conditions,
qualifications & jump numbers of course must come into it.

But i think its relative to where you are yourself,
we all look up to 'our' own particular 'heroes or heroines' and consider them 'the best' for our own reasons.

But in BASE, i would have to say that knowledge is the real power,
it enables the people who have the most to achieve the most.

We can learn a lot from everyone before us. Be it 1000 in 5 yrs., or 200 in 10 yrs. But I think the newbie will be more naturally prone to want to learn from the jumper with the most jumps. Probably carries over from skydiving.

Then, I think they will start to seek advice from other jumpers that are making the kinds of jumps that they themselves are about to make.

Now, shut up and go practice packing or something
That'll cure your boredness.

It's not so cut and dry as you make it sound. 50 jumps from 30 objects makes a person well traveled but not very experienced. A person with 500 jumps off the same span would most likely know a whole lot more about canopy control opening speed, heading control dead air launches and other stuff.

Give that same 50 jump wonder about 150 more jumps from different objects, opening several himself or at least scoping them out on his own, and most likely you'll find him to be a pretty well versed jumper.

he dont has to,he is so acurate that he can pack a 90 off to the left each time he pack(old joke i guess he got rid of that bad habbit now)

"The best BASE jumper in the world is the one who is having the most fun!". A quote, ripped off and modified, from a climber....

I agree - someone with 500 jumps from a span and someone with 200 jumps from different objects would be much closer, but I might still give the edge to the 500-jump wonder... It depends on what he did on those 500 jumps tho', and what you want to learn from him... He might not be able to you any pointers on gaining access without being seen...

yep and I did!!!!

take it easy................

who cares how many jumps ya got? just jump and be safe in what your doing to the best of your ability

> someone with 500 jumps from a span and someone with 200 jumps from different objects would be much closer, but I might still give the edge to the 500-jump wonder...

"But I might give the edge to the 500-jump wonder..."
I agree, but it depends to do what....
For sure Mr. 500jumps-off-that-bridge knows how to jump THAT bridge (winds/meteo conditions/whatever, BASE being very object dependent), for sure Mr. 500jumps-off-that-bridge knows how to pack very well indeed, know how to fly and flare his BASE canopy very well indeed and whatever else comes with the 500 jumps experience. Mr. 500jumps-off-that-bridge for sure is a partner/mentor who you can have lots of fun jumping with from "his" bridge.
On the other hand, Mr. 50 jumps off 30 different objects is way more expert in different "environments", haviong put his feet in 30 difrerent places, with 30 different visual, with 30 different approaches/climbs, perhaps is more expert in evaluating meteo/logistic condition off a possible "new" object, so could be a good partner when you are about to explore a new exit.
so, in my humble opinion, both Mr. 500jumps-off-that-bridge and Mr. 50jumps-off-30-objects have their own "strong" points!!!! And possibly it is a lot of fun to jump with both!!! And possibly each of them can give you a better input/hints in jumping different objects!!!!
Personally I can say that at my 55th jump I had 15 (for sure thanks to my experienced jumpoing mates)) different objects (having opened just 1 new object myself with a SOLO jump (with only whuffo ground crew)): all those different objects gave me quite a good "experience", way more that if having performed my 55 jumps off a couple of objects.
Just my 0.02€

Kinda what I was trying to say - but obviously you made a better job than me!!

Note to self - go back to school for English communication lessons..............

have fun people! just have fun!!