base283 0
HydroGuy 0
National Geographic Extreme yesterday had a dude doing his 1st BASE jump off a large waterfall in Venezuela.
On exit he immediately went head down, deployed unstable, opened into line twists which he couldn't kick out of in time, landed in the talus and broke his leg.
Bet he wished he was PCA'd off a legal span his first time...
On exit he immediately went head down, deployed unstable, opened into line twists which he couldn't kick out of in time, landed in the talus and broke his leg.
Bet he wished he was PCA'd off a legal span his first time...
Get in - Get off - Get away....repeat as neccessary
jonstark 8
Waaaay back in the olden times there was the common misconception that a big wall was just a foot launched skydive. Or so many jumpers thought until there started to be fatalities from them. (Including some of the best and brightest) We're talking back in the early to mid eighties here. Some, with no more reecent frame of reference, might still hold to this belief but time has proven it wrong in spades!
The bridge would be a far better way to get an introduction. Note that I didn't mention anything about safe or safer or the likes.
The bridge would be a far better way to get an introduction. Note that I didn't mention anything about safe or safer or the likes.
dploi 0
Exactly how much crack did these "experienced" jumpers smoke before your conversation? Anyone who's stood at the exit point of a big wall and the board at the Potato Bridge will tell you what an intense experience your first big wall is. Properly transitioning from dead air to terminal has one of the biggest learning curves of anything in BASE. Starting with that is a horrible idea.QuoteI've noticed a good amount of more experienced jumpers say that the big walls in Norway are the best way to go to start.
Han-Solo 0
QuoteThere is no possible way a first jump off a bigwall is safer than a first PCA of the Perrine.
To put this into perspective;
imagine a reasonably good looking span with a wide soft landing i.e. water or snow, 60-80 meters high. (shouldn't be to hard..) Throw in a lifevest and a boat, and I put my money on any wuffo surviving a pca'd jump. He could be asleep and i would still go for the bet. Hell, if drowning is not a possibility, he could be handcuffed and sedated and i'm pretty sure I'd get my money back after a couple of rounds. (as long as the drugs are handled by pros...
)
Now, imagine a cuffed, sedated wuffo off of a bigwall...
QuoteThe notion that big walls are safer only apply to big wall jumpers who are trackmasters.
I'm deeply hurt...
klr 0
Hi,
Ha ha, you wish dutchboy ! theres not enough alcohol in the world to get me that trashed ....
just got back to work this morning, I'd forgotten how much the real world sucks ....
and as for the originial posting - start off on a bridge & hit the water. I just did my first two base jumps last saturday on bridge day. Theres enough going on in your first base jump without having to worry about a quarter of a billion tons of cliff a couple of inches behind you.
klr
'I came into this world kicking and screaming and covered in somebody elses blood, I plan to leave it the same way.'
Ha ha, you wish dutchboy ! theres not enough alcohol in the world to get me that trashed ....
just got back to work this morning, I'd forgotten how much the real world sucks ....
and as for the originial posting - start off on a bridge & hit the water. I just did my first two base jumps last saturday on bridge day. Theres enough going on in your first base jump without having to worry about a quarter of a billion tons of cliff a couple of inches behind you.
klr
'I came into this world kicking and screaming and covered in somebody elses blood, I plan to leave it the same way.'
dmcoco84 5
I always thought first BASE was best with a Wingsuit (no prior experience), big wall, and a few hits of acid. Then it may not be a solo either because you’ll be tracking with some flying penguins or maybe even Big Bird! That’s the best way to go! 
On a serious note, Yea TF or BD would be my picks for first BASE. I did mine at BD last year and glad I did cause I went way head low! You go where you look! (at least at first)
On a serious note, Yea TF or BD would be my picks for first BASE. I did mine at BD last year and glad I did cause I went way head low! You go where you look! (at least at first)
You all are pretty much confirming what I was thinking. I keep trying to explain this myself but sometimes it's difficult when I'm talking to a really good skydiver. Say someone with more than double my skydives or more. They're really good at everthing, including tracking, but it's so much different tracking in dead air. I'm trying not to dis their skills or anything. I could learn a lot from them. I thought maybe I was just being a paranoid wuss or something.
Anyway, thanks for your input.
--------------
(Do not, I repeat DO NOT, take my posts seriously.)
Anyway, thanks for your input.
--------------
(Do not, I repeat DO NOT, take my posts seriously.)
Hey Kieran,
Congrats on the first few jumps ! Beer Beer Beer
Patrice.
"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."
Congrats on the first few jumps ! Beer Beer Beer
Patrice.
"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."
TomAiello 26
QuoteCongrats on the first few jumps ! Beer Beer Beer
Beer is for skydiving, mate.
-- Tom Aiello
Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com
Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com
Yeah man ,Congrats on your first BASE jump , and on your first nudie sauce romp with Jaap 
base915 0
The implication that the 1st jump course in Norway is ultra risky is wrong. I did my first jumps there. It was the best experience of my life bar none.
If you have the requisite number of skydives (250+ I believe), pay attention to the excellent tutelage you get from the instructors at the Base Klubb, do enough practice exits on the pendulator then you'll be prepared. Many, many people have done first jump courses there. (and lived)
IMHO The intensity of the whole jumping in Norway experience wins hands down over falling off a bridge.
If you want to do it don't be put off.
If you have the requisite number of skydives (250+ I believe), pay attention to the excellent tutelage you get from the instructors at the Base Klubb, do enough practice exits on the pendulator then you'll be prepared. Many, many people have done first jump courses there. (and lived)
IMHO The intensity of the whole jumping in Norway experience wins hands down over falling off a bridge.
If you want to do it don't be put off.
NickDG 23
Someone saying a big wall is okay for a first BASE jump because they did it that way only shows an overall lack of BASE knowledge.
Just from a numbers standpoint, take another look at the Fatality List. There are more than a few 1st BASE/cliff jumps gone bad and some of these are done by very experienced skydivers. Most of them, admittedly occurred prior to the object specific first jump courses of today, but one did happen to a woman who took a well thought of course and then she hit the wall in freefall anyway.
To this point most fatalities still seem to involve hitting the object just jumped from, mostly under canopy, but sometimes also in freefall.
Yes, it's very possible to make a big wall jump a first BASE jump. Just look at the mountain in South America, or all the first jumps made at El Cap. But it doesn't pass the "relative" test. If it were my son or daughter there's no way a wall, or any "hard" object, would be used for a first BASE jump.
Mentors should always remember that everyone is someone's son or daughter . . .
I don’t like the term "safe BASE jump" as there's really no such animal, but a span with a water landing option is as close to "less dangerous" as you can get.
NickD
BASE 194
Just from a numbers standpoint, take another look at the Fatality List. There are more than a few 1st BASE/cliff jumps gone bad and some of these are done by very experienced skydivers. Most of them, admittedly occurred prior to the object specific first jump courses of today, but one did happen to a woman who took a well thought of course and then she hit the wall in freefall anyway.
To this point most fatalities still seem to involve hitting the object just jumped from, mostly under canopy, but sometimes also in freefall.
Yes, it's very possible to make a big wall jump a first BASE jump. Just look at the mountain in South America, or all the first jumps made at El Cap. But it doesn't pass the "relative" test. If it were my son or daughter there's no way a wall, or any "hard" object, would be used for a first BASE jump.
Mentors should always remember that everyone is someone's son or daughter . . .
I don’t like the term "safe BASE jump" as there's really no such animal, but a span with a water landing option is as close to "less dangerous" as you can get.
NickD
BASE 194
TomAiello 26
QuoteThe implication that the 1st jump course in Norway is ultra risky is wrong.
I don't believe anyone was trying to imply that.
I think the discussion was about the relative risks involved in two potential first jump experiences. Neither is (or has been painted as) "ultra risky". That's a term I'd reserve for things like low buildings, in bad conditions, at night.
Making a judgment that one way or another is more risky than some other way does not imply that either of them is absolutely safe, or that either is ultra risky.
-- Tom Aiello
Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com
Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com
klr 0
Hi Paddy,
Cheers man ! thanks. Saw your wingsuit vids from, Kjerag - yourself & luke got some excellent footage
there.
One day ......
klr
'I came into this world kicking and screaming and covered in somebody elses blood, I plan to leave it the same way.'
Cheers man ! thanks. Saw your wingsuit vids from, Kjerag - yourself & luke got some excellent footage
there.
One day ......
klr
'I came into this world kicking and screaming and covered in somebody elses blood, I plan to leave it the same way.'
I also did my first jump at the cliff...
I loved every minute of it because everything went right...
now switching to the "do what i say don't do what i do" phase:
If something was to go wrong on your first few jumps, I'm guessing that the span with very little surface to hit and some water underneath would be a hell of a lot better.
Sure you can go to a big wall, do your first few jumps there and survive. But you should try to reduce the risks as much as you can.
I was told that before you decide to jump you should think of everything that could go wrong and see if you feel ok to deal with every situation. Being on a bridge sure reduces the amount of things to think about...
Tom, Brandy it is then...
Later,
P.
"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."
I loved every minute of it because everything went right...
now switching to the "do what i say don't do what i do" phase:
If something was to go wrong on your first few jumps, I'm guessing that the span with very little surface to hit and some water underneath would be a hell of a lot better.
Sure you can go to a big wall, do your first few jumps there and survive. But you should try to reduce the risks as much as you can.
I was told that before you decide to jump you should think of everything that could go wrong and see if you feel ok to deal with every situation. Being on a bridge sure reduces the amount of things to think about...
Tom, Brandy it is then...
Later,
P.
"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."
The single jump type would be best at BD IMHO. Impact doesn´t differentiate on the number of skydives the jumper has. I saw 2 jumpers impact in Norway within a coupla meters of the same spot. One had 2800 skydives and the other had 200. Which was the better jumper? They both made the same errors and had the same outcome. Most notably was that they took too long trying to regain stability. The notion that big walls are safer only apply to big wall jumpers who are trackmasters. No one else.
take care,
space
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