Can't make it to 3 on flare !! Student question

[danielcroft 2]

This is the intarweb, there's bound to be gossip. Not to mention we're skydivers - there's even more gossip.

Having said that, most people have suggested that you speak with your instructors. Your subsequent responses hadn't made it clear that they weren't in a position to make a call because you hadn't spoken to them. You did get some good advice, don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

Speak to your instructors, explain the issue and I'm sure they'll be as concerned as the rest of us that your rig doesn't fit you right and resolve it.

The lesson that's clear in most responses (to me at least) is that you should always make your instructors the first and final call. You can get advice and suggestions from whomever you'd like but your instructor should provide you with a sanity check so you don't put yourself in jeopardy by listening to the ill-conceived advice of some douchebag on the net with 38 jumps.

Good luck, I'd love to hear from you when you get it sorted out.

[kelpdiver 2]

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I have not brought my issues up in detail with my instructors because it hasn't been a huge deal to me. I HAVE NOT REALLY TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THIS, and that was MY ERROR, not any incompetence by my instructors. They couldn't possibly know what goes on when I open my canopy, I haven't even articulated well my problems with flaring, alls they know is what they see when they land, so naturally they just tell me to try going to "3" harder.

I thought this forum was a helpful venue for people with similar experience and could aid in my problems. Had I had known that it was more of a gossip column to slander an excellent dropzone and amazing instructors, I would have not bothered.

As best I can tell, your instructors and DZ have not been named, so no 'slandering' of them has occurred.

but the stuff you've been writing should be a big deal to you. If you haven't been talking to them about it, hopefully you will now. Skydiving has enough challenge and risk without the added danger that terrible fitting gear presents.

[ghost47 18]

First you said:

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I've asked many-a-people, including many of my AFP instructors and they keep telling me, "Well just go to 3!" but I'm like, "WHERE THE HELL IS 3 then? THATS AS MUCH AS I CAN PULL IT" -- as I limp into the AFP room with grass in my teeth.

Also something that I'm wondering but occasionally when I open my parachute my chest strap will go around my neck (ouch) or even above my head. I'm working on finding the right fit for a student rig, but do you think that would have anything to do with me not being able to go to 3 ?

I don't mind advice from putzes because none of my AFP instructors seem to have better advice for me, and of course I'm going to run any advice pass them so they can approve of it.

So people assume you've said to your instructors, "hey, I'm landing hard, and trying to flare to "3". Also, occasionally, my chest strap is going above my head after I pull the 'chute." And their answer has been, "well, just try harder to get to 3."

So lots of people reacted to that by saying if that's all your instructors are giving you after you telling them those problems, something is very wrong. Even newbie me can't imagine any skydiver with more than ten jumps (let alone an instructor) not telling me that something is wrong if my chest strap is going above my head after deployment. In my newbie opinion, if that was the response an instructor was giving you, then that instructor should be slammed.

However, now you say,

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I have not brought my issues up in detail with my instructors because it hasn't been a huge deal to me. I HAVE NOT REALLY TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THIS, and that was MY ERROR, not any incompetence by my instructors. They couldn't possibly know what goes on when I open my canopy, I haven't even articulated well my problems with flaring, alls they know is what they see when they land, so naturally they just tell me to try going to "3" harder.

Which seems to me to be materially different from what you first said. But if that's the case, like everyone else, I encourage you to tell all of this to your instructors, who, as you say, can only know so much if you don't speak up. I would imagine they're going to be very disturbed that your chest strap is slipping to above your head after deployment.