Should I just expect problems?

[maestrabella67 0]

I'm doing my first AFF this weekend... I alternate between excitement and apprehension... yet from what I've been reading (the SIM, this website, etc), I almost feel that parachutists just expect malfunctions or problems; that this is the norm, and that more than likely I'm going to have some kind of situation on my hands every time I jump.

On the other hand, I'm an experienced scuba diver, which helps me see many correlations between scuba and sky diving. The basic scuba course is all about learning what COULD go wrong and how to deal with it underwater IF it does. I'm thinking that skydiving is this way also: learning about what COULD go wrong, and how to to deal with it IF it does.

Which of those two perceptions is closest to the truth? I appreciate any input or thoughts from you wiser, licensed jumpers!

Thanks!
MB67

[jsaxton 0]

There is an old skydiving saying: "there are two kinds of jumpers, those that have had a malfunction and those tht will". So unlike SCUBA where you prepare for a POSSIBLE problem in skydiving you prepare for an EVENTUAL problem"

[airtwardo 7]

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There is an old skydiving saying: "there are two kinds of jumpers, those that have had a malfunction and those tht will". So unlike SCUBA where you prepare for a POSSIBLE problem in skydiving you prepare for an EVENTUAL problem"

Very well put...


To the OP~
Yes it is training for what could and likely will eventually happen.
It is a little overwhelming in the beginning but that is a good thing as far as you won't be complacent.


Keep drilling you emergency procedures and always be ready to got to plan B without any hesitation.


As with SCUBA, eventually with practice and time, the information becomes pathway programed and it's more comforting than scary.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[kkeenan 14]

I think it's a pretty good analogy. In skydiving or in SCUBA, you could have 100 great dives before any problem or you could have it on the very first dive. Both disciplines are equipment-intensive, so that means that there will almost always be issues - big or small - to deal with.

The main difference between the two is the time element. Most SCUBA anomolies need to be solved fairly quickly, but nowhere as quickly as many skydiving malfunctions.

Kevin K.

_____________________________________
Dude, you are so awesome...
Can I be on your ash jump ?

[Andrewwhyte 1]

You need to prepare for unusual situations in skydiving and prepare well. I would not say however, that you should expect problems. You should expect that your training and positive attitude will give you the skills to avoid most problems and to deal with any that arise. Expect that your jump will go exactly like you dirt dive it; when you find it going sideway you can smoothly move it back on track. Skydiving is way better when you approach it with a positive attitude.
Prepare for the worst, expect the best.
Have fun.

[maestrabella67 0]

I appreciate all your comments... the training really is the important part, it does kick in when a situation arises. I know this from dealing with my first underwater difficulty on a wreck at 70 feet. I knew what I had to do, and I did it as a reflex action because it was something that was practiced, practiced, practiced and practiced till it became a natural reflex.

From what other jumpers are telling me, it's the trained reflex actions, the knowing what to do when, that make all the difference.

That's what is giving me the confidence that I CAN learn how to skydive and handle what happens.

I'm so excited for that first jump!

[squarecanopy 0]

The other replies here have already said it all so well. I will add that as you already know from your scuba training, there are things you must LEARN in order to properly handle the risks. Instinct and common sense are not the only things you need to scuba or sky dive well. Like learning to not hold your breath during an emergency scuba ascent, you will learn the particulars of skydiving that will allow you to jump well and manage the risks. Welcome to the sky!

Just burning a hole in the sky.....

[airtwardo 7]

......it was something that was practiced, practiced, practiced and practiced till it became a natural reflex.

From what other jumpers are telling me, it's the trained reflex actions, the knowing what to do when, that make the difference.

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Exactly, and also one of the challenging things about the sport... in order to be truly safe and confident, your training / practice never ends.

I broke a riser last August doing a demo into a rock concert, I had less than a full spin under 1/2 a parachute before I evaluated and cut away...we had all opened relatively close as is called for in the demo routine, so I took it down below all the other guys before deploying the reserve. (Also something in my 'training' hard drive for demos)

There wasn't a lotta conscious thought, all reaction.



Back in the olden days, back when we use to jump rocks for gear...when the beer light came on we would stand around the bonfire and play a game of 'what if'

~~describe any kind of situation that could possibly happen, no matter how outlandish...and go around the circle, each jumper telling what they would do to survive.

Some interesting scenario discussion 'after hours' is why I always carry TWO hook knives and have for 25 years.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[ladydyver 0]

I love diving, both in the water and into the sky.......I myself was more comfortable with scuba before skydiving, but....now I love them both for different reasons. I think one thing to remember is that you are doing this to have fun, that you won't be perfect every time, and when you meet those tasks that become obstacles that you don't let your frustration get the better of you. Good luck and safe jumping.

DPH # 2
"I am not sure what you are suppose to do with that, but I don't think it is suppose to flop around like that." ~Skootz~
I have a strong regard for the rules.......doc!

[Stuntbabex 0]

Dont skydive and scuba in the same day.

[winsor 236]

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Dont skydive and scuba in the same day.

Like you can smoke and drink but you can't drink and smoke, you can sky then scuba but should not scuba then sky.


Blue skies,

Winsor

[Hausse 0]

Is the pressure difference on a normal 13k jump big enough to cause problems if you didn't just come from a crazy 10h cave dive?

[winsor 236]

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Is the pressure difference on a normal 13k jump big enough to cause problems if you didn't just come from a crazy 10h cave dive?

Yup. Getting bent is a bad thing, and only a fool will push it.

[UDSkyJunkie 0]

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The basic scuba course is all about learning what COULD go wrong and how to deal with it underwater IF it does.

You got it... you need to be armed with the knowledge to deal with any imaginable situation that could occur. You have to know because if you jump long enough, things will ineviatbly go wrong... you'll never know what it's going to be or when but it WILL happen.

Some stuff goes wrong fairly frequently (like minor line twists, slider hang-ups, ect) and some things are really pretty damn uncommon (like bag locks) but they all do happen and you still have to be prepared for it. And you have to be prepared for anything on any given jump, without warning.

So I wouldn't say to EXPECT problems as such... that might make you a bit "jumpy" and cause you to react inapproprately (by say, chopping something at the first sign of trouble when maybe it was a small problem you could fix) in the same way that expecting perfection could make you a bit lazy and cause you to be taken by surprise. Rather, you need to be prepared equally to deal with everything from a perfect opening to a complete ball of shit on every jump.

PS. big stuff going wrong is really pretty uncommon. I've had one cutaway in 1,100+ jumps, and that's fairly "average." On the other hand, I knew a student who had his first two cutaways on jumps 1 and 3 (no shit!), so anything can happen.

"Some people follow their dreams, others hunt them down and beat them mercilessly into submission."

[Hausse 0]

What's the pressure at 13000 MSL?

[billvon 2,991]

> What's the pressure at 13000 MSL?

About 620 millibars (9.1 psi)

[Hausse 0]

Oh wow okay I didn't know it was that much of a difference. You sure wouldn't like that after a dive.

[brettski74 0]

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> What's the pressure at 13000 MSL?

About 620 millibars (9.1 psi)

More precisely, it's about 61% of what it is at sea level at the same location.

[airtwardo 7]

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Oh wow okay I didn't know it was that much of a difference. You sure wouldn't like that after a dive.

I dunno...the chamber is a great place to catch up on some sleep!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[packerboy 3]

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Dont skydive and scuba in the same day.

Like you can smoke and drink but you can't drink and smoke, you can sky then scuba but should not scuba then sky.


Blue skies,

You're too smart to know this.. How can you know this and still be smart? Shouldn't your intelligence have stopped you from learning this Winsor? Or was it just something you have read? Tssk Tssk

Winsor

--------------------------------------------------
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

[Hausse 0]

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Oh wow okay I didn't know it was that much of a difference. You sure wouldn't like that after a dive.

I dunno...the chamber is a great place to catch up on some sleep!

I was in there once (not an emergency) and it seemed pretty damed tight

[airtwardo 7]

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Oh wow okay I didn't know it was that much of a difference. You sure wouldn't like that after a dive.

I dunno...the chamber is a great place to catch up on some sleep!

I was in there once (not an emergency) and it seemed pretty damed tight

Yeah...and I bet yer not 6'4" & claustrophobic.........!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[billvon 2,991]

>Getting bent is a bad thing, and only a fool will push it.

My Getting Bent Story:

So there we were, diving off Saba. First dive was to 80ft. We did the dive, came up a few minutes over our planned bottom time. And our max depth was 91 feet.

So I pulled out the tables as the boat bounced through the waves to the next site. Sea was rough enough that I couldn't read them. "Weather coming in guys, we better do this fast." So I got ready for the second dive (40 feet) and submerged.

Well, of course we went ten minutes over on that one too; we were doing the "three dive buddies" thing and it didn't work out too well. Ended up having to fetch the third guy who had wandered off with a different group.

As we got back into port, I checked the tables again and ran the numbers. (This was before computers.) We were pretty far over limits.

"Everyone OK?" I asked. Everyone felt OK. So we chalked it up to a learning experience and got in a taxi to get lunch.

We found this restaurant with a great view after much driving, and got out to have lunch. Mark got a headache. My thumb went numb. Jan's foot hurt. Then I wondered why the view was so good.

"Hey, how high are we above the water here?"

"Oh, about 400 meters!" said the waiter. "Good view, eh?"

[Beerlight 0]

Good story Bill... Yes, any form of decompression sickness is no fun. I've been "bent" 8 times going "to" altitude (chamber test). Never after a dive......

[Hausse 0]

What table did you use? I think I would have gone straight to the chamber if I was over the army ones...