low pulls

[grasshopper 0]

this question is for "experienced" jumpers only (i.e. licensed). What is your idea of a low pull, altitude-wise? I ask because people have been commenting on me sometimes being a little low. Another question would be, what do you consider as pulling high? Answer in feet, 'cause I am too stupid to convert metric.
also please say how many jumps you have for a frame of reference

[Grogs 0]

My definition:
Low pull - Under 2000'
High pull - Over 4000' I don't really think there's such a high pull, but if you don't tell the load organizer and people aren't expecting it it can cause problems.

[AggieDave 6]

I wouldn't say I was experienced (I only have 43 jumps) AggieDave '02
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Blue Skies and Gig'em Ags!
BTHO t.u.

[Stacy 0]

Low I consider as at about 2, I like to be under canopy at 2 personally. High? I like pulling high and playing with my chute, honestly. I like CRW so maybe that's why... i'd say 7 K then. =c)
Stacy
http://astro.temple.edu/~sweeks

[grasshopper 0]

grogs, for a low pull I agree with you depending on how long your canopy takes to open (in the saddle at 1200 is DEFINATELY low). people have been commenting on jumps when I am fully open at 2000 (pro-track to prove it). When I say I pulled high, sometimes I mean 3000 as high.

[jumpergirl 0]

I am like Grogs... Low pull - Under 2000', High pull - Over 4000'
D22691
:-)

[Whiskeychick 0]

I consider anything below 2000 as low, anything above 3500 as high. But that's just me... my dz is surrounded by mountains, and seeing earth in my horizon around 2000 would probably freak me out.
-WC

[freaksister 0]

Well I have a license but only 36 jumps over um, 9 months! lol
Anyway, I also consider 2K or less "low" and I think over 4 would be high for most people. I usually dump around 3500 at a place I am familiar with. The less current I am or the less I know a DZ, the higher I pull! I once kinda freaked out and pulled at 5500 feet, that was a LONG canopy ride...but since we were last out our spot was long, and I made it back to the DZ when others didn't! I say, the more altitude you give yourself in certain situations the better. Let everyone know you are pulling a little high so they expect it and CYA!!!
Let's not forget that the BSR's say that an A license holder needs to open by 3000...(pack opening altitude). They changed it last year from 2500.
Sis

[skybytch 273]

I have almost 800 jumps and I consider "in the saddle" under two grand to be low; depending on the canopy opening actual pull time could be anywhere from 2200-3000 to achieve that. For me anything over 3500 would be high.
pull and flare,
lisa

[flyboy62000 0]

I consider anything less than 2000 to be low. I pull about 2500 to 3000 on most jumps. I like to pull high sometimes and have some fun with the canopy. I consider high as anything over 4000. I like to open at 6000 to fly sometimes and really enjoy canopy flight. If I am jumping with a group I definately stick to 2500 to 3000. If I plan on opening at 4 or higher I make sure to let the people on the load know so I can get out of the airplane in the proper order.
Blue Skies,
Adam

[tigra 0]

Are you licensed, and how many jumps do you have? And at what altitude did you pull when people told you you were low? Because all of that makes a difference.
I have a C license, just under 500 jumps, and personally, I like to be comfortably in the saddle by 2000'. The only time I have pulled as low as 2000' has been when I've been on big skydives, 60 to 100 people, and I was on the outer ring. Breaking off at 5000' and tracking like hell to 2000'. Ordinarily, I like to pull between 2500' and 3000', which is pretty normal for my dz, although there are always a few who go lower. If you are planning to pull any higher, you should notify the other people on your load so the exit order can be adjusted. If I'm last out, I'll go a little higher because the spot might be kind of iffy at that point, plus sometimes a longer canopy ride is OK, as long as there is no one above me! I should clarify that I am used to jumping out of a twin otter, with a capacity for 23 skydivers, and sometimes several groups go on just one pass. So, deployment altitude makes a difference as far as exit order!
I will tell you that if you are jumping a cypres, you need to pull by 2000', because if your canopy snivels at all, any lower will put you in firing range. And if you are jumping an FXC, keep it conservative and pull between 3000' and 3500'. I know someone who had his fire 3 times in as many weeks, but didn't connect it to the fact that he was dumping at 2500'!(the fxc has a larger margin for error, and tends to err on the side of firing too high, not the other way around- set it for 1000', it might just go at 2000' while your main is in the process of opening.)
The SIM (USPA/BSRs) publishes guidelines for each license, I believe 3000' for an A, 2500 for a B? Correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't had it out in a while!
Personally, I think anything below 2000' is pushing the envelope, no matter how experienced you are. Give yourself some time in case of a malfunction, and don't test your cypres!
And especially if your are fairly new to the sport, you can expect more experienced jumpers to tell you if they feel you have done something unsafe. Hopefully, they will do it gently, tactfully and constructively, but I know that's not always how it goes. Try and take it in the spirit it was intended, safety for you and others being the main goal, and learn from it. If someone told you you were low, my guess is you probably were.
And as far as pulling high, that's only an issue if there are people exiting behind you, or a boogie where there is more than one plane flying and dropping jumpers. Under those circumstances, if you are planning to pull above 3000- 3500', you need to let someone know, the pilot, or a jumpmaster in charge of the plane or manifest. But I think its a good idea to pull high if you are jumping new gear, borrowed gear, unfamiliar gear, or if you haven't jumped in a while.
Hope that's helpful!
Blue ones!
t

[Aviatrr 0]

For me, personally, anything that puts me in the saddle below 1400ft is a low pull. That's getting too close to NO MAN'S LAND for me. I don't want to be anywhere near the Cypres fire range. I normally pull at 2.5, in the saddle by 1.8.
What a high pull is defined as depends on what I am doing, and who else is on the load. If I am going to pull anywhere over 3k, I let everybody know I am pulling 'high'. Of course, I don't consider it a 'high pull' when a student pulls at 5k. It depends on comfort level and experience.
Mike

[Iflyme 0]

Pulling below 2200' feet would be low, and I don't believe there is such a thing as "pulling high". I pull at 3000', but lately I am thinking about pulling higher so I can spend more time flying my canopy!

[grasshopper 0]

you guys seem to be misunderstanding me. first, for a low pull, I guess I should have said how low would you consider getting in the saddle. I was not looking for USPA guidelines. second, don't say there is no such thing as a high pull. there is nothing wrong with pulling high, but there is such a thing. for the record I have been in the saddle at 15,000 as well as 1500.
don't pull low, unless you are low

[AggieDave 6]

I've done the non-CReW pull at altitude-right-out-of-the-plane (11k) thing before. It was a really cool cross-country. Even drank a beer on the ride undercanopy back to the DZ. We flew about 6 miles back to the airport undercanopy. Very fun for something different. AggieDave '02
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Blue Skies and Gig'em Ags!
BTHO t.u.

[cyberskydive 0]

How bout this, as long as you pull high enough to not get hurt, or crap your pants, then its not to low, high pull? I'm think HAHO!!
D.Chisolm C-28534
webmaster@sunraydesigns.com
http://www.sunraydesigns.com

[freaksister 0]

well, excuse us...fuck the USPA guidelines then

[grasshopper 0]

don't just fuck the USPA guidelines, fuck USPA.just kidding, I love those guys. I think pulling at 2000 per USPA guidelines is low with most canopies typical opening speed.

[freaksister 0]

LOL...you're too funny grasshopper!
sis (fuck the system! anarchy in the USA!) what can i say i am a punk rocker at heart

[OmriMon 0]

LOL!
btw sis, it's anarchy in the UK Free Skies,
Omri

[freaksister 0]

I know it's anarchy in the UK but I live in the USA so I figure I might as well change it to suit my needs... I wouldn't want to start a coup in someone else's country. Besides, after Clinton...who wouldn't want anarchy in the US?
luv,
sis

[AggieDave 6]

I just found the truth on the USPA's Errata sheet that accompanies the SIM, A's have been changed to open at 3k, not 2,500. It can be found here: http://www.uspa.org/Publications/sim_insert_9=20=00.pdf
AggieDave '02
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Blue Skies and Gig'em Ags!
BTHO t.u.

[AndyMan 7]

A low pull for me is actually "pulling" below 2,5.
If you actually pulled at 2 then after an 1000 foot snivel, you'd be in the seat at about 1,000 feet. You're starting to get into Cypres teritory... It'd suck to have a cypres deploy in the middle of a snivel after you pull at 1,800 feet.
Pulling at 2,000 complicates your cuttaway decision time. You're awfully close to 1,200 when your canopy opens, you've got to make up your mind to chop quickly.
Anybody know what an average snivel fall rate is? Is it above the cypres activation speed? Obviously it depends on the snivel, but still...
_Am

[AndyMan 7]

It wasn't a cross-country, I supose it was very novice CRW. We got out at 15,000 feet, right after the pilot yelled to us that it was -5 degrees outside (celcius). We burned down to 13,5 before deploying.... It took us over 20 minutes to get down. The pilot was literally flying circles around us. I wish I'd had a camera...

[tigra 0]

I'm with Andy, just to clarify my earlier post. The only times I have ever pulled below 2500' have been special circumstances, like big ways where it was more important to get clear of any traffic, and then it was 2000' for everyone's safety. (Larger dives have staged breakoffs and specific deployment altitudes, depending on where you are docking; if you are on the outside you turn and track first, and you track the furthest. The nice thing about it is very little traffic when you are landing.)
Given the option, I like to be COMFORTABLY in the saddle by 2000' which generally means pulling between 3000' and 2500', but I've been jumping a Sabre which opens pretty quick. I just got a new Spectre and may need to adjust my deployment altitude accordingly. I'm expecting much nicer, slower openeings from it.
Blue ones!