How many times do you look at your altimeter during a jump?

[gale 0]

Well, being a newbie and hyper-concerned about altitude awareness, so I tend to check after one or two maneuvers. I jump from 10000 and pull at 3500 so that's about 3-4 times depending on if I flail alot and end up on my back or something. Then I check fairly regularly under canopy until I set up for final. I've been told by my coach that I'm doing well in that area (!)

Gale

I'm drowning...so come inside
Welcome to my...dirty mind

[Staso 0]

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How often do you look at your altimeter during a skydive?

none. i don't have visual altimeter and even if i had i wouldn't be able
to see it doing speed dives. i watch the ground and i have 2 audibles.



stan.

--
it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ...
Speed Skydiving Forum

[rgoper 0]

i generally jump without an altimeter, i just wait for my audible beeps, and watch for the first canopy to deploy, plus once you've seen the ground at 2500', it'll look the same everytime. SYCH! i'm guessing maybe 3 times in freefall, 2 times under canopy? i know this is not what i would coach any student, but i've noticed lately my reliance on my first couple of audible beeps, i just chastised myself for that this weekend during a conversation with an up jumper, and a low timer. "know thy altitude"

--Richard--
"We Will Not Be Shaken By Thugs, And Terroist"

[TEB6363 0]

Probably about 3 to 5 times during FF and three under canopy.

Once the plane takes off, you're gonna have to land - Might as well jump out!!

[airborne31582 0]

I got into the habit of looking at my altimeter after every point or movement, then check it when i deploy and when i think i am at 1000 ft [reply

Chris
I thought of the odds of me succeeding, versus the odds I was doing something incredibly stupid, and I went ahead anyway.

[Rdutch 0]

Almost 90% of my jumps are video either 4way or tandem. So altimeters dont make for good video so I never look at mine. I am very good at telling what altitude I am at and usually know right when my team is breaking off. If I get wrong I also have 2 pro-dytters. Then I only look at my altimeter to see where around 1000 ft I am under canopy.
Ray

Ray
Small and fast what every girl dreams of!

[Jimbo 0]

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On belly dives I never know what the hell is going on. I'll check at 9, 8, 6, 5800, 5000, 4500, 4000, 3500, and then pull time. My internal clock gets all goofed up with the extra time.

Aint that the truth! I started getting worried on my last RW dive, my internal clock was telling me it's time to pull and pull now, my altimeter was telling me I had plenty of time. Talk about conflict.

Anyway, I usually check it once in freefall (my internal clock seems to be pretty accurate), once immediatly after I'm open (I don't know why, but for some reason I like to know), and once before I start the pattern.

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[Cornholio 0]

I look a lot!! Not sure exactly - but I would say 4-6 times during freefall and a couple times before starting my landing pattern and one time before my final approach.

I have been ridiculed, actually, by looking at my alti during a hybird jump a few weeks ago. All during the video, I looked probably 5 times at my alti... and people were commenting on that. Know what? F'Em!! I might look a lot, but I'd rather be looking a lot, than not looking at all and pulling low.

I try not to look right off the hill, but sometimes I just want to know what alti the formation gets stable at, or how much alti I have left to do tricks, sit, etc....

Butthead: Whoa! Burritos for breakfast!
Beavis: Yeah! Yeah! Cool!
bellyflier on the dz.com hybrid record jump

[AndyMan 7]

surprisingly, rarely more then twice, usually once - shortly before pull time.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[lowhook 0]

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I thought this might make for an ineresting post...
How often do you look at your altimeter during a skydive?
I look 3-4 times, and the checks are usually at the same altitudes.

Zero. I quit wearing one because it just got in the way.

[billo 0]

i dunno, i'd say once around break off and again at pull time.

Here's the worst thing though...since i normally jump from 9,500 at home, anytime i get on a turbine around 8,500 or so i am already looking at my altimeter. Guess the ol clock is used to so much freefall then starts to get jittery.
for CRW jumps though, i look a lot! Anytime someone is on approach or i get a free second, i really like to know where we're at.

b

[Jumperpaula 0]

Same as most, 2 or 3 in freefall. Depending on how fast the skydive is moving .

At least 2 under canopy, once when Im opening and once when Im setting up for final.

[Zenister 0]

2-4 times depending on what i'm working on..
one of my late jumps last weekend we wnet out at 15kish and i looked at my alti thinking i was getting close only to discover I still had 7K!! hmm ok lets flail in this pseudo sit some more

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I want Bill Von to invent goggles that have some sort of a HUD so we can see our altitude and speed on the way down.

you know i was wishing for that since my first AFF, been talking to the "real" engineers i work with about it, but at the momment the costs would keep it out of your averager skydivers hands.

best/cheapest route i've found so far would be something basic like a color coded addition for an audible, that wouldnt be so difficult, but not so useful either... :(

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[indyz 1]

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best/cheapest route i've found so far would be something basic like a color coded addition for an audible, that wouldnt be so difficult, but not so useful either... :(

Somebody (Cool 'N Groovy?) had a flashing light to go with their audibles, and newer Larsen & Brusgaard audibles have a port for one, but the light isn't available yet.

[ernokaikkonen 0]

>newer Larsen & Brusgaard audibles have a port for one, but the
>light isn't available yet.

We've been waiting for that light for quite a while now... As I recall, I've heard rumors of the "led-accessory" for the Pro-Track for a couple of years.

If and when the light comes out, I might consider buying a ProTrack. If they added a feature for turning off that annoying beeping...

Erno

[jumpy 0]

Only got 22 jumps so far and have been tought to check every 3 seconds...from 10 k and pulling at 3 k that'd be quite alot..but ahh well..its always nice to know

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[ScottishJohn 25]

I use a "Time Out" audible altimeter which is usually set to 500ft above my pull hieght. This gives me a couple of seconds to come out of a track or stop what i am doing a nd getting a stable body position before pulling.

This audible has a little port on it to connect an LED which goes under your goggles and in front of your field of view. When your audible goes off the LED also starts to flash.

I don't use the LED myself but it could be a useful backup for any jumpers who have hearing difficulties.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
If you think my attitude stinks you should smell my fingers

[skyjames 2]

Audibles! Ha!
In south Florida we have the oven door that tells you that you are at break off. You can almost set your alti by it. At passing 4K in free fall (from any higher altitude) it feels like you opened an oven door.

Oh, the question:

Once before I exit
Once at break off
Once when brakes are released (and that is because the alti is right in front of me).

If it looks like a loooooooong way to the LZ, I do peek at it more often.

james

"exit fast, fly smooth, dock soft and smile"
'nother james