strop45 0 #26 April 23, 2007 Quote Quote Really, how important is water training? Depends how important not drowning is to you. Point taken, but how many skydivers can't swim? Water training can only help so much: having skills, the right equipment and confidence (staying relaxed, calm and avoiding panic - where have I heard that before?) in the water will greatly enhance your chances of survival. If you skydive somewhere where a water landing is possible/likely and you can't swim, get yourself down to the local pool and learn how.The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits." -- Albert Einstein Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dorbie 0 #27 April 24, 2007 Jim Wallace gave me my water training at Perris. Before getting wet there was lengthy and excellent instruction on everything from flotation devices and their practicality in freefall to stories of incidents, from an entire load that drowned after a bad spot to a guy who had flotation and died because he never used it (and other factors like the flight run not running parallel to the beach making the spot critical, and spending time fishing another guy out of the surf). It seemed that because of Jim's background he'd participated in or organized a lot of water jumps and seen a lot of shit. His water training was ALL about preparing for jumps near water and dealing with landing in water and by its very nature you realized the value of it. If you think you were short changed by your water training I highly recommend Jim's instruction. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
J_bird 0 #28 April 24, 2007 I believe that skydiving can be as safe as you make it and that water training should be required to get a B license. My point was that I felt like I WAS being short changed in my training and if thats all your going to do to "water train" someone then why do anything at all. might as well just take there money and sign off on your log book that you took the course. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tkhayes 348 #29 April 24, 2007 to be honest, I think it is a waste of time. Most training involves some sort of pass/fail criteria. The only fail for water traiing would be drowning I guess. I think we should focus our time on what is really killing skydivers. Drowning, overall, is not one of them. So to put people through more realistic training for water training than i often see people doing for cutawys for example, is plain silly. Yes people drown. More die in plane crashes. But we do not do 'airplane escape/evacuation" live training, which, if we wanted to save lives, might be more effective. Instead we tell them to take their seatbelts off at 1000' and get out if the wing falls off. When in fact, most people in a Twin Otter, suddenly out of control, would not have a chance of getting out of at 1500' above the ground. That sort of 'minimum' training can be done for water emergencies as well. We would be better advised to set minimums for wearing flotation gear. Having people recognize and avoid the water hazards that do exist, instead of trying to simulate the actual experience, which happens to only a very very few. But whatever. Each year it gets argued about, each year it gets upheld. We offer the live water training at Skydive City because we have to, not because II feel anyone will ever benefit from it. TK Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peckerhead 0 #30 April 25, 2007 I think it is very important if you are actually going to jump into water. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,027 #31 April 25, 2007 Quote Quote Really, how important is water training? Depends how important not drowning is to you. indeed - an accidental water landing is considerably more probable than an accidental night landing. But killing yourself on dry land under a perfectly functional canopy during the day is even more likely.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #32 April 26, 2007 Quote Quote Really, how important is water training? Depends how important not drowning is to you. We dont even have water trasining here in OZ, do any countries OTHER the the USofA do it??You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZigZagMarquis 9 #33 April 26, 2007 Like the instructor said to me and the group of jumpers I was in when we went through water training, "If y'all don't take this seriously and in some point in the future I hear you landed in water and drown to death, I'm going to say GOOD! So listen up!!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,027 #34 April 26, 2007 Quote Quote Quote Really, how important is water training? Depends how important not drowning is to you. We dont even have water trasining here in OZ, do any countries OTHER the the USofA do it?? You have any water in Oz?... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GrabGrass 0 #35 April 27, 2007 Quote We don't even have water training here in OZ, do any countries OTHER the the U S of A do it?? *** Only ones where the skydivers can't walk on water! ~ "Pack Fast, Pull Low... and Date Your Riggers WIFE!" ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #36 April 28, 2007 Quote Quote We don't even have water training here in OZ, do any countries OTHER the the U S of A do it?? Quote Only ones where the skydivers can't walk on water! ***From Kallend You have any water in Oz? When did a topical forum turn into Bonfire?You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bofh 0 #37 April 29, 2007 QuoteWe dont even have water trasining here in OZ, do any countries OTHER the the USofA do it?? In Sweden at my DZ, we only go through the theory of it. I've heard of two people dying in water, one cut away too high (was mentioned in basic training) and one landed in a river with strong currents and didn't get out of the harness in time (some inflatable floatation device rules have been added since then). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grue 1 #38 April 29, 2007 I actually organized the water training at my DZ back in the US. I was head lifeguard at a city pool and I'd have people who needed water training come down before we opened and we'd do it there. Even added a bit of a mix to it by having the people jump off the diving board to get a bit more "landing speed" Between an old-school instructor and a lifeguard both in attendance, I'd say it was fairly good training.cavete terrae. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
micduran 0 #39 May 2, 2007 I did my water training last year in a swimming pool (thanks Alan). We were given great explanations of the gear, what to expect and how to get out. Then we jumped into the deep end of the pool and had to get out of the harness and swim out from under the canopy. I felt a lot more comfortable doing a beach jump after that. I don't normally jump in Tevas but since we were by the beach I had them on that day. Damn, can those canopy lines get all tied up in sandals!!!!Be patient with the faults of others; they have to be patient with yours. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #40 May 3, 2007 Try inspecting a canopy while wearing sandals! You will waste half your time untangling lines from sandals!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
