need information on openings in b.a.s.e

[#Alex13 0]

hello everyone !
I am a parachutist and I plan to start the b.a.s.e.
But one question is holding me back... I've been working in construction for a long time and my back isn't very young...
I tolerate traditional parachute openings and I wanted to know if b.a.s.e openings are much more violent? High slider? Slider down?
compared to skydiving?
Thank you in advance for your answers !

good jumps

Alex

[RiggerLee 61]

There are a lot of variables there. For example slider down is more abrupt but the total amount of kinetic energy is much lower. The size of the canopy can also be a factor. A larger canopy is a bigger wall hitting the air on a slider down opening. 

 

Terminal openings are at the other end of the spectrum but are moderated by a slider.

 

In both of these classes you have the ability to exercise a lot of control over the situation and the system you are jumping. There is no law saying you can't swap out your mesh for a half or three quarter or full sail slider. You can change PC. The bottom line is I've had way harder openings skydiving then in base. All the openings that have layed me up have been from airplanes.

 

Just be smart. Stupid hurts.

 

Lee

[the.Legend 55]

Not a base jumper, but a person who came back to skydiving after a very serious spine injury. One thing that helps me mitigate the risks and shocks is strong core muscles. A good physiotherapist or trainer would help you build a corset of muscles around your back which should make it safer for you, especially on rough landings which are more frequent in base jumping.

If money is the issue, a smartphone app called "6 pack promise" from Athlean-X is very good at strengthening all the necessary muscles. Out of all apps that I've tried this one worked the best.

[#Alex13 0]

Thanks a lot for your answers guys. it helps me a lot !

 

Edited January 9, 2023 by #Alex13

[base615 77]

Honestly, I find skydiving worse in a way as you can sometimes have a hard opening you aren't expecting. In my experience, BASE openings are usually fast rather than hard but are consistent, so as long as you keep within the accepted PC / reefing / delay combinations, you generally know what you're getting.

Stray outside of those guidelines and you can visit a house of pain. I once packed slider down but a mate refused to do the (admittedly pretty intimidating) jump we had planned. We decided to go up to a nearby 900ft cliff and, instead of repacking slider up, I thought I'd just push it about half a second more on the delay than I usually would do for the setup in question, stupidly thinking it would be fine. When that canopy opened, I instantly concussed myself. I luckily had an on-heading opening as I was slumped in the harness and flew away from the cliff with fireworks going off in my vision. As I came to my senses, I noticed that both my shoes had come off my feet and I couldn't move very well for about a week after that one.

[sfzombie13 324]

one thing you want to keep in mind, some of these comments mention that skydiving has harder openings than base.  you will be starting your base jumping career as a skydiver if you want to do it safely, or so i've heard since i don't base jump.  just something to keep in mind. 

[riggerrob 643]

BASE openings vary widely, but they are predictable.

The key variable is your speed when you toss your pilot-chute.

At the low and slow edge, direct-bagging off a low bridge will give soft openings as will any delay less than 3 seconds. These openings can be made predictable with a few simple packign tricks, like leaving your slider at home.

After 3 seconds, you start to hear the wind getting louder and louder. At these speeds, many like to use meshed sliders just to keep the lines in 4 distinct line groups.

At the high-altitude and high-speed edge of the envelope, say a 10 second freefall from a 3,000 foot tall cliff, packing and openings are pretty much the same as a skydive at terminal velocity (120 mph). You definitely want a full sail slider at those deployment speeds.

Things get more complicated in the middle of the envelope, but most problems (e.g. hard openings) happen when people change their plan halfway through, but are too lazy to repack for the new conditions. Like the guy who planned a 2 second delay, but then sucked it down for a full 5 seconds and suffered an opening so hard that he injured his neck.

Most BASE opening problems can be averted by consulting locals and people who have survived a decade or three of BASE jumping. cough! cough my good friends at APEX BASE. 

[kleggo 145]

crap. can't easilly find the Apex BASE pilot chute black death chart.

but

read this

https://apexbase.com/pilot-chute-selection/

 

no substitute for many many conversations with knowledgeable sources FACE TO FACE

[base615 77]

Duplicate 

Edited January 10, 2023 by base615

[base615 77]

12 hours ago, riggerrob said:

Things get more complicated in the middle of the envelope, but most problems (e.g. hard openings) happen when people change their plan halfway through, but are too lazy to repack for the new conditions. Like the guy who planned a 2 second delay, but then sucked it down for a full 5 seconds and suffered an opening so hard that he injured his neck.

Unfortunately I resemble that remark, only 4 seconds though

[NickDG 23]

>>crap. can't easilly find the Apex BASE pilot chute black death chart.<<

Wow, is that PC chart (the one with the skulls) still around?

I created that 31 years ago for Basic Research (now Apex BASE.)

 

[kleggo 145]

5 hours ago, NickDG said:

>>crap. can't easilly find the Apex BASE pilot chute black death chart.<<

Wow, is that PC chart (the one with the skulls) still around?

I created that 31 years ago for Basic Research (now Apex BASE.)

 

looks like black death skulls have been changed black cells :-(

pilot-chute-reference-chart-8-2017.pdf