Gloves for students?

[Whamie 0]

Greetings all!
I'm just still a whuffo going through AFF. I've started to gather some gear (helmet, goggs, and gloves) and wanted to know what is the common thought for students in AFF and wearing gloves. I've read some books and was even told that students should not wear gloves.
The reason why i bought gloves was that i took 2 dirt landings and skuffed up my hands.

Is there a reason why students are discouraged from wearing gloves?

Thanks!

[DiverMike 5]

You definitely lose fine touch for critical items like disconnecting your rsl, finding your hackey, etc. It is usually up to your DZ and AFF instructor, but if you wear gloves, at a student level they should probably be fingerless.

Just my humble opinion. YMMV

For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

[Whamie 0]

Ahh ok! That makes sense. Though I haven't had trouble finding the handle to the pilot chute I can see where wearing gloves can make it looking for the pilot chute feel "weird".

Thanks for your reply.

[jinlee 0]

Personally I don't like wearing gloves, and would only use them if I was opening very high.

[theonlyski 8]

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Is there a reason why students are discouraged from wearing gloves?

In some climates, USPA actually recommends students wear gloves.

As with anything, proper training on the ground will make it safer in the air. Most of my first 100-150ish jumps were with a pair of Mechanix gloves.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[Creep0321 0]

I wear a pair of really thin addidas batting gloves that work well for me.

Jack of all trades.
Military Free Fall Jumpmaster.
USA Static-line Jumpmaster.

[crotalus01 0]

I like the Neuman tackified receiver gloves for summer jumping and casual CRW. For winter I have a pair of wind-proof gloves I picked up at a local sporting goods store. I very rarely jump without gloves.

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...

[loch1957 0]

Since I'm still a student we cant use gloves but if you get a chance try SSG Blue Streak Flex Fit Roping Gloves. Roping calves from a horse the rope is hell on your hands. these gloves are almost like not having them, feel wise but are warm and protect your hands. Most western stores carry them and best news is they are inexpensive, 26 bucks for a dozen. Most ropers only wear them on one hand but they fit either hand and comes in 5 or 6 sizes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asvMmuAAqiM

Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

[The_Don 0]

Machanix.

I am NOT being loud.
I'm being enthusiastic!

[riggerrob 643]

Last time I checked USPA's SIM, the recommended gloves for students when temeratures at exit altitude dip to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
For metric types, that is sightly above freezing.

When weather is warmer than 40 at exit altitude, I tell student to leave gloves on the ground, because find that students learn better because they only have one task to learn: "pull the f765454ng pilot-chute., instead of learning how to operate with an unfamiliar pair of gloves, plus and unfamiliar airplane, plus and unfamiliar airplane. etc,

[rss_v 0]

My instructor strongly recommended, but didn't insist, that I wear gloves on every jump - to spare my hands if I have a rough landing on a poor surface. I've not jumped without gloves yet, and my DZ is definitely a gloves-on kind of DZ for some reason, all year round. I'll try it some time, though - I enjoyed being gloveless in a tunnel, the feel on my hands was nice.

Currently I wear some golf gloves, which are very thin indeed.

[mjosparky 4]

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Since I'm still a student we cant use gloves but if you get a chance try SSG Blue Streak Flex Fit Roping Gloves. Roping calves from a horse the rope is hell on your hands. these gloves are almost like not having them, feel wise but are warm and protect your hands. Most western stores carry them and best news is they are inexpensive, 26 bucks for a dozen. Most ropers only wear them on one hand but they fit either hand and comes in 5 or 6 sizes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asvMmuAAqiM

They only come one to a set.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[obelixtim 150]

Back in the days of capewells, one freezing winters day I caught a new A licence guy getting in the plane with a pair of welding gauntlets.

Only worse things he could have had on was a pair of boxing gloves.

Having a few military mates I've always had a good supply of air force flying gloves. They are great.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[davelepka 4]

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The reason why i bought gloves was that i took 2 dirt landings and skuffed up my hands

You don't need gloves, you need to follow your training. No part of the PLF involves your hands hitting the ground, quite the opposite, it's designed to protect your hands/arms. Points of contact should follow- feet, knees, hip, and shoulder, with your hands down and arms held tight to your body. Do this and the only thing you'll 'skuff up' will be the jumpsuit the DZ provides you.

[airtwardo 7]

Yeah but IF everything always went right, we wouldn't need helmets or even reserves for that matter. . .always 'dress' for the crash, when it happens you'll be glad ya did.

It's a protection issue first a comfort issue 2nd, I haven't worn gloves on all of about 5 jumps total in my whole skydiving career...never had a problem operating any of the systems I jumped with a good tight pair of hand protectors on. If you can tie your shoes wearing them you can do what you need to do skydiving.

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

[DiverMike 5]

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If you can tie your shoes wearing them you can do most of what you need to do skydiving.

That is a good analogy. Most people would prefer not having to tie their shoes with gloves on, and I, for one, take my gloves off to tie my shoes.

You did leave out the aspect: "while falling to your imminent death".

For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

[airtwardo 7]

...and I, for one, take my gloves off to tie my shoes.

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Good to know, I'm glad you cleared that up for me.

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

[davelepka 4]

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always 'dress' for the crash, when it happens you'll be glad ya did.

Ok, I'll give you that one, but at the same time crashing properly, as per the student training, should be just as high of a priority. In the case of the OP, gloves may have prevented the abbrasions he experienced on his landings, but gloves will not prevent a broken hand, wrist or fingers that can result from trying to 'catch' yourself on a bad landing.

[Creep0321 0]

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You don't need gloves, you need to follow your training. No part of the PLF involves your hands hitting the ground, quite the opposite, it's designed to protect your hands/arms. Points of contact should follow- feet, knees, hip, and shoulder, with your hands down and arms held tight to your body. Do this and the only thing you'll 'skuff up' will be the jumpsuit the DZ provides you.

Ive never heard of a PLF tought this way, but could be cause im a military jumper/jumpmaster... but what we teach is, once you are facing into the wind, assume a landing attitude by keeping your feet and knees together, knees slightly bent, with your head and eyes on the horizon. When the balls of your feet make contact with the ground, you will make a proper PLF by hitting all five points of contact, balls of the feet, calf, thigh, buttocks, pullup muscle. Either way I would think you would want to avoid going to your knees, but definitly do not put your hands out.

Jack of all trades.
Military Free Fall Jumpmaster.
USA Static-line Jumpmaster.

[loch1957 0]

Naw sold by dozen.

Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

[davelepka 4]

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Either way I would think you would want to avoid going to your knees, but definitly do not put your hands out.

Good catch, it's more like feet, calf/side of knee, hip, etc. You are right, that you don't want to smash your knees into the ground, I should have been more clear on my description.

[Creep0321 0]

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Good catch, it's more like feet, calf/side of knee, hip, etc. You are right, that you don't want to smash your knees into the ground, I should have been more clear on my description.

No worries, its just that ive seen multiple Army boots hurt themselves due to an improper PLF. I have used the PLF's i learned in the military a few times on the civilian side, on no wind days of my first few jumps on my pilot 210, no issues at all.

Jack of all trades.
Military Free Fall Jumpmaster.
USA Static-line Jumpmaster.

[davelepka 4]

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ive seen multiple Army boots hurt themselves due to an improper PLF. I have used the PLF's i learned in the military a few times on the civilian side, on no wind days of my first few jumps on my pilot 210, no issues at all.

It sounds like there's not much difference between the mil version, and the civilian version. I'm pretty sure we stole the idea from the army anyway, so it's probably the same thing.

The only difference might be in the arm position, I've seen some guys 'flare' a round before landing, and in those cases their arms are up over their head on landing because you can't really 'flare' a round very far.

On a square, your hands should be down in your crotch, at the completion of a good flare, with your elbows on to protect them.

[Creep0321 0]

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ive seen multiple Army boots hurt themselves due to an improper PLF. I have used the PLF's i learned in the military a few times on the civilian side, on no wind days of my first few jumps on my pilot 210, no issues at all.

It sounds like there's not much difference between the mil version, and the civilian version. I'm pretty sure we stole the idea from the army anyway, so it's probably the same thing.

The only difference might be in the arm position, I've seen some guys 'flare' a round before landing, and in those cases their arms are up over their head on landing because you can't really 'flare' a round very far.

On a square, your hands should be down in your crotch, at the completion of a good flare, with your elbows on to protect them.

Good point, on the T-10 or other old round chutes that did not have steering toggles, your elbows stayed high, and came together infront of your face. The newer "steerable" rounds have steering toggles, and depending on winds (high winds, high hands, low winds low hands) determine arm position as it only affects horizontal speed, not decent rate. And yes with a ram air, definitely want to flare haha with hands near crotch or land on rears and rotate your elbows infront of your face.

Jack of all trades.
Military Free Fall Jumpmaster.
USA Static-line Jumpmaster.

[jimjumper 25]

I've found that I prefer wearing gloves but for students I only have them wear gloves when it's cold enough to lose the tactile feel of fingers in freefall. If it's cold enough for that, losing the feel from the cold or wearing gloves is about the same. I wear gloves for a number of reasons. Hand abrasion protection on landings. Hand protection from anything sharp or snagging in or on the airpalne. Warmth. I also wear rings when jumping and it covers them and prevents them catching on anything or losing them. I would recommend that if you wear gloves, wear them all the time so the "feel" doesn't change much.