tigepigeon 0 #1 January 23, 2012 So there is a lot of talk about downsizing your canopy. I have done my best to only slightly break the suggested progression rate. I have not read that much about wind speed besides, 'if the old timers are sitting it out...you should too' I have never jumped with winds over 15 mph, but last time I was at the drop zone...it was 20 mph w/no old timers sitting on the bench. It was my last weekend to jump before 3 months of weekend trade shows, and also my last weekend before going uncurrent.....even though it was very tempting, I sat it out So my question......is there a suggested wind speed progression? I feel like 20 mph winds have keep me on the ground many times.....is it that much different than 15? Also I have done one currency jump, and with the 2.5 hours of tunnel instruction I have....i was more conferable during free fall than the coach. Really if you go uncurrent by a few weeks...is it that big of a deal to make a currency jump? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
3mpire 0 #2 January 23, 2012 better to sit out questionable winds and make a currency jump a few weeks later than to break your ankle and have to sit out for weeks/months only to timeout and need to make a currency jump anyway. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
angle228 0 #3 January 23, 2012 20 is pretty high for me... Ill jump anything under 20 if it is a nice smooth wind. Its when it starts to get gusty that I get nervous.I am fucking your mom right now Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tigepigeon 0 #4 January 23, 2012 yeah it was 15 with gusts up to 20. I felt 50/50 if I should go or not. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ufk22 33 #5 January 23, 2012 Quote yeah it was 15 with gusts up to 20. I felt 50/50 if I should go or not. TOTALLY wrong attitude if you want to be really cool. Just downsize to something cross-braced at about 1.8/1 wing load. You'll be fineSeriously, there is an upside to walking without a limp (or worse)This is the paradox of skydiving. We do something very dangerous, expose ourselves to a totally unnecesary risk, and then spend our time trying to make it safer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pchapman 279 #6 January 23, 2012 20 mph might be scary, or it might be pretty smooth and steady. Depends on the DZ (obstacles & turbulence) and the weather (smooth winds or gusty?). If you were really comfortable with 15 mph, then that would be a good basis moving up and trying out jumping in 20 mph winds. But if you aren't really current (especially as a low experience jumper) then maybe wait until you get comfortable with moderate winds before moving up to stronger ones. 20 mph smooth winds shouldn't be that big a deal, as it is perfectly OK to be descending vertically to landing, and that usually takes even more wind speed. As wind speed increases with altitude, one might get in a situation where one is going backwards just a little when starting final approach, but get a little forward speed in the last 100' as the winds die down a bit close to the ground. Results vary of course by wing loading. I'm thinking of really big canopies here, almost student canopy size. It gets much easier once one is down to, say, a 190 canopy for a typical jumper weight. The higher winds aloft do make planning one's flight back to the DZ and in the circuit more complex. So you want to be on your game in understanding winds and not try to cluelessly fly one's normal pattern. You can't just effortlessly fly where ever you want, because the wind speed is close to your canopy speed, so you have less opportunity to fix mistakes. And one should know something about flaring in higher winds and collapsing one's canopy, so that one doesn't get dragged back on landing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GLIDEANGLE 1 #7 January 23, 2012 The hidden danger in higher winds is turbulence. Turbulence can be nothing more than a bumpy ride up high, or can cause your canopy to collapse down low. The challenge is to predict the location and intensity of the turbulence. At my home DZ, turbulence begins to be a significant factor when the wind speed exceeds ~20 mph. Know how to predict turbulence and select a landing pattern which will keep you away from the likely locations for turbulence. If it is windy, watch other canopies before you get on the plane. How much turbulence are they hitting? Where is it? Know that a recent annual USPA fatality summary showed three causes of death under a good canopy: canopy collisions, high performance landings, AND LANDING IN HIGH WINDS OR TURBULENCE. Canopy related deaths were divided almost exactly into thirds for each cause. Thus, jumping in high winds or turbulence caused as many deaths that year as swooping! That said, at my DZ, if you are not comfortable jumping in winds 15-20 mph... you won't jump much! [see my sig line below.]The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaVinciflies 0 #8 January 23, 2012 Quote If it is windy, watch other canopies before you get on the plane. How much turbulence are they hitting? Where is it? This. I make it a point never to be my own WDI. There is more to deciding if it's safe than x mph, including: - gusts - eg. 20 mph might be fine, but if it's 8 gusting 20 that might be a different animal. - wind direction - wind from the South might be over miles of flat fields making it perfectly jumpable, but from the North might take it over a bunch of 100' high trees which means a potential turbulence zone of 1000' plus down wind. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pirana 0 #9 January 23, 2012 Quote- gusts - eg. 20 mph might be fine, but if it's 8 gusting 20 that might be a different animal. I got set down pretty hard in just such a situation. I call it reverse gusting. Winds were in the upper teens to lower 20's most of the time, but dropping to single digits occasionally. I landed during one of those moments and got dropped about 8 to 10 feet right on my tailbone. The spread is often more important than the high end. To the original post though - you really should be discussing this at length with the instructors who have watched you. The humorous sayings we have do contain truth, but they are not guidelines and are no substitute for guidance from your S&TA, DZO, and instructors." . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
captain1976 0 #10 January 24, 2012 Lots of good advise here.. 15 to 20 is "usually" accompanied by gusts and/or variable wind direction, and this variable direction can magnify the hazard with gusts. Like another jumper here reported, I too have been on what seemed like a manageable approach and simply fell out of the sky from 10 ft. on 2 occasions in the last year. This was due to the fact that I landed near trees. Knocked the shit out of me and if it had been 20ft. the outcome would have changed significantly. Don't forget the turbulence generated by buildings, trees, etc. both on the windward and leeward side. Skydiving in any kind of winds you should be dealing with the windward side anyway.You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #11 January 24, 2012 If it's too windy for students, It's too windy for me. My big air lock canopy is for unexpected shitty air. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyshimas 0 #12 January 24, 2012 I am pretty much with cocheese if it's too windy for students its too windy for me. I will jump sometimes at a higher winds but that makes me anxious and skydiving suppose to be fun. If at new place ask locals what 'scary' wind directions are at their drop zone, see how you feel that day yourself also. At some dz manifest puts limitation of certain licenses if it gets windy- to me it means no jump usually and I have ~4000 jumps unless it's windy up high which I know I can handle. Be conservative if you want to last in this sport. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bertt 0 #13 January 24, 2012 You should never jump in bad conditions just to stay current, so "good job" on your decision. One thing I like to look at, in addition to winds on the ground, is wind at 3000 feet. If it's so strong a few thousand feet above the ground that I'll have to land off if I get a little downwind, or if the wind changes direction drastically between the ground and a couple of thousand feet up, indicating strong wind shear, I'll be more likely to sit on the ground. Of course, if you pick the spot right, you won't get downwind, but I like to have some choice about what direction I'm flying.You don't have to outrun the bear. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olmed 0 #14 January 24, 2012 How are wind conditions at Skydive Arizona (Eloy)? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 30 #15 January 25, 2012 Quote How are wind conditions at Skydive Arizona (Eloy)? How long is a piece of string? What you'll see overall at Eloy is people being pretty conservative in general. It'll be nice tomorrow, so why chance it today. So the DZ will slow down in conditions many others find normal. Summer in the afternoon is the tricky time when the dust devils usually come out.Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olmed 0 #16 January 25, 2012 Quote Quote How are wind conditions at Skydive Arizona (Eloy)? How long is a piece of string? What you'll see overall at Eloy is people being pretty conservative in general. It'll be nice tomorrow, so why chance it today. So the DZ will slow down in conditions many others find normal. Summer in the afternoon is the tricky time when the dust devils usually come out. Hehe..Sounds good! I will be there in March. Dust devils go away..I do not want to be friends with you!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
