Do you bring a phone when skydiving?

[YvonneWiggers 0]

So, I bought a phone just for skydiving yesterday! (for 12€ hehe, so I won't hate myself for breaking it )

I'm gonna put it in the pocket of my suit (take it out to charge the battery once in a while off course), so I'll always (okay, almost always..) have it with me when skydiving.

I don't like not getting picked up from an outlanding, I don't like having people worry about me when I land out, I hate it when people look for me when I landed out even though I already managed to catch a ride, and last but definitely not least, I would HATE it to land out, break my leg and then have to wait in the cold for someone to find me in the middle of nowhere.

Since bringing a phone would simply solve all these problems, I don't see why I shouldn't. Still a lot of people don't bring one. Am I missing something here?

[wmw999 2,457]

The only reason I can see for carrying one is if I get hurt enough to need it, and not too hurt to use it, or if I land someone who's too hurt for me to leave to go find help.

So nope, I don't carry one. I have lots of out landings (I jumped a round for a long time), and walking back is time consuming and nothing else.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[skyjumpenfool 2]

On CRW jumps... Yes!

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[DiverMike 5]

I put my phone and money in my pants pocket before I put on my jumpsuit. They don't take up much room and it is safer than leaving them in my gear bag or car.

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

[artard 0]

I carry a phone in my pants (or jumpsuit) on every jump. You never know when you are going to land out and call the dropzone or a cab, or when you are going to need to call 911. I also carry an ID, insurance card and a $20 bill (for cab fare... or beer) on every jump.

http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna
http://vimeo.com/avidya

[BIGUN 1,323]

So you want to make a night jump?

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[normiss 806]

Only on demo jumps to call the departing airport or pilot to report all is well.
For some reason I never see the pilot after those jumps.

[mrubin 0]

I usually carry my phone with me just in case I land off. I'd rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

[Remster 30]

Quote

I usually carry my phone with me just in case I land off.

"Hi, Dropzone? Come up you and pick me up?

-Oh, what's wrong?

-Nothing, I just landed off

- Why did you land off?

- The spot was bad

-Next time, spot better. Goodbye"

Remster

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

I carry a phone on:

Cross Country High Pulls
CReW
Night Jumps

I sure wish a teammate had a phone when he landed unhurt in a rice field during the 2009 Nationals @ Spaceland. We did not know his fate for 45 very nervous minutes. If he had carried a phone and called we (and manifest) would have stopped worrying.

I sure was glad a wingsuiter had a phone when he got lost on a night jump and landed quite a ways from the DZ. He called promptly and we didn't have to worry, and were able to send a car to get him.

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[InfiniteSky 0]

I don't usually carry a phone if I'll be falling straight down, but if I'm flying my wingsuit, doing CReW, tracking, or anything else that I think gives me a higher chance of landing off I'll take it. I probably should carry it on all jumps.

[ghost47 18]

Quote

So, I bought a phone just for skydiving yesterday! (for 12€ hehe, so I won't hate myself for breaking it)

I thought about doing the same (buying a cheap phone just for skydiving), except all the phones I found in the U.S., the minutes expire, so I would have to re-charge it every 3 months or so. Anyone in the U.S. know of a phone where the minutes DON'T expire?

[oldwomanc6 52]

No one's even mentioned the GPS capability of many phones nowadays. It could come in handy if you're hurt (whether you could make a call or not). Or if you're stuck in a tree and don't quite know exactly where.

If you jump around water, putting the phone in a plastic bag might be smart.

eta: GPS may be an argument against buying a super-cheap phone. Most disposable or pay as you go phones don't have GPS.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[DeNReN 0]

I always carry my cell with me. out landing..followng a errant student or cutaway main,freebag etc... I have even used my cell in the plane to report the location of a cutaway main.

I also always carry a $20 and a pull-up.

[danornan 79]

Not always, but definitely when I'm away from my home DZ. It came in quite handy after an accident in Texas a few months ago when a skydiver got hurt and I happened to land near him. We were at least a 1/2 mile from the DZ on a big way and I did not know exactly where we were. Without the phone and the number of manifest, it would have been a much longer day!

Also when away from your home DZ, keep a diagram of landmarks with you in case you land out. It happened to me.

Dano

[kallend 2,027]

Always on wingsuit jumps.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Squeak 17]

Quote

Quote

I usually carry my phone with me just in case I land off.

"Hi, Dropzone? Come up you and pick me up?

-Oh, what's wrong?

-Nothing, I just landed off

- Why did you land off?

- The spot was bad

-Next time, spot better. Goodbye"

LOL my thinking too.
It looks like the only "always" phone carriers are the lower jump number jumpers who dont trust themselves to land on DZ.

Purhaps the Lemming Exit crew

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?

[SansSuit 1]

I carry a phone with me on EVERY jump. When I bought a new rig, I had them add an ROL pocket on each legstrap. One is for my phone and one is for my shorts (for after landing). I have a rig specifically made for naked jumping.

Peace,
-Dawson.
http://www.SansSuit.com
The Society for the Advancement of Naked Skydiving

[SansSuit 1]

It can even be used for something simple, like calling manifest from the landing area, which in our case is out of shouting range.

Peace,
-Dawson.
http://www.SansSuit.com
The Society for the Advancement of Naked Skydiving

[tbrown 26]

I carry my cell phone with me and consider it an extra piece of safety gear. If I'm hurt, or someone else is hurt, or if someone has a cutaway and is landing out, I'll follow them down in case they need help - knowing I can call for help if it's needed.

Last winter I had to land out on a sunset load. A lot of the Perris dropzone was flooded, so I couldn't just walk back and the usual recovery pickup truck couldn't reach me either. I had to call the dropzone and arrange with them how I was going to walk out to the nearest road in the gathering darkness, so someone could find me and pick me up. SO glad I had that phone !

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[mrubin 0]

***It looks like the only "always" phone carriers are the lower jump number jumpers who dont trust themselves to land on DZ.



I trust myself to land on the DZ, but I've listened to enough horror stories from the "good old days" to learn that sometimes shit happens and I want to be prepared.

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

[fasted3 0]

Standard equipment for me, and I use a cheap phone for it too. I think they can find you with any phone nowadays. As with all gadgets, don't be surprised if it doesn't work when you need it.

But what do I know?

[JohnMitchell 16]

No, not usually, but maybe I'll start. It's maybe 300+ yards from the student landing field to the office. Might not be a bad idea.

[BillyVance 34]

Quote

On CRW jumps... Yes!

This is the only reason I take mine, as well as for planned off-DZ jumps.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[cocheese 0]

Night jumps, balloon jumps, and cross country.