Sensory overload

[Silverchic 0]

Thankfully I never had that problem...on my tandem I had trouble breathing and when I got on the ground someone asked me how I went and I said "Not too bad but I couldn't breathe properly until 10 grand" They were a bit surprised that even though I was a pretty freaked out tandem student my altitude awareness was very good!

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

[yamtx73 0]

For me it wasn't that much of a problem... I knew where the needle had to be when it was time to pull (our student rigs still use ripcords)... about the only time I was late pulling was when I looked down to see that the ground looked like from 5000' before I pulled... got down to about 4500 and yes, I caught hell for breaking my hard deck..

The only naturals in this sport shit thru feathers...

[Silverchic 0]

Ever done a jump where you just did nothing but watch the ground come up?

I tried that on a solo and it scared the sh*t out of me! Your looking going "OMG it has to be time to pull - what height am I at!?!" then you look at your alti and it's at 7 or 8 grand! The ground looks a lot closer though...

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

[yamtx73 0]

I tried that Sunday but a cloud got in my way and I couldn't see the ground...

The only naturals in this sport shit thru feathers...

[astor 0]

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I did my AFF many years ago, but I can totally relate. I think it took 4-5 jumps before I could remember seeing the plane as I left.

I experienced the same when doing my 3 first IAD jumps in October - but I managed to cut the blackout to one second only during the third jump
But I agree with Silverchick that things could be a bit more complicated now - because last year I did not know anything about reserves packed in such a way they could not open, leg and chest straps going unfastened during the dive, canopies spinning without any reason etc...

[Tonto 1]

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If you can learn to turn off the loudness (or manage it)

It's called ear plugs - instant reduction in loudness.

That's NOT a good suggestion for students. They're probably on radio, and often ask questions in the door, and may be quite distressed when they cannot hear the reply.

Take care in your answers to questions asked by students.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[masterblaster72 0]

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Here is a link to a video of an AFF Level one dive recently. The student is clearly overloaded and the instructor has to pull for him. The student was stellar in ground school and is usually very good at task oriented activities... but the added fear factor, noise and whatever else contributed to him not passing this AFF L1.

AAF 1 Overload

Hahaa!! That video is a mirror of my AFF1 -- forgot to pull, even with two different index fingers in front of my face for some time. It was all about the sensory overload, and when I got to the ground, I was able to recall only certain parts of the jump. Most of the things I did/didn't do that the instructors were telling me about were news to me. I was disappointed in myself for not passing AFF1 and considered scratching the whole thing, but I'm very glad I stuck with it!

To the original poster -- stay with it, what you're experiencing is very normal. You'll get used to the air sooner than you think. Welcome to skydiving

Be humble, ask questions, listen, learn, follow the golden rule, talk when necessary, and know when to shut the fuck up.

[riggerrob 643]

I have worn ear plugs for my last 4,000 skydives, primarily to reduce hearing damage from airplane noise. They stay in my ears from engine start until landing.
The primary reason we discourage students from wearing ear plugs is that they tend to go deaf when scared.
No ear plugs means one fewer alibi.

[CygnusX-1 43]

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That's NOT a good suggestion for students.

I totally agree. Sometimes the hands type faster than the mind can think. I forgot that this thread was started by a student.

[SSGJOHNSON 0]

check this out the first jump I didn't remember much. Damn sure couldn't read the Alt. but I knew where 6000 ft. was. Second jump perfect except for one thing everyone else keep-ed talking about how cold it was up there. I didn't feel any cold.

Third jump went OK but didn't feel the cold again. Couldn't read the Alt. at all but managed to pull at 6000 somehow.

Fourth jump Finally my hands got alittle cold in free fall, could read the Alt. but when I was on the ground someone said something about the noise. I'm thinking what noise I don't remember any noise.

Fifth jump still no noise but feels really cold and should have worn gloves. I also remember the JM smiling at me when he moved to the front and let me go. Now I cannot picture his face I just don't remember seeing it but I know I looked at him. Note to self try and listen for the noise next time.

I know ill go to heaven because ive spent my time in Hell.

[flygirl719 0]

I've only taken my 1st AFF jump and am in the process of reading, "Parachuting, The Skydivers Handbook." I'm starting to venture beyond just learning about malfunctions and beginning to pay attention to causes of death. My biggest fear is that I will freeze when an emergency presents itself and am trying to drill, "When in doubt whip it out," into my mind.

This story brought a tear to my eye because it made me feel like the confidence I am developing, just by going though the motions over and over, is justified and that I will know what to do when a lineover, horseshoe, linetwist... etc. presents itself.

So, thanks.

[SigSig 0]

I'm launching this thread again because I'm still trying to come to grips with what happened to me recently on my first ever AAF jump. It has taken me some time to decide to write about it because I still feel highly embarrassed about my actions. Read and you will understand... (And sorry if I do not always get the terminology right, I’m a total newbie and english is not my native language)

After the plane took off I initially felt very nervous but as we were gaining altitude my nervousness started to disappear gradually. My instructors were very nice guys who put me at ease.

When the moment came, I jumped out without hesitating, something that I had feared not being capable of in the weeks before although I must say that I didn’t worry as much about it anymore once I had received my training. In the days between the training and the actual jump I had mentally pictured this moment what seems to me hundreds of times. It was exhilarating the moment I actually did it.

Being in freefall for the first time ever is pretty impressive (woohoo!). I started doing the exercises we had been taught immediately. Arching, altimeter check, 2nd instructor check, 1st instructor check, reaching three times for the ripcord (with a little help), arching again, alti, 2nd, 1st, everything fine. All the while feeling something like “Woooooooooooooooooow. Greeeeeeeeeeeeat” And then my 1st instructor began making signs to me which didn’t register at all with me. I knew that I had learned those signs, was supposed to know what they meant but suddenly I was without a clue and the weird thing was: I didn’t even care! (Instructor told me later, you looked at me and you just smiled without any other reaction at all).

To cut it short, he had to pull for me. So there I was suddenly beneath a big canopy, feeling kind of dazed but still finding the whole experience enjoyable. I automatically checked if the canopy was alright. I looked up, unstowed the toggles, flared 3 times, looked up again. I can still mentally picture it now, I was looking up at a perfectly normal canopy and for one reason or another I couldn’t get it into my head that this was a normal, perfect opening. My eyes saw a good canopy but my brain didn’t register it. I remember worrying about the slider (which, as I visually remember, was however right where it is supposed to be). All this time I was not even panicking, not even scared, just slightly worried. This to me makes it even more incomprehensible what I did next. I remember more or less thinking: “Ok, something is not quite right, time to execute emergency procedures before it is too late.” In the days leading up to the jump I had repeated many times the “look, reach, look, pull, reach, pull” in my head as some kind of safety mantra and that is exactly what I started doing, still feeling very calm but weirdly detached.

I never got to the last “reach, pull”. Because I was still holding the steering toggles my hands flew up immediately after cutting away my main and there I was like some demented stunt woman, still with my cut away main over my head, holding on to it with my hands (until now I have told this to one person only because I feel so immensely and monumentally stupid)! Still in my calm, detached mode I realised slowly (took me something between 5-10 secs I guess) what had happened and at that moment I let go. The main flew away allowing the RSL to pull out my reserve and I happily floated back to earth, finding my way back to the landing site and with the radio help of my instructor I managed a not too bad landing (which indicates that I was not ‘out of it’).

Boy, did I feel stupid when people started to ask me what happened up there! For one thing I couldn’t explain it at all. The instructors told me that my main had opened correctly and going over the mental pictures of the moments I was looking up at my main canopy, I could only agree with them. I told people that I was freaked out but in reality I wasn’t. I remember feeling calm but detached and I never for a moment felt in danger up there.

Just after the event I was more upset over having made a glorious fool of myself in front of the people of the DZ. I felt very very silly and embarassed. Not that anybody gave me a bad feeling but hey, I knew anyway that I had done something ‘outrageous’. People were nice to me but still, I would like to have left immediately but my boyfriend was to jump right after me. As expected, he did well!

In the days after, I kept running over and over what happened and I can’t get it out of my head because it has really really hit me that besides stupid, it is first and foremost dangerous what I did. I cut away a perfectly good canopy not knowing if my reserve would open well. (I’m thinking of going back to shake the hands of the guy who packed it and give him a quality bottle of his favourite drink, as soon as I’ll find out what it is.)
To make matters worse, I cut away without realizing that my hands were still holding the toggles (cringe) and hate to think about how it would have ended if they had become entangled in them, if I had been unable to free them or if I would have been able to disentangle myself but at an altitude to low for the reserve to open etc etc.

Reading this post, I think that I probably experienced some kind of sensory overload although I was never ‘out of it’, fully conscious and calm the whole time or so I believe. As a contributing factor, I should also mention my lack of good sleep lately. Don’t beat me up over jumping with a lack of sleep, I didn’t know how bad it was because I ‘sleep’ 7-8 hours a night and until the incident used to being mentally tired all the time in a way that I didn’t even realize anymore that that was what I was. Tired for lack of deep sleep. Anyway, I’ve seen a doctor now and there is probably something wrong with my sleep cycle because I’m doing the right amount of hours but never feel rested waking up. (I know I’m making a loooooong story out of it but I feel like I have to justify myself ) What happened with me up there has been a real wake up call.

What I would like to ask now: do you think that I did experience some kind of sensory overload? Does all this indicate that I’m not skydiving material? I would like to continue the AFF course because regardless of the scary bits, I loooooved being up there. Really loved it! Big grin! (As soon as I’ll have tackled this sleeping problem I want to skydive again. And this time, I will perform my jump properly.)

Secondly, do you think they will still accept me at the DZ? I’m talking about the AFF course in the first place but more generally speaking I also wonder if I will not be forever ‘that girl that cut away a good main’. Will people suppose automatically that I’m foolish and not too bright? You can be honest. Any feedback on my experience is welcome, thank you.

[hackish 8]

I went through the same thing on my first handful of IAD jumps. I've only got 8 jumps so far but I still experience the lack of detailed memory to a smaller degree... So I spoke with my better half about this. She's in her PhD for clinical psychology so she has some knowledge on this type of response.

I didn't get 100% of what she explained but here is my take on explaining it.

High levels of adrenaline have a tendancy to affect both the memory encoding process and some of the higher functioning. It is a fight or flight type instinct where part of the hypocampus that is used for parts of your memory are affected.

Essentially your brain short circuits some of its functioning in order to improve reactions. I guess those who slowed to commit the scents carried by the wind and the ripples on the fur of that saber toothed tiger to memory were eliminated from the evolutionary pool whereas those who skipped the functioning to more quickly throw the spear or run away had a better chance of surviving.

So from a physical standpoint it is just an evolutionary instinct and proper functioning of your brain.

I've been around the auto racing community for a few years and can appreciate that in stressful situations many people have different reactions. Some freeze, some close their eyes, some try to correct depends on the person.

Even in years of marital arts I've found that the repetitive motions cause a sort of memorised functioning. Someone jumps out of the dark and the brain immediately executes a defensive move. For you that learned response seemed to be look reach pull...

I wouldn't let this discourage you. When I'm stressed my arch tends to fall apart but I'm improving. You will probably do better on the next try as well.

-Michael

[billvon 3,031]

>"Ok, something is not quite right, time to execute emergency procedures before it is too late.”

When you're overloaded, sometimes you will revert to the last thing you were taught. Some instructors drill malfunctions so often (and good openings so seldom) that the "last thing you remember from class" is the process of looking up, seeing a bad canopy, and going into emergency procedures. This can lead some students to cut away from a good canopy, because emergency procedures are what they remember best.

To help overcome this I make sure that the last few runthroughs are non-cutaway situations (like closed endcells or a good opening) and cutaways are never mentioned after the student gears up. The runthroughs with gear on involve everything going great, because realistically that's most likely.

[NWFlyer 2]

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Secondly, do you think they will still accept me at the DZ? I’m talking about the AFF course in the first place but more generally speaking I also wonder if I will not be forever ‘that girl that cut away a good main’. Will people suppose automatically that I’m foolish and not too bright? You can be honest. Any feedback on my experience is welcome, thank you.

You'll probably get teased about it. But if you stick it through and continue your training and eventually get licensed, you'll also get a lot of points for having guts and persistence. I was the student from hell. Almost exactly three years later (my first jump was August 14, 2004) I still get teased about it sometimes. Mostly I laugh it off, and I had a lot of pats on the back, too, for sticking with it even though it didn't come as easy to me as it does to others. Lots of people figured I'd quit.

Now, I get to have fun moments like I did last week at Lost Prairie, jumping with one of my former instructors, who still keeps an eye on my progress. He noted areas where I'd improved since the last time we'd jumped together a few months before, and we had a good laugh about my tendency to be a human potato chip when I was a student.

Like anything in this sport, people will find something to joke about and tease you about. If you show that you can take that good-natured teasing, things will be fine. Skydivers love to give each other shit - take learning from your mistakes seriously, but don't take all the teasing too seriously and I bet you'll have a great future in this sport.

See if you can get some time with your instructors outside of the rush of the jump day. Sit down and talk through what happened and come up with some ideas together for handling the sensory overload. For me, visualizing the dive flows over and over again both on the ground and on the airplane ride up really helped me to stay focused in the air when it seemed like I had way too many things to do in way too little time. There are lots of other techniques, too, and I bet your instructors will be willing to work with you to find the one that works for you. If you really want this (and it sounds like you do) you'll figure it out.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[monkycndo 0]

Sensory overload is common. That is why some DZs require an AFF student to have completed one tandem prior to starting the program. So the student has an idea of what to expect in the air. And I hate to tell you, but you are not the first to cut away a good main. I personally know of someone who on their first solo off of AFF cut away a good main and now has over 500 jumps. Just because you did, doesn't mean that you should take up golf instead. The fact you are asking questions about how to improve means you are on the right track. Learn from the experience. It will make you a better skydiver.

Here's a funny story told to me by my FJC instructor after I received my A. He does a Cat 1 jump and sees what he believes to be a good main over the student's head. Student cuts away. During bebrief, asks the student about the mal. Student explains that upon deploying, he sees the slider coming coming down at him. He got scared. Thinks that there is something wrong with the canopy. Cuts it away. At this point, I didn't see the humor. So my instructor spells it out. Just how do you think the student reacted when the reserve opened and the slider comes down at him again?

Story 2. A student uses a certain rig for a few jumps. Gets used to it. Down sizes and uses a different rig. Jump goes well and deploys a good main. Student cuts it away because the slider was a different color.

Learning about your gear will help you become more comfortable and be able to identify a good main from one that might/does need to be cut away. The controllability check is your friend.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[Gawain 0]

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If you can learn to turn off the loudness (or manage it)

It's called ear plugs - instant reduction in loudness.

That's NOT a good suggestion for students. They're probably on radio, and often ask questions in the door, and may be quite distressed when they cannot hear the reply.

Take care in your answers to questions asked by students.

t

Good earplugs do not block out all sound, as that is not their only purpose. A good set will allow you to maintain a conversation in the plane. In fact, the reduction in background noise can actually help when listening for a "voice". As for the radio, it depends on where it is positioned. I've seen some who mount it on top of a Pro-Tec, speaker pointed down (pretty good, you'll hear it under canopy "in" the helmet). I've seen some mount it on the chest strap, speaker pointed out, not quite as effective.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[Zenister 0]

what are the chances a DZ is going to give a student 'good ear plugs'?

no way no how.. the standard yellow squishy will be used.. which does a lovely job of blocking either nearly all sound or no sound at all depending on how well it is inserted.

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[Tonto 1]

Mostly, the "loudness" inside a students head comes from the inside.

I'm not going to buy "the best" earplugs for my students. The DZ I work for isn't going to provide them, and I'm not going to allow my students to "test" their newly bought "best" earplugs on their AFF L1. Over half my total jumps have been with students. "Loudness" has been a factor on only a handful of students, and really, they should be focusing on their TLO's and not the noise. If they can't turn that noise off - then this sport may be too noisy for them.

Senior and intermediate jumpers are fine with earplugs. They can wear whatever they want.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[denete 3]

I'm not sure how old you are, or how long you've experienced this "poor sleep" problem, but there's a good chance that you are accustomed to it. I have the same thing, and from age 14 to 35 I never felt rested. For me, I could sleep for 12 hours at night or for 3 hours and I felt exactly the same...so I just stayed up at night and worked. Then I saw a Doctor, etc., etc....now I know what it feels like to have a good night of rest. I can still fall asleep anywhere (yes, anywhere) in less than 5 minutes if I allow myself to do so. It doesn't happen by accident. See your physician, you may be very surprised by how nice it is to feel tired.

Be sure that you visualize good canopy openings and practice your actions for dealing with them along with visualizing malfunctions and your actions for dealing with them. I use my freakish control over my sleep needs to spend time visualizing just about every aspect of this activity. I visualize equipment inspections, the packing process, my dives, my landing patterns, and everything. I go through a full visualization of errors as well as perfect jumps. Example: Sometimes I visualize going too far downwind on the downwind leg of my landing pattern. I also visualize what I'll have to do to correct that error. I can't be out jumping every weekend, but I sure try to make up for that in the time that I have available.

Best luck.
- David

SCR #14809

"our attitude is the thing most capable of keeping us safe"
(look, grab, look, grab, peel, punch, punch, arch)

[rygon 0]

My 1st jump (aff level 1) was a sensory overload. Jumped out good..did everything they expected, pull time came and just as i was about to wave off i came into a little bit of cloud haze..which stopped me in my tracks..saw the finger telling me to pull and i manged it just as the instructor was starting to pull my arm back. Canopy opened fine, and then it took me a fair few seconds to remember what to do (grab toggles..now where the fuck are they) Rest of it was uneventful until i got into the packing area then my arms started shaking so much i couldnt get the rig off...had to stand there for a while...relax and then have another go...but thats when it hit me (i knew in my mind how the rig came off but the rest of me didnt understand what to do).

Also once out of the plane and looked at the alti i saw the dials and numbers but couldnt come up with how height until 4th jump (just shouted "x thou ft"..knew the insrtuctors couldnt hear me lol).

It gets easier over time...i felt the overload to some degree until jump 5 then after that it has quickly disapeared. You just need willpower to keep at it against your better judgement ;)