Body position during three-way

[skydivermom 0]

I did a three-way yesterday and had an awesome time. One of my problems with RW is that I'm so small and so don't fall very fast (I usually wear a weight vest). I am a classic "floater". In this pic, I noticed my body position is different from the other jumpers. It looks like I'm not arching hard enough or something. I've got my legs out further because I sometimes have a tendancy to backslide.

So please crituque away

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[jumpingjimmy 0]

not quite got the hang of posting pictures have you

[skydivermom 0]

Oh no, what happened? It worked great in the Bonfire. Maybe it's that fatal error thing that keeps happening. I'll try again.


Correction, it didn't work in the Bonfire either It's fixed now though.

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[Orange1 0]

Hi Kathleen,

when i jump with more experienced jumpers, someone takes a second or two before we start turning points to give me any body position corrections if necessary (using the AFF signals) - it's also usually a legs straighter signal! - maybe you can ask for that next time?

Did the people you were jumping with mention anything after the jump about what they thought of your body position, if they had to compensate for you in any way, etc?

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

[skydivermom 0]

When I asked Jenny, she mentioned arching harder. I float really bad and I wasn't wearing my weight vest on that jump. When they let go to do turns....I floated big time.

I did a two-way with another friend that day, and he said he didn't let go of me because he could tell I was trying to float...and I did wear weights on that jump. I'm sure the more I do it the better I will get.

BTW, it's good to hear from you

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[sundevil777 102]

It looks like there is a significant amount of extra fabric on your arms, body and legs. You should be wearing a tight jumpsuit with no floppiness before using weights.

It is easier to control your fallrate if you don't take double grips high up on each other's arms.

Also, try spreading your legs a little farther apart, it will give you a little more roll stability (this has nothing to do with fallrate).

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[skydivermom 0]

Cool! Thanks a bunch!

Yes, I need a different jupsuit. I got a really good deal on that one though....it was FREE! The guy gave it to me because I bled all over it after I hit my nose on the step!

JK, he gave it to me because he wanted to.

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[sundevil777 102]

Except for the fact that people could learn from your experience, I would rather not have that image of hitting the step like you did brought up again in my mind, that is nasty.

You might find someone that can do alterations cheap, a rigger or even a local dry cleaners/dressmaker/seamstress. You are having to fight all that arm fabric with drive from your legs, but you don't want the extra overall drag from your legs either.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[stratostar 5]

Kind of hard to tell from the shot, but looks to me like classic tandem trained student, what I mean by that is you always see them trying to arch with their chest and stick there ass up in the air (dearched)
making them fly very flat and dearched, you do need to arch a lot more looking at the photo, a photo of you from the side would be better.

I have attached two photos of a small light weight lady, with no weight vest on flying with the boys.

It also helps if you jump with others in your fall rate range, so your not always trying to fly max slow or max fast, you need to be in the middle so you have range + or - speed, of course this will improve with time as you learn more.
As long as you have fun, thats what matters.

Congrats on your one year in the sport.
~

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[ltdiver 3]

From a lightweight here, myself.

You could try a weight -belt- instead of a weight vest.

A weight belt will help you arch where you need to. A weight -vest- pulls your chest down and helps to flatten your arch.

Speaking from experience, I could then decrease the amount of lead I had to carry when I did this. (started with a weight vest for several years then switched to a weight belt when my shoulder started to -really- bug me from lugging all that poundage around all day long).

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[skydivermom 0]

***I would rather not have that image of hitting the step like you did brought up again in my mind, that is nasty.

__________________________________________________

Yes, it was pretty gross. I still refuse to stand on that step.

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[skydivermom 0]

I appreciate all of your comments - and the pics. Yes, the other lady on the dive said to arch harder and not put my legs out too far.

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[tdog 0]

When you are docked on a threeway - especially with double grips, your arch is not your arch - it is a group arch of the whole piece... Your body has to compensate for anything the group is doing to you (pulling back, forward, up, down, etc)

To critique your arch - it would be best to see a photo of you flying relative next to someone without a grip...

Your legs have to react to your arms - and your arms have to react to your legs, to prevent backsliding or forward motion... You say you are keeping your legs out because you are backsliding... Well, you have to counter the backslide with your upper body if you want a great arch... You need to spill air evenly, so bring in your legs, arch with your torso, and then learn what to do with your upper body to correct the backslide (arms in, chin up, etc)

I have been coaching a lot in the tunnel lately... I have found the 140 pound thin guys are harder to coach than the bigger ones... Why... Because they need to arch hard to find a neutral point that allows them to fly with the "average joe"... The hard arch is harder to control, because it generally means things move quicker and is less stable to begin with...

Think about standing with a friend pushing you... If you stand wide with an athletic stance, you can resist the push... If you stand with feet and knees together, you are easily pushed over... Keeping all your flying surfaces in tight to fall fast means you don't have your hands out real wide to balance on.

With a big arch I see them struggle to fall straight down, and when they get any unwanted motion, it happens quicker and more violently - especially because adding "just a bit" of any one body part quickly adds instability...

A fast/huge arch kind of like flying a small canopy... Little inputs go a long way.

I guess that is why they don't teach the mantis in AFF, huh?

[skydivermom 0]

That is very interesting. I noticed that when I did my "first" three-way and didn't have weights, I felt very unstable. My instructor said it was because they fall a lot faster than I do. I felt like my legs were going over my head. I guess because they were pulling me down.

I did a two-way with a friend yesterday and did wear my weights - and he could still feel me "floating".

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[mailin 0]

Lori is right. Weight vests are bad for RW - take the weights out and put them into a belt. It will help immensely with learning what an appropriate arch will feel like, at the same time keeping you level with your group.


Jen

Arianna Frances

[skydivermom 0]

That really makes more sense that a belt would work better. So you can get a belt and just add the weights to it? I am going to look into that. Thanks a lot.

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[lisamariewillbe 1]

I use a belt... it was 10 bucks used, and then I went to a SCUBA store and got 2 lb weights for the pockets ($1.13 per) . I do not wear it often as I still have not had water training and I cant swim, so I figure if I landed in water the weights would make it suck even more...

Thats the only thing I have down pact is my arch... I arch so hard that I tend to hurt from that... Im still to slow...

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[skydivermom 0]

Well, I guess that settles it then. I'll look into getting a belt. Gotta keep the vest thought because Walt gave it to me...and the day I wore it was the day I successfully docked with him to get my 'A'. So it's a special vest.

Hopefully since you moved out to Central Texas, you won't have to worry so much about water. Just stay away from the swoop pond at SSM I'll see ya soon out there.

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[lisamariewillbe 1]

Quote

swoop pond at SSM

*cough* I had a friendly or not so friendly but more friendly then Brains meeting with the hill of the swoop pond already ... *cough*

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[skydivermom 0]

Yep - I was actually there that day watching Cannie jump. We had to head back to Houston but she stayed to watch them all swoop - and saw the whole thing! That was actually the day I met Brains.

Denise Neal took some great pics of it! Not the really gory part though

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[lisamariewillbe 1]

Yea I saw them... Which is why the whole time I was watching the pond (I know dont look where I dont want to land) I was thinking "oh crap this will suck, oh crap"

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[skydivermom 0]

When I move out there, which will be next week!!! Bluskidave is going to help me with RW...so I'm glad I've got some idea of what to work on until then. I'll see ya out there soon!...and stay away from the swoop pond girl

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[lisamariewillbe 1]

Perry is going to work on my landings... wow, awesome place isnt it?

Me and Cannie were there and even on a load together but didnt know each other ... lol

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[salling772 0]

a custom jump suit made for you will help you alot.

i do alot of big ways and i have over 10 jump suits
for diffint fall rates

the suit it look like you have a lot of wing on it
for a light jumper.

zute suit makes a good jump suit at a good price
185 $ starting.

Sky Chix™ Jumpsuit will be the best for you
( yes thats the name of the jump suit)

link: www.zutesute.com

----------------------------------------------
All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you. J. R. T.

[Orange1 0]

Kathleen, apart from the suggestions about jumpsuits and weight belts which are spot on (in my floaty experience), are you flying advanced body position yet or still boxman? Reason for asking is that (ungripped) your fall rate is faster than a box so you don't tend to float as much and it's easier to match fall rate. I did a jump with someone when I still jumped boxman & kept on tending to float above her, jumped with her again a couple of months later and that time she was the one who tended to float! But getting levels right can also be fun if it's not too frustrating

Have fun, sounds like you enjoy RW as much as I do

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.