Which shoulder do you look over during deployment?

[LearningTOfly 0]

This is something I've been wondering about-

I generally don't look over my shoulder during deployment- I just pull and let my mental timer tell me when I should start doing better things with my time. My reasoning is that looking ahead maintains body symmetry.

There have been a few jumps, though- most notably a recent hopn' pop on my new canopy- (subterminal- slow opening) where things didn't move as fast as I thought they should, so I glanced behind me to make sure everything was going to plan- it was, but the surprizing thing was that I looked over the shoulder opposite my pull side- while on the ground I always thought that I would look over my pull side shoulder...

Then when I was doing a reserve drill (with an intentional pull- on the ground), and I looked over my opposite (left) shoulder again to see how things went.

...I started thinking about it and came to the conclusion that I think I have a little more peripheral vision (or my neck rotates more, I dunno which) to the left... thus the natural thing for me to do is look left/ opposite to pull side.

Blue skies

[councilman24 37]

I belong to the group who thinks you should keep your shoulders level during deployment. If you real bendabel you can learn to set up and look straight back. But I don't think I ever watch my bag leave in 2500 jumps. There are equally strong arguments for looking. Some of those stem from RC and spring PC days. You had to look to clear the PC hesitation.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[CSpenceFLY 1]

I think the looking over the shoulder thing came from the days of the spring launched pilotchute.Idea being if the pilotchute was in the burble on you back looking over your shoulder would disturb the airflow and get it off your back.I think with a throw out it is not necessary and creates bad body position.


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[mattjw916 2]

I never look, and since I jump a fully-elliptical canopy, I'd rather keep my eyes on the horizon and my body symmetrical. If I lean one way or the other my canopy will open in a diving turn.

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

[PhreeZone 20]

Get your hands on the current issue of Skydiving magazie and Scott Miller has a very indepth article on why its so important to keep your sholders level through the deployment.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[lisamariewillbe 1]

I deploy then go straight to my box man and arch while looking at the horizon and give a mental count. Same as I learned in AFF.

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

[LearningTOfly 0]

I'm in the Great White North, and in school, so getting ahold of that issue may be difficult- but I don't dispute that keeping level shoulders is the best body position during deployment- that is what I do 95% of the time too. Thanks for the pointer-

Another thing I have heard that might be interesting to discuss is that even looking up during the early stages of the opening (slider up) can also throw off an opening. I've had this happen as well a few times- lately on my CF I was looking up and out of my peripheral watched the opening go through a 360* heading change. It was fun... at the time

[altichick 1]

For a few jumps after my first malfunction (pilot chute in tow) I got into a habit of looking over my right shoulder and watching the canopy deploying. Openings were definately worse for it but I was just glad to have a canopy!!

It took me a little while to break the habit and get back to a symetrical position!! Openings are now nice again though occaisonally if things are a little slow I find myself looking... just to check!

Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things!

[diablopilot 2]

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I belong to the group who thinks you should keep your shoulders level during deployment.

Ditto. Burble checks are probably best left to students.

  Quote

But I don't think I ever watch my bag leave in 2500 jumps.

Ditto. Well except when I deploy on my back.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

I too have broke myself of the habbit of looking over my shoulder on deployment since moving to jumping higer performance canopies vs. the days of jumping F111 back when I started. Now its wave, pull, pitch, arms and shoulders level, eyes on the horizon, arch... and as the opeing sits me up, then spread the risers. If for some reason, on the rare instance, that the pilot chute hesitates, then I may do a burble check with the typical results of a bit of a squirrelly opening, but its better then towing a pilot chute.

[PhreeZone 20]

Well, when ever you jump a fully elliptical like that Crossfire you have at your limited experience level you are risking spinning line twists by looking over a sholder unless you have master harness steering also.

Whats far more likely is as you are looking up you are shifting the weight in the harness and its leading to a harness input to cause the turn.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[piisfish 140]

Not the subject, but 56 jumps + Crossfire hope data are not correct.

Dont look over shoulder. Feel the deployment. I look only if I feel something strange is happening to see what's happening (PC in tow, PC in burble) after moving around and elbowing my bag.

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[sundevil777 102]

I get a glance with the corner of my vision (right side) to see that the bag has lifted off, and then bring my head back. I like knowing right away that the PC hasn't snagged something, that I don't have a PC in tow, etc. A lot of altitude can be saved for doing something about it if you realize such trouble right away.

The only exception is if there is someone close by also opening, such as after a big way breakoff, and I want to keep track of them.

I've caught myself letting go of the PC 'under' my arm a couple times, and then quickly fixed it with a quick 'twirl' of the arm to free it. Don't most of you at least watch yourself toss it? If you look over to the side enough to watch your hand let go of the PC, then you are perhaps 90% of the way to being able to watch the bag lift. Maybe my PC tossing habits are unusual.

I really think I am able to do this with very minimal shift in my body position, and I come back very quickly. It would be nice to confirm it with a video to get a better perspective. I certainly am not plagued by bad openings or turns after opening.

I do not want a canopy that is so sensitive to body position that I actually have to concentrate on staying level.

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

[Travman 6]

We were taught count 1000 2000 3000 then look over your right shoulder to clear pilot chute hesitation.

[KrisFlyZ 0]

I watch over the right shoulder as I throw the PC on wingsuit jumps only(This not the recommended method...just something that has become my routine). This is just during the split second when the PC is actually released to check that it has cleared the burble.

Kris.

[piisfish 140]

look for Atmonaut's videos on skydivingmovies.com. He tried to solve his return to cliff issues by changing canopy. The problem is it also happens to him on his skydiving rig.

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[Andy9o8 2]

  Quote

I get a glance with the corner of my vision (right side) to see that the bag has lifted off, and then bring my head back. I like knowing right away that the PC hasn't snagged something, that I don't have a PC in tow, etc. A lot of altitude can be saved for doing something about it if you realize such trouble right away.

That's exactly what I do, too. I have over 300 jumps with a spring-loaded pc, so I always used to look hard over my shoulder. It was the way I was trained; it was to break the burble. When I made the transition over to BOC, it was a very hard habit to break. So I do sneak just a little peek out the corner of my eye, without dipping a shoulder, just to see the flash of motion off my back, then look forward & wait to get stood up. As soon as I am, I'm looking up & reaching for the risers.

[jonstark 8]

Neither.

Save your neck and have more consistant openings by sitting up and looking straight ahead while waiting for linestretch and opening when you'll have a better view of what's happening.

[flipper 0]

never looked .... keep it level and throw pilot chute

[beezyshaw 0]

I ALWAYS watch my pilot chute take the bag off...ALWAYS. I want to know with certainty that part of the deployment is happening normally. In my mind this is crucial to quick reaction to malfunctions. I have jumped every kind of canopy you can imagine, and never change my routine. I never have line twists because I watch the launch. Maybe I compensate somehow to keep the opening from being affected, who really knows. But I call bullshit on "causing" opening issues if you don't lay flat, dumb, and happy when you deploy. Oh, and another thing I've done since the throwout came along, I hold my pilot chute a couple of seconds before I let it go. I don't treat it like a game of hot-potato.

[nate_1979 9]

I actually tuck my pull then tuck my chin into my chest in preperation for that nasty hard opening that I hope I dont get.... Started doing this awhile ago in preperation for flying camera, I figure the less movement myt neck sees during a bad opening the better, especially with the extra weight. As soon as I feel the first solid jerk, I look up to watch the rest of the opening. As far as recognizing a problem, if I pull, and dont feel anything within a couple seconds, I'll be looking (most likely over my right, I think) ...

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[daniel_owen_uk 0]

I do look straight forward, give a mental count, and watch the opening as soon as it comes into my vision.

Thing to note, I had a coached jump recently (new DZ & CCI suggest it, as hadn't jumped there b4), one of the things the coach said was I should be watching where I am throwing the PC, is this simply untrue?

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[teason 0]

You mised an option in your poll ...

Tilt your head back and look up. You can watch your deployment and remain square.

I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.

[Dolph 0]

Neither. I dump my pilot chute and wait for stuff to happen. If ít doesn't I'll try to get an overview of the situation and fix it.

A year ago, I'd give it a quick glance, watching the pilot chute as I threw it. Stopped doing that when I downsized. Those "but-I-Didn't_do_anything_and_it_is_still_spinning_me_around openings suggested that messing with body position by looking during deployment probably isn't a good idea.