Struts and bruises?

[kcjumpersgirl 0]

Being a student at a Cessna-182 dropzone, my exits from the plane come from hanging from the strut.

Every weekend, I end up with bruises on the underside of my forearms from hanging from the strut.

Has this happened to anybody else? And if so, what can I do to help this?

[BillyVance 34]

Forearms?? How are you hanging on the strut? Whenever I jump from a C182, only my hands are touching the strut...

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

[sundevil777 102]

Many DZs have their early students actually hang, so when they release they are not likely to flip, compared to having your left foot still on the step. Even if they can't maintain a grip enough to hang, they are still more likely to have a more stable exit.

KCjumper, consider talking to the instructor, they might be agreeable to letting you keep a foot on the step. With the number of jumps you have, it is about time for that anyway.

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

[kcjumpersgirl 0]

When I hang from the strut, my knuckes are on the front side of the strut. And maybe my hands are little, but when doing this, the strut comes down on my forearm, a little lower than my wrists. It could be that my hands are smaller since I am female.

My husband completed his instructors course two weekends ago, and had to "act" like a student on a static line and hang from the strut. He came home with bruises in the same place.

Does anyone know how to avoid these bruises?

[flyangel2 2]

Done tons of hanging sturt exits and never go bruised. Are you wrapping your arms around the strut? I use to just hand with my hands.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[KCJumper 0]

Hi i am actually one of her instructors and her husband. When i went through the I course last weekend i had some minor bruising. We have discussed starting her on a poised exit instead of a hanging one. Just wanted to see if anyone knew a way to minimize these bruises. Thanks for any input.

Patrick

[KCJumper 0]

When discussion about this has come up the first thing we thought of was that dropping the weight on the arms too quick was the cause. But like we said not sure exactly what's up just thought we would look for any solutions you all might have.

Patrick

[grue 1]

Hmm... we do hanging exits, and I don't recall ever getting bruises on my forearms, btu I get 'em on my inner thighs from the harness

cavete terrae.

[kcjumpersgirl 0]

Right on. Being in that student harness and making multiple jumps in a day gives me bruises on my inner thighs, too. Even when I have my leg straps tightened.

[larsrulz 0]

I think a poised exit shouldn't be a problem. I did my static line jumps from a caravan when our 182 was down for maintenance, so I learned on poised.

I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

[korupt_kitten 0]

The same thing happens to me when I'm hanging from the strut of the plane. I get the bruises because my skin rubs against the strut. The only thing I can think of that would help would be something that wraps around your wrist like the fore-arm protectors for martial arts, but minus the padding on it.

[NWFlyer 2]

Yep, I used to get them all the time when I was in the S/L program and doing hanging exits. Was just talking with some of the folks at the DZ about that yesterday - apparently I'm not the only one who had it happen. Don't really know any way to prevent except doing a poised exit.

I even took a picture back then... http://ennasirk.com/100_1124.jpg I'm sure that'll look familiar!

"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

[sunshine 2]

It's very common to get those bruises when you're a student. It comes from wrapping your fingers and hands around the strut. I've noticed it mainly happens to girls. Try not to wrap your hands around the strut. I know it's easier said then done, but with practice you'll get it.

___________________________________________
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[riggerrob 643]

Teach her to do stable exits first, then transition her to poised exits.
It is more difficult for beginners to to do stable, poised exits.

[larsrulz 0]

I would agree, but it can be done. With proper instructing, the static line exits may be less than desirable, but by the time the student reaches freefall, they should be exiting stable. I wasn't the only one at my dropzone to do static line training out of the caravan, so I'm not a freak of nature or anything.

I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

[MarkM 0]

Quote

Does anyone know how to avoid these bruises?

Yep! Graduate past the jumps where you hang from the strut

I got them too, it's caused by your body flapping up and down from the relative wind/prop blast, bruising the arms against the strut.

Wear them with honor.

[adobelover 0]

When first on student status & doing the strut hang I had bruises on my inner wrists every time & I have small hands...the cure is to get off student status! The bruises from slipping legstraps were HORRIBLE! The cure for THAT was getting my own rig...with a butt bungee...no more slipping leg straps and NO MORE BRUISES!!!!!

_________________________________________


Old age ain't no place for sissies!

[bch7773 0]

quite a few girls going through S/L progression at my DZ get that same type of bruise on their arms... we found it to be that many of them wrapped their entire hand around the strut, rather then just their fingers. This causes their weight to be held up by the forearms, causing a pressure bruise.

so either try grabbing on with just your fingers wrapped around the strut, or see if you can't switch to an exit with one foot on the strut.

MB 3528, RB 1182

[billvon 3,073]

> I had bruises on my inner wrists every time . . .

My first skydiving girlfriend had the same problem. She'd get bruises on her wrists and the insides of her thighs.

She was in a locker room one day and another women asker her about them. "What happened to you?" she asked.

"Oh, they're from skydiving." she said.

"Sure they are" her friend said.

[SkydivingNurse 0]

I've only jumped a 182 once and that's how it was for me. Hands on the strut.

[kansasskydiver 0]

As he said, very common at our dz. One to the point it bruised so bad we took the girl to the hospital and the doctors were convinced it was broken... It wasn't, some people just bruise more easily than others...

Switch to a poised exit or watch how you're putting your weight on yoru arms transitioning off the step to the strut. you might find that you have your arms wrapped more than you think and is causing a burning/pressure wound when you transition and your body swings benieth

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