Students jumping WITHOUT an altimeter

[gothsnake 0]

Why is it IAD students are not allowed to have an altimeter ?????

[hanknotdan 0]

I can just hear one that begins: "So I said, I am falling at a fixed speed, the math is easy!! What's the worst thing that can happen?" We use that phrase when joking with students to keep in mind what the worst thing that can happen in skydiving is.

I think that jumping without an altimeter is an idiotic decision. I often don't use mine to guage altitude but it's always there. I have a pretty good idea how fast I am going in a car too but I still double check it from time to time. And I never deliberately remove my speedometer. Yes, altimeters can fail. I had one that read 20% off and I jumped with it and lived because I can tell by visual what the ground looks like. But I still got a new one. Just glad I never jumped in slightly obscured conditions, or in winter with no leaves on trees(it looks really different) or at night, or at a different dropzone. Your eyes can fail you too. Why remove one of your safety devices? As to students going without... can you say lawsuit? Regardless of whether or not an instructor thinks a static line or IAD requires it, I'll bet a decent lawyer could present it as negligence. And remember that many liability waivers are voided in the event of gross negligence.

For that matter, I think they should be required for IAD and static line for one simple reason. Decision altitude. How long do you keep trying to kick out those line twists? or clear that line over? or... How many incident reports have we read where someone fought a malfunctioning canopy into the ground or cutaway too low to save themselves? Freefall timing and internal clocks are great but adrenaline can seriously change those numbers or make you forget them. Not to mention, I cannot tell exactly how much time I have under a mal. Could have plenty of time to work out the problem or I might have very little. I think going to a reserve without trying to fix a problem is a bad idea. I think trying to workout a problem beyond decision altitude is a bad idea. And it seems to me that an altimeter is the only way to reconcile those 2.

Without naming names, I have seen tape of outstanding skydivers losing track of altitude and deploying well below any kind of sane altitude. Every skydiver who has seen these tapes sucks in breath when the jumper rolls over and sees the ground. His visual perception saved him but his failure to periodically check his altitude put him in the position where it had to; bad place to be. It can happen to anyone and it can kill anyone.

And never forget that every jump is the real thing. Training in skydiving is not the same as training in other sports. I can spar with people and just work one technique over and over again and get slammed about and smacked in the head as I try to fix my guard, work on kimura locks, whatever but if I compete, I use anything and everything that I have as hard as I can without tiring and as fast as I can without screwing up techniques so badly they fail. Because I am facing someone trying to hurt me instead of a training partner. Well the ground is there and trying to hurt me every time I jump. Training and drills are part of skydiving but every jump can kill you even the training ones.

"Hey, what's the worst that can happen?"

[ripcords 0]

Don't be pissed off. Either ask for one or buy one if it makes you feel more comfortable. If you are sticking with the sport, it is definitely a piece of equipment that you would want to have.