Who do most of you pull so low?

[tooueay 0]

I don't understand why so many experienced jumpers pull so low (around 2000). Is the extra few seconds of freefall what you are after...ground rush? I am very new (22 jumps) so I'm ignorant of many things with jumping. Please educate me!

PS. I'm a total wuss. I pull at 4000 at the lowest.

Give me ambiguity...or something else.

[gale 0]

I don't pull low as I'm new too, but I will pass along a couple of things my instructors have said to me:

1) they have tried to wean me off pulling high like I did in the PFF course so that I pulled at the altitude considered "normal" for our dz, 3000ft. Above that and you're doing something that other jumpers may not expect.
2) It's good to get used to the idea that you CAN pull low and not get very anxious about it. No, I'm not talking about 2000 (necessarily) but I am talking about 3000. A hop-n-pop is good for this and is required for the solo certificate in Canada. It builds confidence, takes away the safety blanket, and maybe makes you more ready if you ever have to get out of the plane low.

This is different then an advanced jumper pulling low, but I thought I'd pass it along anyway.

Obviously you shouldn't change your behaviour without discussing it with your instructor.

Gale

(PS I also have the added worry of an FXC firing high and popping my round reserve (!) No low pulls for me, I have no interest in landing a round or in a two-out configuration.)

I'm drowning...so come inside
Welcome to my...dirty mind

[skygod7777 0]

what's up

ok, now once you get some more jumps, you'll realize that 2 grand isn't as low as it sounds. now, it's lower than i pull with 2500 jumps, but i'll go down there if i have to. i will pull around 2500 to 3000, but i jump a 84 sq ft canopy, and like the extra time. but i'm sure it's not a ground rush thing for the people going to 2000 ft., it's just that they don't want to pull higher. now thoses people also don't have as much time to react to a malfunction, but are experienced enough to deal with it quickly. but that's just my 2 cents.

blue sky's and long swoops
kelly

[billvon 2,989]

>I don't understand why so many experienced jumpers pull so low
> (around 2000). Is the extra few seconds of freefall what you are
> after...ground rush?

No, it's that our pull altitudes are chosen to give us enough time to deal with problems. For most experienced jumpers, 2000 feet is sufficient. On a 'typical' big way dive you'll see people opening between 2000 and 3000, with some parts of the dive (the outer wave) opening close to 2000 feet. The extra few seconds of freefall might give you an extra hundred feet of separation, and that's a good thing.

>PS. I'm a total wuss. I pull at 4000 at the lowest.

That's fine, but before you start jumping with a lot of other people in the air, you'll probably want to work down to 3000 - opening high can be dangerous with multiple groups/passes/aircraft.

[Kirils 1]

When I was focused on freefall, I would pull lower to
extend the learning time. I'm now trying to improve my swoop skills and I pull as high as the pilot and other jumpers allow.

"Slow down! You are too young
to be moving that fast!"

Old Man Crawfish

[cloud9 0]

We don't pull low, you pull really high!

[lazerq3 0]

I've only pulled really low..(well for me) once (approx 2100...usaully pull at 3000) and that was because on a three way when we broke off the one jumper did a back flip and dropped like a rock so when I checked the other one to see where they were tracking I lost sight of the thrid ....so I went low just to be safe...I knew she wasnt under me but thats all I knew......and yes I could of done a roll to check above but at 2500ft I dont feel to comfy doing that just yet......3500 yes ..2500 no!!

jason

Freedom of speech includes volume

[drenaline 0]

I usually break and track at 4k I like to make a long track to be sure am clear of everybody and my opening are usually 3K and sometimes I get 2.5K.

Hey tooueay do the other skydivers know that you pull that high? be sure to tell them everytime you get on the plane, most people don't expect for someone to open that high.

HISPA 21
www.panamafreefall.com

[AggieDave 6]

Yeah, its all fun and games until someone goes screaming through your canopy while they're still in freefall.

A few times I've cooked it down to 2.5k after a zoo dive and I didn't know where everyone was. A barrel roll would have helped too. And I think just aboue everyone has a story that starts off "well, I accidently went really low..."

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[PhillyKev 0]

I also pull higher than most. Was pulling at 4000 until I realized what you are all saying about opening too high.

My question is, now I initiate at 3500...meaning wave off at 3500 and then pull. My protrack shows deployment at around 2500. Do you think this is too high with other jumpers in the air? I'd rather not go lower because I want as much time as possible under canopy to deal with problems and because I enjoy it. But if this seems too high for everyone at a busy dz, I'd like to hear it.

[TequilaGirl 0]

I pull at 2 and have no problems with this.....but I am typically doing RW in groups bigger than 8 or so....it scares me when I freefly and everyone breaks off at 6......he he he

[Staso 0]

here is the chart of my deployment. i think it's kinda interesting that my deployment with expirience went down first and then a little up :)

stan.

--
it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ...
Speed Skydiving Forum

[Jimbo 0]

Quote

i think it's kinda interesting that my deployment with expirience went down first and then a little up :)

I don't think that's unusual. I've done the same, as have most people I've talked to. I usually pull between 3000 and 2500. Usually in the saddle between 2200 - 1800 ft.

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[caseyusa 0]

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here is the chart of my deployment. i think it's kinda interesting that my deployment with expirience went down first and then a little up :)

stan.

Wo! That's a cool graph! For me... Math usually sucks, but I guess not when its involved in skydiving!

Did you do that yourself? is it a program?
Anyhow, its cool to keep track of all of that schweeet info!

The new message board is kinda neat...

---
** Blue Skies, Yellow Mustard. **
It's like a farmer, out-standing in his field.

[Staso 0]

Wo! That's a cool graph! For me... Math usually sucks, but I guess not when its involved in skydiving!

Did you do that yourself? is it a program?
it's from pro-track. it keeps tons of info. for last 10 jumps even more info available. like this: http://harrier.itc.if.ua/~chris/FreeFallProfiles/00.jpg

stan.

--
it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ...
Speed Skydiving Forum

[jfields 0]

Staso,

I'd never looked at that particular graph in JumpTrack. Here is mine, for comparison. The missing entries are jumps where I did clear & pulls from altitude. You can also see that I got my ProTrack around jump number 46.

[Canuck 0]

In this day and age, I think 2000 feet is too low. I find it interesting that skydive licencing requirements are changing to recognize the evolution of the sport, but pull altitudes are staying the same. When 2200 feet was set as the hard deck, a Fury was a high performance canopy. Under any 220 sq. ft. F111 canopy I would pull at 2000 and not fret. Chances are, you are in the saddle by 1500 ft plus, and even if you are twisted and spinning, it's going to take a long time before you bust through a grand. Under my Crossfire 119 on the other hand...and lets not even talk about the sub 100's.

Canuck

[billvon 2,989]

>In this day and age, I think 2000 feet is too low.

No problem - pull at 3000.

>Under any 220 sq. ft. F111 canopy I would pull at 2000 and not fret.

Exactly. Just as I will happily pull at 2000 feet under my Sabre 150, but pull around 2500 with my 119, and above 3 for a new canopy. 2000 feet is not a "you must pull here" rule but rather "never pull any lower than this" - it goes without saying that you should sometimes pull higher.

[Staso 0]

Quote

You can also see that I got my ProTrack around jump number 46.

i got my protrack after i had more then 50 jumps. i restored the missing jumps from my log book.

also, to make it clear, the deployment altitude from protrack is not pull altitude, it's a ltitude when fall speed is significantly decreased, so it's lower then pull altitude.

stan.

--
it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ...
Speed Skydiving Forum

[caseyusa 0]

SCHWEET!!

WHere do I get one???? (Jump-Track program)

---
** Blue Skies, Yellow Mustard. **
It's like a farmer, out-standing in his field.

[jfields 0]

I didn't go back and add deployment altitudes, because they would have been guesstimates at best. I definitely know what you mean on protrack deployment alt being different than pull altitude. My canopy opens with practically no snivel, so the difference is shorter for me than someone with a really snivelly canopy might record.

Interesting to see how your altitudes changed over time.

[jfields 0]

Quote

WHere do I get one???? (Jump-Track program)

Any of the big skydiving suppliers. I might even get my comment in before Lisa mumbles [cough]Square 1[/cough] under her breath.
Jump Track is neat.

[Staso 0]

Quote

Jump Track is neat.

it's a must for me since i'm doing speed dives. i have protrack mounted on the rig webbing and two prodytters in my helmet. the only problem that i have to have my laptop at dz if i plan to do more then 10 jumps.

stan.

--
it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ...
Speed Skydiving Forum

[freeflir29 0]

There is also a trend lately for people to start pulling higher. Most people I know that fly sub 100 canopies like to deploy no lower than 3000. Those canopies tend to snivel a lot and of course can produce some hideous malfunctions. I know I pulled 2 seconds after someone on a velocity the other day, had a loooong snivel, and still ended up on the same altitude. Next time I'll just pull first instead of waiting.

[airdrew20012001 0]

Considering that the recomended decision altidude is taught as 2 grand, that is too low. I usually pull between 2500 and 3000. It's high enough to be safe, low enough to give me maximal freefall time.

Drewfus McDoofus