How many Tandems a year is "current"?

[Mixoligist 0]

This does not include fun, coached, AFF, video or FF jumps.
Clearly, the more you do the better prepared you are for E.P.s etc.
I know the officail rules and regs regarding tandems however I want to know what active T.I.s think is current.

Txs and blues
Bob

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Better you than me
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[diablopilot 2]

For me I'd say no less than 100.

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

[AggieDave 6]

I'll have to see how I feel about doing less tandems as I get more experince. This past weekend I finally passed the 400 mark for tandem jumps, so I'm definately still a newbie at them, but for now if I have a weekend where I don't do atleast a couple tandems, the next weekend I feel pretty rusty already.

In my opinion the current currency numbers are much too low, but like I said, maybe my opinion will change when I get more experience as a TI.

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

[GravityGirl 0]

Hmmm. If you do 200 in 3 months, and then sit out all winter, you won't be current anymore. If you do a consistant 4 a week, then you're current.

Same numbers different variables.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[crutch 0]

If you think about it that is only two a weekend.

blue skies,

art

[JohnMitchell 16]

I have to get by with about 80 a year. We have crap weather in Seattle during the rainy season, January 1st to December 31st, so I'm lucky to get one or two a month in the winter. I also have a real job and a family so I usually only jump on weekends. I review my procedures a lot, and seemed to have stayed out of trouble so far. *knocking on wood sound* I feel pretty current and comfortable.

[tspillers 0]

I think there is a relationship between your total number of tandems as well. Just like jumping. If you have 100 jumps vs 1000, you probably need more to be current. I think this would apply with tandems as well. I am approaching 1000 tandems. I think I could be current at 50 a year. (Like that is gonna happen). Trying to give staff all the work I still do closer to 200 a year. The other issue of course is recency. Do 500 tandems between Jan 1 an Sept 31. By December 1 are you really current. Legally yes....

I am not totally useless, I can be used as a bad example.

[diablopilot 2]

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Hmmm. If you do 200 in 3 months, and then sit out all winter, you won't be current anymore. If you do a consistant 4 a week, then you're current.

Same numbers different variables.

Too true. For me 8 to 10 a month is still feeling "current". Of course the 60 to 80 a month I've been doing lately is better!

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

[riggerrob 643]

I tell aspiring TIs that if they are not willing to do a minimum of 50 tandems per year, to not bother getting the rating. This attitude filters out the amateurs who only want to do tandems with their girlfriends.

[tspillers 0]

Yes, I have talked to people who want to "just take their friends" now and then. I generally warn them that that is not a great idea. Taking a buddy and you aren't really proficient.

Todd

I am not totally useless, I can be used as a bad example.

[JJohnson 0]

I've done 200 tandems since mid-June. I didn't get comfortable with the whole process until 100. However I can also say that the more I do, the better I feel about them. So next season, if I lay off the whole winter I might feel current again after only 20-50. Experience counts for a lot.

Sticking with a set routine and knowing my limitations helped alot.

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"

[tandemphil 0]

I just celebrated my one year anniversary as a TI. Did 720 tandems in that year, so i feel I am current though still green after only one year I know I have yet to see even a fraction of what can happen on a tandem jump.
As far as currency is concerned, 100 a year seems to be a decent number of tandems. I personally feel that your level of awareness is much more important than the number of jumps you have done or are doing. Never forget that tandems are not your average skydive. Try not to get complacent.

to do is to be
to be is to do
do be do be do

[BIGUN 1,296]

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I didn't get comfortable with the whole process until 100.

Man, this statement is SO true. I used to sit on the plane and mentally go thru the manual's flowchart on every dive. I even had one fellow Instructor ask me if I was OK. I must've looked pretty intense. I would say it was around 100 before I "felt" like I had "experienced" most of what someone could throw at me (including a side-spin).

Always out fly them...

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[Brains 2]

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I didn't get comfortable with the whole process until 100.

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Man, this statement is SO true. I used to sit on the plane and mentally go thru the manual's flowchart on every dive. I even had one fellow Instructor ask me if I was OK. I must've looked pretty intense. I would say it was around 100 before I "felt" like I had "experienced" most of what someone could throw at me (including a side-spin).

Always out fly them...

Well i obviously didn't give it anywhere NEAR enough time then. I took the class, did ONE paid tandem, waited too long, went back for re-currency training, did another paid tandem, and haven't done another one since. I spent the entire ride to altitude thinking of all the things that could go wrong instead of thinking of all the things i needed to do so my passenger had fun. I choose not to do any at all now which IMO is better than me doing something that could endanger me and a passenger.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[bclark 0]

Did 630 of them last year, and I guess you can say that I am current, but I haven't had a malfunction in my last 750 tandems. I will feel MUCH more current when I get that next emergency out of the way. You know how you feel when you have not had to chop in a while right? The most exciting things I have had happen on tandem in the last year: A vertical lift web on a Sigma harness slipping ALL THE WAY out of adjustment to the doubled end. Tension knots on an Icarus main which I landed because they didn't affect controlability appreciably. A couple of drogue / suspension lines entanglements on Sigma mains which were also fully controllable.

[AggieDave 6]

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A vertical lift web on a Sigma harness slipping ALL THE WAY out of adjustment to the doubled end.

WTF over?

Ok, seriously, was there any cause to this or just "one of them things?"

Overweight student (not necissarily over rig limit), hard opening, problem harness, etc?

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

[bclark 0]

Nothing different about the skydive. Little 140 lb female tandem student. Sigma harness, properly adjusted. I think it was just ONE OF THOSE THINGS. I have spoken with several other experienced instructors who have had the same thing happen. When it slipped on the one side it unloaded all of the students weight on that side onto the side connector which then became VERY difficult to disconnect. I landed going WTF? Anyway, we landed under the main no problemo, and I have not had the problem before or since.

[AggieDave 6]

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we landed under the main no problemo, and I have not had the problem before or since.

Thank you for answering, I'm going to talk this one over with my RWS course director/IE/Rigger and see what he thinks may have contributed, simply because I would like to keep it from happening to me.

If we come up with anything substantial, I'll let you know (but I'm willing to bet you've done the same thing and came up with your answer).

Once again, thanks for sharing.

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