Sigma Harness adjustment

[johnny1488 1]

A quesion for Sigma instructors. How do you do your harnesses?

Do you follow the UPT adjustment guide, or do you change the way it is adjusted.

I see way too many instructors taking liberties in the way they harness their students. Not unsafe, but surely uncomfortable. I follow the guied to the letter, and found it to be not only extremely comfortable (I have jumped it myself numerous time) but also the easiest for the student to arch and lift their legs for landing.

Do your students look like the guides pictures? Do you continue to tighten students in the plane? (My biggest pet peeve) Do you feel you know something that UPT does not about their harnesses?

Just a question about the liberties Instructors take given the current talk of Y straps (garbage)

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[matthewcline 0]

I follow the guide and in the plane because so many Students state they fell the harnes is loose, I do tighten a little to make them more comfortable in how it feels to them for the jump, it is thier mental comfort as well as the physical comfort I address.

Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[johnny1488 1]

Thats why I show them its tight while they are standing and then have them sit or hunch before we board to show them it loosens up. I also show them my rig hanging of my shoulders when I sit.

I also tell them there is one right way and many wrong ways to do the harness, which do they want.

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[matthewcline 0]

I show them how it works too, but this is part of my pre-hook up routine and I explain it to them, they are more comfortable that way. It is thier questions I am answering any way.

They are the Student and IMO they will perform better if they are relaxed. IMO one way to make them relaxed is to try and rid them of fear, if this helps good deal.

I also train them like every jump is a Cat "A", some beg to not have to deploy. I agree with them on the ground but in the pre-exit final brief I tell them again and about 60% of the "no way you do it" group change thier mind and give it a go at deployment.

Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[TheCaptain 2]

While I do not know more than UPT, I have never read about a fatality or injury caused from a harness being too tight.

Kirk
He's dead Jim

[slotperfect 7]

I adjust all points of the student harness on the ground for proper fit - I am ready to hook up the student and exit in case of an emergency bailout. I adjust the harness in a different order than the fitment guide, but I arrive at the same result.

The only adjustment I make in the aircraft is to snug down the diagonal backstraps, which always loosen from the student standing/sitting and walking around, and fine tuning the waist band after the side straps have been tightened down.

Arrive Safely

John

[johnny1488 1]

I have heard a lot of complaints from the harness and it relates to bad impressions of our sport and lower return rates.

UPT stated that one of their reasons for designing the sigma harness was the overwhelming discomfort of the harness from the tandem students. Why use a better harness if you are just going to do it wrong?

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[johnny1488 1]

On taller students I tighten the diagonals a bit to, but only on taller students. On smaller girls, it brings them too high on me.

I am talking about student who when unhooked after the jump cant stand upright or breathe.

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[TheCaptain 2]

I did not state I did or did not tighten the harness any different than UPT state. I am just making a statement that no one has died from the harness being too tight.
Also I agree with the above person that alot of students do freak out with the harness being loose in the plane.

Kirk
He's dead Jim

[johnny1488 1]

I know what you are saying, but if nothing posotive is gained from over tightening a student, why do it?

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[feuergnom 29]

Quote

I follow the guide and in the plane because so many Students state they fell the harnes is loose, I do tighten a little to make them more comfortable in how it feels to them for the jump, it is thier mental comfort as well as the physical comfort I address.

and this is exactly what makes me frown: when i see other tandem instructors making major harness-adjustments on the in the plane.
if a pax has a properly fitted harness on the ground, he will have a properly fitted harness in the plane and on exit.
of course the damn thing will feel loose, when he/she is sitting and tightening the harness on the front will just hinder their ability to arch.

edit to add: there is some hardware out there with a slippage problem that one has to cope with

The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle

dudeist skydiver # 666

[matthewcline 0]

Well your expericne may be different but for 1400 Tandems I have used this approach to comfort the Student.

I explain to them that "although now as we stand here the harness fells snug, your body geometry will change when we sit down and you may think the harness is loose, it will tighten right back up as we go through the hook up process which will be right after I give your harness a final inspection in the aircraft. If you still want it tighter I can do that but it may be a little uncomfortable later". Myadjustments are not major, just minor "mental comfort" ones.

It is our job as Instructors to make our Students feel safe and comfortable, but never sacrifice safety for comfort.

Just like Mains should be used as a safe tool to get Us back on the ground to do it all again, but that is another topic.

Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[diablopilot 2]

Just like the book says.

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

[tf6 0]

I would like to add that by the book is the best way and safest way to adjust the sigma harness. I have over 4000 sigma jumps with all different body shapes, sizes and handy caps. I do however after the hook up make sure that the back laterals are still snug and but band is still snug and in place. I have noticed that after tightining the lower attachments the back laterals will loosen as well as the but band this only takes a second to check, on 99% of the students this is not an issue but there are some that the harness will settle into and things will loosen. This extra step is just an addition to the safty check that we do prior to exit. The butt band is what creates the triangle in the back which secures the student in the harness. in addition there are body types that are just not safe to take ( such as a large pear shape) it is best to try the harness on the student prior to the jump away from everyone else and if it does not adjust properly explain the safty concern to the student it may hurt their feeling a little but better to be safe than loose one
Just my two cents

[jump249 0]

thank you for your 2 cent good information i do all my tandem from a narow c182 he is hard to adjust the harness before exit

[riggerrob 643]

"... but there are some that the harness will settle into and things will loosen. ..."

..................................................................

Visualizing a fat chick in a thong bikini ...

Ouch!
My eyes!

Argh!