anyone jump with a cervical collar

[waltappel 1]

I was talking with a friend about jumping video this past weekend and he said he has heard of some people jumping with a cervical collar to prevent neck injury. As long as it's a soft collar, it sounds like a workable idea. Has anyone here tried it?

Walt

[jdhill 0]

I've never done it, but have seen it done by 1 or 2 folks... every time I've seen it, they had very heavy, multi-camera (3+) setups...

J

[Dokeman 0]

I dont have many camera jumps, but I cant see needing one unless you jump with a lot of shit on your helmet. And if you are prone to neck problems or already have them, probably best just not to jump with a camera.

[quade 4]

I'm sure some folks have done it.

I personaly wouldn't consider it because of how much I think it would limit your ability to swivel your head. Not just for safety reason, but also framing the camera itself.

As it is I know that if I come off a little early I have to look "up" at the formation. I have one rig that has its yoke fairly high and sometimes it doesn't allow me to tilt my head back far enough. A collar would just make that impossible or it wouldn't really be doing the job.

You'd also probably have a very difficult time looking up at your canopy if you needed to right after deployment to sort out an issue and you'd probably want to take off the collar at some point under canopy and before landing so you could look around for traffic.

All in all, I think it's a pretty bad idea.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[riggerrob 643]

Alterantely, you could just grow massive deltoids (shoulder muscles) - like Tom Sanders - and hunch your shoulder up against your helmet every time you deploy.
Hint: Tom's other sport is surfing.

[The111 1]

Quote

Alterantely, you could just grow massive deltoids (shoulder muscles) and hunch your shoulder up against your helmet every time you deploy.

I hold my chin with my hands during deployment. I jump a wingsuit and the natural place for my hands is under my chin anyway, during deployment. I have 2 topmounted cameras.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[Peej 0]

Bailey Edmunds, one of South Africa's most experienced four way and eight way jumpers jumps with a soft collar on all the time. He doesn't jump camera and i assume this is from an old injury.

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

[bob.dino 1]

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Alterantely, you could just grow massive deltoids (shoulder muscles) - like Tom Sanders - and hunch your shoulder up against your helmet every time you deploy.
Hint: Tom's other sport is surfing.

...or you could take up rugby.

[brokky 4]

Quote

I was talking with a friend about jumping video this past weekend and he said he has heard of some people jumping with a cervical collar to prevent neck injury. As long as it's a soft collar, it sounds like a workable idea. Has anyone here tried it?

Walt

you can have a collar on or not... if you really have a hard opening with a heavy helmet,it will hurt you..
if you want to jump cameras and you are worried about neck injuries,get the right gear...
a lot of canopies open soft ,most of the time.It´s the sudden hard opening that will hurt you.
For camera jumps ,myself and other collegues like Gustavo Cabana, jump a Spectre with dacron (big) lines...seems to be doig the job ALL the time...



www.brunobrokken.com

wuk??

http://www.brunobrokken.com

[idrankwhat 0]

I thought I'd bump this thread to see if there was any additional input on the idea of wearing a soft cervical collar. I have a great opening canopy that can take up to 800 ft to open and I normally have no issues. I was in a hurry this weekend and let someone else (much more experienced than me) pack my rig. Video has the opening occurring in about one second. After I got my chin off my chest I looked up to check the canopy and it was still pulsating. It took a couple of seconds to verify that it was still square. Hurt like hell, and still does to be honest. I have a relatively light helmet and wasn't jumping the still, otherwise I think there may have been some real damage. I was thinking that a soft collar might be a good idea for those freakish occurrances, maybe even welcome in the winter. Anyone have any pros or cons that they want to offer?

[The111 1]

I think Laszlo has told me he jumps one. Myself, I never understood how you could do it without hindering motion in some way. In freefall I need to crane my neck in some very strange directions to get the shots I want. I've been told that a brace will still allow you to do that, but provide protection when you need it, but that makes no sense to me. It either will stop your neck from moving, or not. If you can overcome its resistance with your own neck muscles (looking around in freefall), then a strong opening shock would certainly overcome it.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[idrankwhat 0]

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If you can overcome its resistance with your own neck muscles (looking around in freefall), then a strong opening shock would certainly overcome it.

My thinking was that the soft collar would provide the give necessary to not totally restrict minor movement but would provide a few pounds of resistance/support, like you do with your hands. In addition the material would make movement to the extremes nearly impossible.
I don't know. I think I'll give it a try this weekend and see how it goes.....but only after I pack my own rig.

[BartRN 0]

I know of 2 vidiots that jumps with a soft collar and both swear by them. I was debating using one as I was building my helmet but it ended up weighing a lot less than I anticipated so I have opted not to.

I don't think they are a bad idea but keeping your head in the right position (a whole nother can of worms and opinions) is just as effective in my opinion. I usually look down and if worried I cup my chin which my hands thru opening shock then reach up n grab my risers... blah blah

bart

Some canopies can be fun to fly, but treat you like their bitch on opening. -- Jarno

[LouDiamond 1]

There was a guy with one of the Euro freefly teams that was wearing a soft cervical collar at the Cochstedt boogie in Germany a few years back. He had a crazy camera set up that was anything but balanced and was heavy. It seemed to work for him while freeflying and his neck survived. Can it be done? Yes it can. does it work or will it work for you? Possibly, give it a try.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[Tim-O-T 0]

Now how about a collar made of d3o?

-flexible for looking around

-stiffens with the force from a hard opening

[The111 1]

Quote

Now how about a collar made of d3o?

-flexible for looking around

-stiffens with the force from a hard opening

Holy cow... I just googled that. I had no idea materials like that existed. This is like Batman stuff. Very cool.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[DSE 5]

Cookie always has a lump of it at the trade shows, and it's scary cool. Soft, pliable, even warm. Until you hit it. Then it's an entirely different substance.

[Laszloimage 0]

Yes, I'm using it for years now.
It definitely gives me protection.
I have enough flexibily to do camera work, but helps with whip flash (hyper extention) in a case of hard opening. Actually it helps with all openings...
Of course a soft collar isn't "100% insurance" but makes me feel better at the end of the day.
It would be cool to develop something semi-rigid support which sits on the shoulder and holds most of the weight of the camera gear.

[danielcroft 2]

D3O is available in the Ozone3 & Gas (Cookie) helmets right now, I have the Ozone3 (is that like O3 3?) and bought it because of the D3O. Most CF helmets aren't going to protect you from serious impacts like with the plane but will certianly be sufficient when dealing with the odd kick to the face. D30 is the only padding in a CF skydiving helmet that has received any kind of certification for impact absorption (CE). It's not the best rating but better than nothing.

Re the neck brace, the Leatt Neck Brace was introduced not so long ago & is now actually pretty popular with pro motorcross types. I doubt it would apply to skydiving but here's a link in case anyone's interested:

http://www.leatt-brace.com/

[vdschoor 0]

I've been jumping this collar:
http://simpsonraceproducts.com/products/?main_page=product_info&cPath=344_574&products_id=902&sort=

I've only been jumping it with heavier setups (multiple cameras / heavy cameras) but it has sure saved me.. not necessarily from hard opening, cause like someone else said, a hard opening will hurt you either way, but the normal openings that put additional stress because your helmet is a lot heavier on your neck are less stressfull.

I think the most important part is to work out your neck doing excercises with it, and protect it by jumping the right gear.
I stopped jumping my velos when I do heavy setups.. I love the openings on my velo, but it remains a high performance opening, and after jumping the spectre a lot lately for different projects.. I am sticking to that with the camera setups..

Regarding movement restrictions.. I have found the brace to not be that limiting that it will stop me from getting certain shots.
Sitflying above a formation, looking down is the only situation where I have felt the brace in freefall, but you learn to work with it..

Iwan

[Bill_K 0]

clicky

Do you mind if I ask you what you load your spectre's at? I've recently changed to a spectre and LOVE it so far. I can't see jumping anything else for camera work for myself.

[Alias2u 0]

Healthy neck... not concerned about neck injury... no big deal. Consistently soft opening (spectre type) canopy and soft neck brace is great insurance otherwise. I jump the go cart brace below. Did find it somewhat limiting until I used an electric knife to trim off 3/8 inch thickness and 1 1/4 inch diameter, re sewed cover and life is good.

http://www.k1racegear.com/p-40-go-kart-neck-collar.aspx

[vdschoor 0]

Quote

clicky

Do you mind if I ask you what you load your spectre's at? I've recently changed to a spectre and LOVE it so far. I can't see jumping anything else for camera work for myself.

I jump a Spectre 135, loading it at about 1.7 with all the toys on my helmet..

i am thinking about going to a Spectre 150, just to get more lift out of the canopy. I am having a hard time floating with it :P ha ha..

Anyways, the openings are straight up $$$

For most of my "every day" camera work I still jump my Velos though..