sunnydee123 0 #1 May 27, 2003 I have been sit flying for about 30 jumps now. People tell me although my position looks good (from what they can tell) I fall slow or float. Just got Pro-Track and of 13 jumps this weekend my max speed ranged from 139 to 165. Slowest hovers right around 132. Is it normal for your sit fall rate to fluctuate, until you justh ave tons of jumps and really get in control of it? Or is there something I can watch for. I don't want to be excluded from a jump cause everyone has to work so hard to stay with me....I want to keep up with them. Suggestions my friends.......... Dreams become reality, one choice at a time... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fundgh 0 #2 May 27, 2003 I am in the same boat, but I have a fast fall rate!? I don't have a PRo Track, but when I jump with experienced free flyers I watch them go into a stand to catch up. Is it good to have a fast fall rate? I will just have to practice I guess!...FUN FOR ALL! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #3 May 27, 2003 I'm not really sure why this occurs but I can assure you it is quite normal. Everyone has an inconsistent fall rate in the begining. I think it's just because they don't have the muscle memory to maintain a constant body position. Plus newbies tend to "fight" the body position a little bit which of course changes the fall rate. Keep at it.....it'll come with time and jumps. Quote I have a fast fall rate Yep....starting out slow people are slow and fast people are fast. As you progress you'll learn differen't techniques to vary fall rate. Like standing up a little, rocking back, or cocking your feet to the side. It's all about time, money, and jumps.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunnydee123 0 #4 May 27, 2003 Think I am just going to keep jumping....practice makes perfect. Good thing I just LOVE this practice stuff but I will also admit - I can't wait to feel a headdown all by myself....baby steps - no rush! Dreams become reality, one choice at a time... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #5 May 27, 2003 Quote ..baby steps - no rush! Good deal! You have to have a nice solid sit before you learn to fly on your head. Recovery position is critical. Unfortunately, this has been proven by at least 2 deaths in the past year from free fall collisions. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kansasskydiver 0 #6 May 27, 2003 The way your fall rate is varying is sounds like you are in a sit, but may be exposing more of your calfs (sp) or leaning over some on your back when adjusting. i can sit on my back, ie the recliner and fall pretty good with belly groups. at the same time though i can fall slow by exposing my calfs to the airstream, this is useful when setting base as you dont want to cork or roll onto your back. make sure you're keeping 90 90 90 at your knees, butt and arms. if you have a pool, practice your sit in the water. hope this helps with the fall rate issue pm me if you have any other questions and i might be able to answer them chris<--- See look, pink dolphins DO exist! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SanDiegoRW 0 #7 May 27, 2003 Her sit actually looks good. She keeps her legs at 90's unless she is trying to stand. Denise, just try putting you legs a little closer together and raising your arms up a bit. Other than that, those Capri pants may be catching a little air and slowing you down. It will come with time. I was a big time floater until about 20 or so jumps ago and I still do float some, but not nearly as bad because I can fly myself a bit more. You are doing really well for how many F/F jumps you have, don't worry about it. Just watch those videos you have and critique yourself. If you go back a few pages in these posts you will see a post from me with about the same problem and around the same number of F/F jumps you have now. The big thing is to relax in my opinion. But, no matter what the pro track says... you were flying with some of the big boys and a lighter guy (myself) and we all stayed relative didn't we? Thats what counts! I can't wait to fly with you again in Dec of 04 when I make it back to Florida. We'll watch the videos from last weekend and laugh. -Kenny Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crazy 0 #8 May 28, 2003 QuoteIs it normal for your sit fall rate to fluctuate, until you justh ave tons of jumps and really get in control of it? Or is there something I can watch for. With less than 100 jumps, it's already good that you have a stable sit. It is normal that your fall rate fluctuates, but you don't necessarily need tons of jumps to fix this. Without a video, it is impossible to know what are your specific problems, but your fall rate varies because the area of your body catching the relative wind varies (i know, it's trivial). You can easily identify and correct the main problems in a few jumps, as long as you have a proper sit. So here are a few very general hints. If you can't keep a constant fall rate, it's either that you are too stiff or too loose, or both (loose legs and stiff shoulders for instance). Stiffness will tend to propagate small changes of position to your whole body. For instance, if your knees and hips are locked, then, when your feet are pushed upwards, your whole body will tend to flip. Looseness will create lots of unwanted moves, particularly in the legs. In both cases you have to improve the control of your joints. The main joints to control are the knees, the hips and the shoulders. To improve the control of these joints, it's better to have a "good" position: a neutral position where you have the maximum mobility, and where you don't waste too much energy to fight against the relative wind. The main points to reach this position, are the legs and the torso. The legs: keep a position half way between standing and squating, with a separation of 2 feet between your knees. It is much more comfortable than sitting in the kitchen chair position, and it provides you a much better control of your legs. Watch your legs and check that they don't move randomly. You need lots of tonicity (but no stiffness), and you have to be extremely reactive to bring them back to the proper position when the relative wind push them away. The torso: make sure that it is upright. A good way to control this is the position of your arms. If you can freely move your arms, particularly upwards and frontwards, then it should be ok. If you can't, or if you lose your balance and fall backwards while trying to do so, you probably have your arms locked behind you, with your torso leaning forward. To correct this, you have to move your legs a little bit backwards (easy from the half-squat position) while you bring your arms forward. Sometimes, all of this is strongly connected, and fixing one detail results in a dramatic improvement of the whole position. For instance, if your arms are locked in your back, moving them forward and raising them will improve your stability, straighten your torso, and improve the control of your legs. Trying other positions (standing, kneeling), and moving your limbs asymetrically might also help you to improve your position. A video and a proper debriefing help a lot. Even a picture can tell a lot (butt lower than the knees, knees together, oblique lower legs...) As you are jumping at a large DZ, it shouldn't be a problem to get this. You might even consider investing in a few coached jumps.-- Come Skydive Asia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #9 May 28, 2003 Here's a picture snagged from Talkback from a jump that Chopchop and I did with Sunnydee. This was pretty much the position she was in the whole time. We couldn't see anything that was necessarily standing out that she needed to work on. I am wondering if she was maybe a little stiff, like you mentioned could be a cause of her floatiness, because she did flip out of her sit when she caught Chopchop's burble. I'm also wondering if the pants she's wearing could be catching air and slowing her down. All in all, she did great, and she gave me a chance to work on slowing myself down! She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunnydee123 0 #10 May 28, 2003 Thanks for all the info gang....and support. It makes me feel good and also realize that everything takes time...I'm very happy where I am today seeing as how just 3 months ago I never thought I could jump out of a plane by myself. It's great fun and I'm just going to keep jumping my ass off with all the great people I am meeting. Kenny - Maybe we'll meet up again before 12/04....if I get a phat income tax return this year maybe I'll head California way.....as long as I know I have some floor space to crash somewhere. DEAL?! OH TO HIT THE LOTTERY AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WORK FOR ABOUT A YEAR. I'd come say Hi to everyone who emails me..... Dreams become reality, one choice at a time... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NeedToJump 0 #11 May 28, 2003 Can't really tell from the picture but it looks like you may have your legs bent in a little and leaning forward a little causing a backslide but that you are compensating by having your arms back, hard to tell though. But either way I agree with everyone else, it just takes time and jumps. To work on getting a stable fall rate ask one of your friends who has a solid sit (and a video camera ) to just lay a base for you and you try to just fly on level the whole time. As long as you're having fun you're doing it right Wind Tunnel and Skydiving Coach http://www.ariperelman.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ronnie 0 #12 May 28, 2003 A few things that may be slowing her down, at least in this picture. 1-Her head is looking down catching air (not too big a deal once you learn to fly your torso). 2-Slightly leaning forward and compensating by putting her arms back (probably because she is looking down). 3-Her legs are in a slow position (all 90's). Pushing the legs down to a 45 degree angle will speed things up. This will also help straighten her back. All in all, she looks great for her jump numbers. These are picky comments, but changing it now before muscle memory is built will really help in the future. Good job on the sit! Ronnie Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunnydee123 0 #13 May 28, 2003 Thanks for the tips Ronnie - picky or not, All are welcome and you are right - better to sort stuff out now before I get in a bad habit. I just can't believe how much fun I am having. Dreams become reality, one choice at a time... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pop 0 #14 May 28, 2003 Is there a picture of what a perfect sitfly position looks like. I think that would be helpful to many people.7 ounce wonders, music and dogs that are not into beer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunnydee123 0 #15 May 28, 2003 Anybody heard from AirAnn lately? I want her to see my first sit pic...... Dreams become reality, one choice at a time... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #16 May 29, 2003 Quote Is there a picture of what a perfect sitfly position looks like. I think that would be helpful to many people. Dude!! It's FREE Flying....don't think in a box. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chopchop 0 #17 May 30, 2003 thanks freeflir, I just couldn't think of a kind way to say that... chopchop gotta go... Plaything needs a spanking.. Lotsa Pictures Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SanDiegoRW 0 #18 May 30, 2003 Right.... the perfect sit position is the one that gets you where you want to go when you want to go there. And when that fails, flip onto your head. -Kenny Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #19 May 30, 2003 Quote thanks freeflir, I just couldn't think of a kind way to say that.. Hehehehee...in all seriousness....I had someone comment on a pic of me sitting here http://weblog.joereger.com/qlogger/image.log?logid=6&imageid=1140 They thought I was leaning over too much...feet too wide...etc, etc. I just told them that I can go where I want. Dock when and with what I want....so...CLOSE YOUR HOLE...LOL Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
