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base428

Landing in deep water

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I'm interested in hearing any stories about jumpers who've landed in deep water with a wingsuit. Was the suit difficult to remove? Did you have to remove the suit to stay afloat? Where you able to tread water with the suit on? What is the best procedure to stay alive, or was it not really an issue?

I'm just preparing for some upcoming jumps near water and I've been known to wander around a bit..... thanks.
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All of the Base wingsuiters that I know personnally that Have planned a water landing wore a thin 2 mil wet suit to protect themselves from the cooler fiord water temps. Even a little neoprene has a lot of bouyancy.
But it sounds like some have had luck without the use of floatation assistance. Tom made a comment earlier in a different forum PM him or post this in the Base forum as those folks would be the likely practitioners of intentional wingsuit water landings.

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Yo !

I have made 3 landings in deep water, both fresh and salty. Waited for a boat on one and had to swim a bit to the shore on others. I had to unzip in the water, being there in the first place because of flying too far and pulling too low. It really wasn't an issue even without any flotation gear. I could swim somewhat with my legs zipped (on one jump booties were tied with a pull-up cord ;) and quite easily with one leg free - even towing a canopy . Didn't need to get out of the suit completely. However these landings happened in calm water. Waves and currents can drastically change the situation - i would highly recommend some compact inflatable flotation gear if you are over an open ocean, for example.

bsbd!

Yuri.

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Jason,

I have made one landing in deep water with a wingsuit, screw up and end up in a burble under canopy. Usually when I jump with wings and I have a good chance/risk to end up in water I have a inflatable life jacket under my suit. That is if there is no boat. This time I did have a inflatable life jacket.

I think it is hard to swim in the suit as the wings fills with water and it slows you down. I think keeping your head above the water are relatively easy but swimming can be hard. I know one guy ending up in water with a wingsuit and he was lucky enough to have jumpers standing at the waters edge and one of them had to rescue him, I do not know if he was a good swimmer or not.

My advise. If you have a boat ... land close to the boat :) If you do not have a boat even with ground crew on the beach and there is a possibility that you end up pretty far out I would have a life jacket.

PerFlare

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Hey Jason,
I have some personal video I'd love to show you sometime of myself landing in a very fast moving river. I get sucked downstream, and manage to hang the canopy up on a river rock. I end up chopping that puppy. It took three of us to pull it out. The current ripped the stitching out of a riser, and turned it into a flat piece of webbing.
I would strongly suggest not ever landing in a wing-suit in any type of moving water !!!!

Jay Epstein Ramirez
www.adrenalineexploits.com

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