when do i know i'm ready?

[anewempire 0]

how do i know when i'm ready to jump a wing suit? i'm talking about getting the proper wingsuit for a beginner wingsuit jumper and getting the proper coaching. i've heard very experienced jumpers say like 300 jumps and i've also heard very experienced jumpers say to just get proper coaching. what are your thoughts? with 83 jumps i'm not saying i'm going to do this now... just a thought

[phoenixlpr 0]

Have you the F.A.Q. on the top?

[nathaniel 0]

You won't wonder when you know. Take your time, the air will still be there when you have a few hundred jumps.

You are ready when

1- you're willing to do something crazy and stupid and don't mind getting scared, hurt or killed in the process
or
2- you have the means to evaluate your own competence. usually involves another skydiver not as crazy as you, ideally an instructor or a coach and probably someone who knows how to fly a wingsuit already.

My advice is to do what your parents did; get a job, sir. The bums will always lose. Do you hear me, Lebowski?

[anewempire 0]

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Have you the F.A.Q. on the top?

oops, sorry. if i could delete the thread i would

[dploi 0]

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how do i know when i'm ready to jump a wing suit?

Let your heart be your guide.

[northcave 0]

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Let your heart be your guide.

Lol.. shouldn;t it be your head.... i mean if it was your heart i'd be on a wingsuit and i havent even passed my aff yet

[northcave 0]

then again you've done 1900 jumps.,.,,, i think that works out that you've been in free fall for longer than i've been havin hot dinners...

best listen to your heart then...

[Pendragon 1]

You can accelerate the process if you do the right kind of jumps. If you've got tens of tracking jumps making practice wingsuit pulls, keep a heading and know where you are, and have the ability to fly on your back and stop a rotation, you'll be more ready at 200 jumps than some people at 500.

It's all relative. When you feel comfortable...

--
BASE #1182
Muff #3573
PFI #52; UK WSI #13

[lurch 0]

Given that this is one of those subjective things where you'll get as many different answers as you do replies, I'll offer a subjective reply.
You'll know you're ready when it seems the most natural thing to do next.
When you feel totally at home, in a wide delta style track. When you can truly relax in freefall and feel like the air is holding you up.
When you don't get disoriented easily anymore. And you reorient quick and easy when you do.
When your spatial awareness hits the point where you don't need to think about spotting anymore. You look, and at a glance know where you are, where the wind is, where you'll be going after exit, where you will be when you plant canopy, where you can get to from here and where you need to be.
When its been a good long while since the last time you landed out.
When your awareness of time hits a point where you know when, and where, to expect to see canopies opening below you. You know, before you look, where in the sky they will be. You look, and they are there.
When the idea of wearing a suit that effectively ties your hands in freefall doesn't bother you.
Hope this helps.
-B

Live and learn... or die, and teach by example.

[pierre3636 0]

when you feel the force within you

~ time is ~ time was ~ times past ~

[iamsam 0]

When the downy fluff turns into flight feathers, and your nest gets too small

but what do I know

[skysmurf2 0]

Having read the F.A.Q. what kind of tracking is best to practice? I've got a fair few jumps to go before I can wingsuit but as that is an ultimate goal in the sport... I do practice my track as much as possible. However... I mainly practice a very flat track. Have recently been told I should be aiming to track with an angle by flexing my shoulders back and placing my arms very straight behind my back for increased speed. Am not sure of the experience of the person who told me that, so have plans to ask an instructor (both about that kind of track and about what sort of tracking I should work on) but does anyone here have any advice? Would be greatly appreciated.

[jakee 1,500]

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Have recently been told I should be aiming to track with an angle by flexing my shoulders back and placing my arms very straight behind my back for increased speed.

Behind your back as in out of the airflow?

I've heard that advice given to people about diving to a formation but never for efficient tracking...

Things in tracking dives that I think helped me were making sure I spent the entire dive in a track position, including exiting in a track and pulling in a track, practicing the symmetrical wingsuit pull, and mimicking the restrictiveness of a wingsuit - like getting used to riding out the opening without automatically reaching up to the risers etc.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[skysmurf2 0]

Thanks.. I kind of doubted the guys advice which is why I wanted to check with an instructor (still will be asking an instructor about how to practice my tracking) but thanks for the tips... will start practicing exiting into a track and pulling from a track position. Or at least focussing more on what I do at the beginning and end of a track.

[Pendragon 1]

Try tracking in a wingsuit position; i.e. legs apart and arms wide(ish). Practise pulling arms and legs in symmetrically, bending like a banana (arching!) and doing practise-touches on your PC. Stuff like that will prepare you better. Think of it like this: if you can rehearse everything you need to do with the suit of, why complicate things initially? Besides, it will be way more natural for your first flight... and you'll enjoy it more.
Richard

--
BASE #1182
Muff #3573
PFI #52; UK WSI #13