Jake Carlton breaks down when disconnecting your RSL makes sense and when it doesn’t.
For years, the skydiving community has treated the use of RSLs (Reserve Static Lines) in flocking the same way it has in CRW (Canopy Relative Work): disconnect them. The logic has been straightforward, when flying in close proximity with other canopies, the risk of entanglement is high. If you cut away from a wrap and your reserve deploys immediately (as it would with an RSL or MARD), you risk entangling your reserve with another jumper or canopy. That’s a risk no one wants to take.
But as skydiving evolves, so does flocking. And as the discipline matures, growing more dynamic and more complex, It’s time to reexamine whether that long-standing rule still serves us.
What Is an RSL, and What’s a MARD?
Let’s start with the basics.
An RSL (Reserve Static Line) is a device that connects one of the main parachute risers to the reserve ripcord system. When a skydiver cuts away from a malfunctioning main, the RSL pulls the reserve ripcord, initiating deployment, often faster and more reliably than a manual pull.
A MARD (Main Activated Reserve Deployment) system takes it a step further. The most well-known version, the Skyhook, uses the energy and drag of the departing main canopy to extract the reserve from the container, bypassing the need for the reserve pilot chute entirely. It’s significantly faster than a standard reserve deployment and can be lifesaving in low-altitude emergencies.
Why We Traditionally Disconnect RSLs in Flocking
The rationale for disconnecting RSLs during flocking originates from CRW, a discipline where canopy wraps are expected risks. In a wrap, an automatic reserve deployment triggered by an RSL can be disastrous, deploying directly into a still-active entanglement or into a jumper flying below.
By disconnecting the RSL, the jumper has a chance to separate from the entanglement, regain clean air, and manually deploy the reserve. This method, though higher in freefall time, reduces the risk of a second entanglement. It’s a calculated decision based on the nature of the jump.
Early flocking jumps mirrored CRW in structure: stable, stacked formations, followed by a clean break-off above decision altitude. The RSL-off rule made sense in this context, and for years, it stuck.
How Flocking Has Changed
Since Momentum Flight launched the Flock and Flow events in 2019, flocking has taken a major leap forward. Today’s canopy formations are often dynamic, fluid, and multi-leveled meaning, they’re less like CRW and more like high-speed angle flying under canopy.
Jumps now regularly include trail formations, transitions, and team landings with tight proximity on final approach. These more complex scenarios shift the risk profile. In many cases, the danger isn’t happening at high altitudes, it’s actually happening closer to the ground.
If a low-altitude malfunction occurs, a disconnected RSL could mean falling away from the formation with insufficient altitude to manually deploy the reserve. A connected RSL or Skyhook, by contrast, may ensure a fast, automatic deployment in time to save a life.
RSLs On or Off?
The answer is: It depends. This isn’t about replacing one blanket rule with another. It’s about evaluating each jump and deciding where the greatest risk lies. Here’s what you should consider in order to make the decision for each jump:
Disconnect RSL/Skyhook If:
- The jump involves tight, static formations at altitude.
- There’s a high risk of wraps or complex canopy interactions.
- You’re breaking off at higher altitudes, with time and space to clear and manually deploy.
- You’re jumping with less experienced flyers in large formations.
Leave RSL/Skyhook Connected If:
- The jump is dynamic and includes trail formations with spacing at altitude.
- You’re planning a tight group landing with close final approaches.
- There’s a risk of low-altitude malfunctions where fast reserve deployment is critical.
- In situations where turbulence is expected at lower altitudes
- In alpine flocking environments
A Simple Risk Assessment Tool: The “Would You Rather” Test
To conduct this test, you simply weight the risk factors that are most inherent on the skydive and compare them to each other.
When in doubt, ask yourself:
Would I rather cut away in a stable position, deploy my reserve manually, and land in trees, or have my reserve deploy instantly into a possible entanglement below me? (MARD RSL Disconnected)
Vice versa:
Would I rather cut away from an entanglement and end up with a reserve at high altitude, or have an entanglement in the pattern of a team landing and not be able to deploy my reserve quick enough? (MARD RSL Connected)
Your answer reveals your risk priority for that jump.
If you’d rather land off into a less-than-ideal landing area, than deploy into an entanglement, you may choose to disconnect. If your concern is having enough time for reserve deployment at all, then keeping your RSL (MARD) connected.
Final Thoughts
Flocking is no longer a niche offshoot of CRW. It’s a dynamic and growing canopy discipline of its own. As it evolves, so must our approach to safety. RSL and MARD use is not a yes-or-no question; it’s a situational judgment call that should be made before every jump.
As with all aspects of skydiving, progression means more than just better flying. It also means smarter decision-making. Stay current. Stay safe. Keep moving.
Glossary:
- CRW (Canopy Relative Work): Flying parachutes in close proximity with intentional docking.
- Flocking: Dynamic, coordinated canopy flight without docking, often using high-performance canopies.
- RSL (Reserve Static Line): A system that automatically pulls the reserve ripcord after a cutaway.
- MARD (Main Activated Reserve Deployment): A system that uses the main canopy to extract the reserve for faster deployment.
- Skyhook: A specific MARD design using the departing main as a pilot chute for the reserve.
