{"id":18181,"date":"2018-12-18T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-12-18T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=18181"},"modified":"2022-09-27T15:41:09","modified_gmt":"2022-09-27T15:41:09","slug":"2018-12-18-ten-tips-to-stay-alive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/2018-12-18-ten-tips-to-stay-alive\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten Tips to Stay Alive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Survival skills to keep you skydiving safely till you’re old…<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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There are old skydivers and bold skydivers but no old, bold skydivers<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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I probably count as \u2018old\u2019 after 35 years in the sport, and I\u2019ve learned not to be too bold. I broke my ankle within months of starting, through an incident caused by ignorance about my gear and reluctance to admit I didn\u2019t know something in case I looked stupid.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I looked pretty stupid when I broke my ankle! \ud83d\ude09<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So, a big learning experience\u2026 I became a lot wiser and haven\u2019t injured myself since. But, I\u2019ve seen a lot of shit happen. Learning from the experiences of others can be less painful than going through the lessons yourself. I\u2019ve summarized the most important survival skills I\u2019ve learned, for the newer, bolder jumper to help you skydive safely while you\u2019re getting older\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten Survival Tips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
  1. Know your gear<\/li>
  2. Check and maintain your gear<\/li>
  3. Jump an AAD and a MARD<\/li>
  4. Get to know each load<\/li>
  5. Take your canopy progression slowly<\/li>
  6. Invest in canopy skills<\/li>
  7. Don\u2019t fuck around with a malfunction<\/li>
  8. Be vigilant under canopy<\/li>
  9. Make smart decisions<\/li>
  10. Educate yourself<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    1. Know your gear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Understanding your gear and how it works is crucial. The more you learn, the more confidence you will have, and you will make better decisions under pressure. Do you know, for example, how your MARD\/RSL works and how it should be hooked up, the color of your reserve canopy and reserve pilot chute or how to change your main canopy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Check and maintain your gear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Scrutinize your rig regularly and attend to issues before they become nightmares. Worn Velcro, loose BOCs, ineffective pilot chute, lines that need replacing \u2013 all small things that can lead to big problems. Breaking one small link in a chain can avert a fatality, and it could be as simple as a worn closing loop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Do a gear check every<\/strong> jump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Jump an AAD and a MARD<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    For the regular sport skydiver, there seems to be no viable argument for not wearing a MARD [MARD = Main Assisted Reserve Deployment \u2013 Skyhook, the Trap, the Mojo and similar]. The same is true of AADs. The only argument that is made against AADs and\/or RSLs is, \u2018don\u2019t rely on a device to save your life\u2019. Absolutely! But there is a big difference between relying on something or equipping yourself with the best back-up devices. There are a lot of dead skydivers who would probably still be here if they had used an AAD or RSL\/MARD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As far as whether an experienced jumper should use a Skyhook and\/or an RSL, I absolutely think the benefits far outweigh the risks <\/p>Dan BC<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    4. Get to know each load<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Check out the others on your load so you can count the canopies and understand where everyone is in the pattern. Be aware of exit separation, and the groups either side of you. Look out the door before you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. Take your canopy progression slowly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    In this world we are constantly fed the idea of desiring the latest, coolest, highest performing version of whatever we are interested in. In skydiving that\u2019s not always such a great idea. Buy a canopy that is right for your experience and skills right now. Get familiar with the full range of your canopy, and acquire excellent piloting skills before considering a change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    You have your whole life to kill yourself in this sport so there is no need to be in a hurry<\/p>Matt Gerdes<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    6. Invest in canopy skills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Invest in canopy skills by going on a series of courses. People pay huge amounts of money for tunnel and freefall coaching but many do not invest in canopy skills. Canopy school Flight-1<\/a> has set the worldwide standard and curricula for learning canopy skills in a structured progression. <\/p>\n\n\n\n