{"id":45764,"date":"2023-06-29T10:55:12","date_gmt":"2023-06-29T10:55:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=45764"},"modified":"2023-06-29T10:58:38","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T10:58:38","slug":"hero-mindset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/hero-mindset\/","title":{"rendered":"Hero Mindset"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Heroes in our sport are the ones who understand how to earn longevity through mitigating risk<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Relaxed and happy is possible when you’re eliminating risks with good decision-making <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Overheard at the dropzone the other day: <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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Coach \u2013 \u201cWell, it looks like we\u2019ll be on standby for a while. The winds are gusting to 29 knots.\u201d<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n


250-jump Student \u2013 \u201cI\u2019m cool jumping that. I don\u2019t mind.\u201d <\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coach, who had told his student that they\u2019d hold off on jumping due to the winds, ended up having a detailed discussion about why gusts with high wind spread are dangerous and why 29 knot\/33 mph winds are dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we speak about the spread, we mean the amount of speed the winds pick up from high to low. Winds of 15 knots that are steady are far safer than winds that are gusting from 5 to 15 knots. That spread could be the difference between landing at 15 knots and having that wind drop to 5 in a second, or landing in 5 knots and getting gusts up to 15 in a second. High gusts impact canopy performance in a range of ways from nuisance to catastrophic, including higher turbulence to dreaded canopy collapse<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Take a cue from some of the experienced leaders in our sport
Image by Michael McGowan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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As dangerous as high gusts are, so is a mindset that is misguided into thinking that jumping in poor and unsafe conditions is what is brave, courageous or in any way cool. <\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So often newer jumpers make bold decisions to jump in less than ideal situations, boasting about it as though they had more courage than those opting to stand down in weather. This is often a sign of a new jumper who hasn\u2019t had the right kind of education so far in their skydiving life. Time and experience in the sport will hopefully uncover for most skydivers that there is no jump that is worth wishing you were on the ground, wishing you hadn\u2019t gotten on the plane. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Safe skydiving is cool
Image: Kristian Moxnes by Gustavo Cabana<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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What is a hero mindset? <\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n