Splat!...Ouch!....

[base587]

I'm working on aerials off a diving board at my local pool. What is the best protection to stop me from splitting open my torso? A t-shirt helps somewhat. How about a neoprene wetsuit vest? Any thoughts?

[bps]

Hello -

A "shorty" wetsuit works great!

But even then, I wouldn't want to take one on my belly from too high...

C-ya,

Bryan

[guest]

>>What is the best protection to stop me from splitting open my torso?

A dive coach.

[guest]

I BASE jump, and dove competitively in college. I recommend, as mentioned above, a coach that can lead you in the right direction. as for the "smacks", a t-shirt kinda sucks because it is a pain in the ass to wear when wet. If you don't have a wetsuit, or don't want to invest in one, you can get what surfers call a "rash guard" that is a neoprene shirt in long or short sleeves. they come in thicker models also that will provide more protection.

a couple of hints, start on the 1 meter board first so you learn the takeoffs and board work first so you don't get hurt. as you work your way up the tower, 3 meter, 5, 7.5, 10, be very careful about going flat to simulate the BASE jump as you are entering the water, no amount of wet suit will protect you. true, your skin won't split, but the wind will be knocked out of you. I have seen many accomplished national level divers getting saved from the pool after a belly flopping from the 10 meter platform

good luck, let me know if you want more pointers or want a technical explanation of a dive.

c-ya

BASE592

[guest]

BASE 592,

I have some questions. Email me at basegoddess@hotmail.com

BASE 411

[Dwain]

>be very careful about going flat to
>simulate the BASE jump as you are
>entering the water,

You should never attempt enter the water flat when simulating an aerial BASE jump (for reasons other than pain avoidance). The best way to train is with the mindset that entering the water equates to the time of p/c release (or transitioning to a track for longer delays).
For backward rotating somersaults (backs and reverses/gainers), you need to straighten your body and throw the p/c when you are head down. Canopy extraction will (or should) then occur when you are horizontal and line stretch should occur when you are slightly head high. This sequence of body position relative to stages of deployment results in an excellent chance for an on-heading and minimizes potential entanglement complications.
For forward rotations (fronts and inwards), you need to straighten your body and throw the p/c when you are in a standup position (be very careful not to toss the p/c too early or it can go under your arm – see numerous bridle friction burn scars near my right armpit). Canopy extraction should occur when you are 45 degrees head high and line stretch when you are level. Deploying out of front rotations in low airspeed is much harder than back rotations because you can only rotate 90 degrees during the deployment, whereas with a back you can rotate up to 180 degrees during the deployment. Therefore on front rotations, timing on p/c release and rotation speed relative to deployment airspeed is much much more critical. Try doing a front somersault stowed with a 1.5 sec delay and not being head down on line stretch – it’s doable but the timing and execution has to be precise (almost approaching the difficulty of doing something well in the sport of springboard diving). However as you delay longer on front rotations deployment becomes exponentially easier.

Anyway for using the springboard / platform for training in BASE, the following dives equate to the following basic aerials in BASE jumping:

BASE Aerial = Springboard/Platform Dive
------------------------------------------------
Gainer = Reverse dive (dive entry)
Double Gainer = Reverse 1 and a half (dive entry)

Back = Back dive (dive entry)
Double Back = Back 1 and a half (dive entry)

Front = Front somersault (feet entry)
Double Front = Double front somersault (feet entry)

Inward = Inward Somersault (feet entry)
Double Inward = Double Inward Somersault (feet entry)


One word of caution: Self teaching aerials in the dive environment often results in bad technique. Bad technique can be used to successfully achieve many basic aerials in the BASE environment, however as soon as you try to progress to something more challenging you will find progression difficult if not impossible.
Un-learning bad technique often takes longer than learning the correct technique. It’s almost more important to have a dive coach when learning the fundamentals than when trying to learn advanced maneuvers.

In regards to protection from pain, a short sleeve / leg wetsuit (springsuit) works well. A number of years ago I had a dive coach who used to put bubble wrap down my chest and back inside the wetsuit to make up for the lack of a bubble machine at the pool (note: it didn’t make up for it). No matter what though, if you dive you are going to feel pain very frequently (though cumulatively probably not as much as the wall strike you may eventually avoid).

BSBD,
Dwain

P.S. }> Practical Joke #4 to play on unsuspecting BASE jumping friends who want you to teach them aerials:
Take them to the pool. Tell them that they have to train on the 10 meter platform as the freefall time more closely resembles an actual BASE jump. Stick a rag in the back of their swimmers and tell them this equates to the p/c and that they have to have it out before they hit the water. Show them the basics for doing a gainer (or something more advanced) and tell them to run off, do the gainer and get the rag(p/c) out before impact. If they show signs of hesitance tell them that it’s only water and that 8 year old girls do this all the time (that usually works if they are male). Sit back, watch and video – provides ample entertainment for everyone around. }>
(Sh*t, I hope DJ doesn’t read this... )