How many jumps should a newbie (12 BASE jumps from a span) make with an experienced BASE jumper/instructor on a new object (antenna) before jumping it alone (with ground crew only)?

[skydvr18]

[imported_Tom Aiello]

OK, I lost your email address, but I thought I'd comment here.

This decision is probably more complex than just "how many jumps"?

I'd think about these things:

1) Have you stood alone on the exit point, and exited? This is a spooky feeling the first few times (heck, it's spooky the hundredth time). But, you can practice it by just going last on the load. You won't get quite the same feel, but you'll have an idea. Are you ready to handle that feeling for the whole load (climb up, exit, etc)? You decide.

2) How well do you know the object? Is something going to happen that surprises you (that 1 in 20 surprise inspection by the engineers, for example), but that wouldn't throw your buddy? How will it feel to be alone on the object if that happens?

3) Do you still ask questions of your mentor on the object? If there are still things you need reassurance about, or don't know about, consider waiting. You ought to be able to "lead" the load (i.e. you answer the questions that others ask) before you go it alone.

In the end, this is a personal judgment call. Some people are ready to do a "solo" load, just with ground crew, very early. Some people just don't feel comfortable that way. Either way, it's ok. The trick is to find out what you are comfortable with, and do that.

--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@ucdavis.edu

[imported_mknutson]

It depends upon the jumper, as well as the new object.

100 from perrine would hardly make you ready for you first cliff jump by yourself in Moab. But it might. Only a respectible instructor would tell you so.

Honestly, I think that you should never go to a new object type by yourself. Go with someone who has jumped that object, or that type of object as they should know what to look out for.

Just becasue everything goes correct on your other jumps does not mean the ##### won't hit the fan on this next jump.

[Skypuppy]

It gets sort of lonely on the climb up. (unless your ground crew is a really hot chick and you can just think about what you're gonna do when you get down).:o

[skydvr18]

Thanks for the advice guys, and thanks to those who voted. Thanks for the tip Skypuppy...hot chicks for ground crew!! ;-) C-ya!!

Blue Skies,
Josh

[guest]

I pretty much agree with Tom A. about new objects. I now have 23 jumps off an 'A' and when I'm not jumping with my mentor, I'm jumping with someone else with double my experience. Getting used to reading the winds takes some time. Are the winds crossing the wires?, off the wires but still to strong and gusty?, or I've even seen winds at one direction at 400', another at 800' and somewhere in between at 1200'. Basically I try to imagine any scenario, situation, etc... and then ask as many other jumpers that I know what they would do in that circumstance. I feel that I am just now getting to a point where I would jump our home 'A' with just me and some type of ground crew. C-YA