This weekend was another skydiving lesson learned – this time, from the comfort of the ground.
Or really, I should say the uncomfort of the ground. As anyone who’s engrossed in any sport knows, having to sit on the sidelines while fellow athletes are out doing what they love has a tendency to make you quite antsy.
At one point, one of the jump masters asked me “are you okay, or is this killing you?”
Sure, I wanted to be jumping, but I was not about to enter into the risks under canopy yesterday.
As I mentioned in a previous post, Cleveland Parachute is a place where friends gather every weekend, and we’re getting a great core group of jumpers. We’re out there supporting each other, giving each other a hard time when our landings are sub-par, and learning from one another.
It’s great to have other jumpers with similar experience, and those with significantly more experience to provide pointers. And although skydiving is one of those sports where you have to learn the little tricks that work for you, it never hurts to hear and see what the experienced jumpers are doing.
This weekend was a great learning experience for us all.
Winds were high – higher than normal anyhow – and there was lots of discussion on canopy control and staying West of the drop zone as long as possible.
Unfortunately, for us students, with larger canopies and less experience, the winds were very much against us. As I watched two of my friends who are current AFF students get pushed backwards into fields far past the drop zone I quickly decided that jumping was not a smart idea. And given that I jump a ‘chute the same size as these guys (who are both 40 pounds heavier), who knows where that wind would have pushed me.
So, to save myself from ending up in Pennsylvania, I stayed grounded.
In hindsight, it probably didn’t hurt to give my elbow an extra week to rest from last week’s fall.
Regardless, it was a great day spent at the DZ with my weekend family. And if the weather stays true to the forecast, we’ll be headed back out this coming weekend for some more jumping.
Blues Skies!
-A
[...] taking two weeks off – due to wind and a minor elbow injury, as you may recall – my level of nervousness was a little higher than usual, but as soon as that door opened at 10,000 [...]
Wise choice. two of my three injuries from jumping came from getting in the plane while thinking “The wind’s not that high!” Sprained ankle (limped three weeks) and the other a sprained wrist from falling backwards while landing going backwards (those were the “round days” but the knowing your limits still applied).
If a little voice in your head says “something isn’t right” in anything you do around the sport…take heed, it’s most likely saying it for a reason.
Third injury? Well, lots of jumpers, big weekend, crowded traffic pattens…and turning too soon to avoid a collision. Sprained fingers, but livable.
Blue Skies!