Where to start if you want to do basejumping?

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Those who say it can't be climbed should get out of the way of those who are climbing
it

Whell obviously to CLIMB - Since this is a climbing forum and you need to reach the top before you can jump

I'm not a BASE jumper so don't actually know. From the research I did a few years ago most BASE jumpers go out of their way to dissuade you from starting. The sport has a very high injury and fatality count and not many people want to be the one who brought you into the sport. Do yourself a favour and read ADK's book (Sharper Edges) and Dougg's book Confessions of an Idiot to get a feel for how hectic it is.

I found several very comprehensive websites that give good advice to people looking to start. That advice goes from choosing to start and talking to your family about it to canopy selection and pile of other stuff. That site recommended that you dont consider BASE jumping until you have 150-200 sky-dives under your belt. The logic being that you learn how to control a canopy well and that you learn key skills like tracking. After you have the requisite experience I think finding a mentor is the next step.

If you do decide its for you - not a decision I think should be taken lightly please do your homework properly and don't rush in too much.

All the best - fly safe.

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I don't think, therefore I'm Not

If you really wanna fly, maybe consider paragliding as an alternative

Paragliding is really awesome- if you want to come with to check it out give me a PM ( Im in PTA)

Hi Ruank

To answer your question, my advice is to go to a skydiving club, and do an AFF Course first. Then get involved with skydiving up to a level of competency where you have your own rig, skydiving loads, staying current, and getting familiar with the sport.
If you are still keen on Base, by that stage you will have met locals who can offer more advice. There really are no short-cuts. All of my Base buddies are firstly very good skydivers.

Blue skies

Jeff

"Confessions of an Idiot" Video Add

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Climb ZA - Administrator

As far as I know there is one fatality for every 60 jumps done or is it one serious injury for every 60?. Paragliding is not as lethal but anyone who has done any amount of flights will get injured. It's close to 100%. One of my best Buddies Andrew Smith had his 50th a couple of years ago. I had operated on more than half his 50 odd guests including him.

I have done major surgery on 3 past SA Champs and treated well over 50 for serious injuries.

Well known guys including Karl Hayden, ADK and Jeremy Samson have all had serious BASE jumping injuries and Chris Lomax and Anthony Allen serious Paragliding accidents....

In the late 80's and early 90's a lot of climbers got into paragliding and many if not all got injured. I think it is safer now with improved controls, canopies and techniques but guys at the cutting edge still deck as do arbs.

I think 1:60 is the mean mortality rate. i.e. for the population (in this case the population being that of BASE jumpers). Without the actual research its hard to know if that is per annum or over the mean lifetime of someone engaged in the sport. I'd assume annual, which would mean for every 60 people who engage in the sport in a given year 1 of them will die.

FWIW to my knowledge the sport with the highest mortality rate is cave diving (or was it Russian Roulette?)

zb.

There have been 180 BASE jumping fatalities from the early 1970's to date
http://www.blincmagazine.com/forum/wiki ... ality_List
It's not a case of if you'll get hurt, but when

Rock&Ice mag did a comparative risk anaysis of various sports a few years ago and they used as a baseline the American traffic fatality rate of 10 deaths per 100 000 of population.
I don't remember the exact figures but the general trend was:

Sportclimbing 40:100 000
Trad climbing 125:100 000
Alpine climbing 500:100 000
BASE jumping 2000:100 000
Himalayan climbing 5000:100 000

So BASE jumping odds are about 1 in 50 for getting killed and probably 1 in 1.2 for getting injured

AdK

Thanks Andy, the local base jumpers are obviously following Jeb's accident with keen interest and yours is the first comment that highlights the facts.

Yesterday Cape Times quotes Leander Lacy saying its "super safe".



I recall some 6 or 7 years ago listening to Anthony Allen on Cape Talk saying it that Paragliding was Super Safe. He emphasized it and repeated it on multiple occasions. He crashed a week or so latter, shattering his spine, pelvis and lower leg. I was involved in treating him under very stressful circumstances as he was not my patient initially.

Whether these activities are safe or not is one thing. Being honest and transparent about it and accounting for one's actions is another and Mr Lacey is doing more harm than good to the activity by saying it's "super safe".

Here is the article --> Base jumper free from charges

RE: BASE jumping accidents see: Oh Chute - BASE accident breakdown

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Climb ZA - Administrator

hey ruan okay firsty you need a MINUM and i do mean MINUM of 300 normal sky jumps before you can even think of getting into base jumping! This just get your mind used to the idea of falling! Then you need to get used to the feeling of a unconrolled fall speak to your skydiving master on the best way to do this. What you can do is realease your main and then pull your reserve but there are many other ways. Also please note you wont live to long im affraid! There is no room for error and just this year alone already there have been six deaths not to mention last year! Secondly it is very much like heroine! you cant stop im affaid and nothing else will quite do it! unless you start robbing liquer stores at night!

Is MINUM like, short for ALUMINUM? You need 300 ALUMINUM sky jumps? It is like a heroine? I personally like hot chicks that save the day and all, but I don't think Xena is like robbing liquor stores at all. WTF?

I can see plenty of "potential base jumpers" aspirations fading away after reading this thread

Base jumping is obviously much riskier than paragliding but paragliding has many sides to it and can be also very dangerous - Speed riding (small paragliders up to 7sqm), acro paragliding (doing tumbles, loops, misty, etc) if you push it.

I am doing all paragliding disciplines (Acro, speed flying, Tandem and cross country) and have been flying for 17 Years. Many people around me broke them selfs and some friends paid the ultimate price but if you stick to the basics and just want to enjoy basic flying then it can be a super safe sport!

Ps. When I do acro I fly with 2 reserve parachutes (Regalo and round).....

herminator, using the words "super safe" is like using the words "awesome" which is used for most mediocre things by the youth these days.

Life is lethal and is not "super safe". Even wrapping yourself in cotton wool is not super safe as you will die from obesity and lack of exercise.

Use normal language and say that the risk is acceptable to us normal mediocre humans and compare the safety with facts to back you up with other activities such as cycling.

Everything is super safe if you follow every rule, have every back-up, lots of experience and rely on good' ol luck. And even then shit happens