Re: [Calvin19] Stats on fatalities for base jumping?
In reply to:
But isn't the real question, how to judge when you or someone is ready/have enough experience to take the leap from skydiving to base jumping ?
That's for each individual to decide on their own. Ultimately it's a personal choice. However, if one wants to paricipate in the social aspects of the jumping community having others deem your experience sufficient is important. Public events have requirements based on jump numbers while individual communities in various locations may judge by different standards, which may or may not be based on your jump numbers.
In reply to:
a while ago it was up to you if you were ready. but BASE is kinda turning into skydiving.
I'm not sure what you mean by "awhlie ago". Can you please explain?
Each individual chooses when they're ready to jump, and no one accidently dons a rig and leaps forward from an exit point without the full commitment to the risks and experience. Some are just more realistic about those risks and what experience is necessary to succeed in the long run than others.
Some may choose to point to the fatality list or the potato bridge as evidence that newbies are perfectly justified in entering the sport with limited skydiving experience, neither the BFL nor the bridge are indicative of the injuries, arrests, and other life altering experiences that result from those who enter the sport prematurely.
It's also interesting that those who opt to enter the sport with limited skydiving experience argue with those with significant BASE experience about what does or does not prepare one for the sport. Who in that discussion has more information, knowledge and experience with regards to the topic at hand?
The other common argument made by those who choose to enter the sport with limited skydiving experience is that their proficiency in sport XYZ translates to BASE. As they draw parallels from their other sports to BASE they believe that increased skydiving experience would not provide additional benefit to the preparation. They believe there is a skill threshold to entering into BASE and they've surpassed the minimum and therefore do not additional training or preparation. Again, it's odd that they hold such confidence in the translation of skills into a sport they haven't yet begun.
Then again the sport tends to attract the rebellious type who aren't particularly skilled at listening to the way things be done. It would seem more intellectually honest to proclaim that one is entering the sport with an insufficient number of skydives, is not well prepared, and is increasing their chances of permanent injury by getting into the sport early rather than to try to convince those who have been in the sport for awhile that someone doesn't need 200 skydives to be well prepared.
When someone wants something bad enough there is no limit for self-justification. If someone wants to jump badly enough they'll concoct some formula or story that justifies it, convince themselves of it, and no one, but no one, is going to talk them out of it. In their heart and mind they likely know the foolhardy nature of their endeavor but nonetheless passion of the heart overwhelms the intelligence of the brain and the classic tale of the human condition plays itself out. I'd like to think that said individual realizes the faulty nature of their logic and understands that what they're doing is extremely dangerous. Some do, and I've certainly met some who don't. But if you jump long enough eventually the earth will remind you, and no amount of pleading, storytelling, or crazy logic paths is going to negotiate your out of it. Hard objects are unmoving that way.
In reply to:
But isn't the real question, how to judge when you or someone is ready/have enough experience to take the leap from skydiving to base jumping ?
There are a lot of dead BASE jumpers who had lots of skydiving and BASE experience, and a lot more who are damaged and injured from the sport. The real question for would be jumpers is: Why do you think you won't be one of them?
-=Raistlin
