Parachuting In Extreme Ways
Parachuting in normal conditions using typical parachute equipment can be dangerous in its own right. However, did you know that there are advanced forms of skydiving that add another layer and edge to the parachute jumping experience? Whether you are just starting in the sport of skydiving, or whether you’ve been in it awhile and are looking for the next big challenge, the following forms of skydiving will be sure to peak your interest.
Among the several types of skydiving, BASE jumping is actually considered to be the most extreme and dangerous. BASE is an acronym which refers to the Building, from which a person can jump from; Antennae, which can be an aerial mast, uninhabited structure or tower; Span, which is a bridge-like structure; and Earth, meaning cliffs, mountains or canyons. BASE jumping is only done by very experienced skydivers because it includes big risks.
Wing-suit flying is a branch of skydiving that is a fairly recent occurrence. A wing-suit is a high tech invention that skydivers wear, which has webbing stitched in between the arms and legs. When worn while skydiving, the wing-suit acts as an airfoil, which gives the skydiver an extra lift. Records indicate that the slowest speed ever accomplished while wearing a wing-suit is twenty five mph. Once you reach a specified altitude, you must unzip your wing-suit’s arm webbing so that you can pull your parachute cord and continue parachuting in the traditional way.
Sky-surfing is a form of skydiving that is said to be an even more extreme and adrenaline-pumping rendition of skydiving. During sky-surfing, the skydiver uses a board that is somewhat similar to a snowboard, but in a smaller size and is attached to the diver’s feet. Sky-surfing is thought to be hard simply because a board attached to your feet is extremely hard to control. Even simply trying to stand straight requires some skill and precise balance that can only be gained from considerable experience in free-flying.
Just like in free-style skydiving, during sky-surfing you have an auxiliary partner whose duty is to take skydiving video of your sky-surfing performance. The boards can be detached while you are in mid-air as a safety precaution. But, this can create an extra hazard for those on the ground. Skydiving equipment falling from such a great height can kill, which is why not every skydiving center allows this kind of skydiving.
Sky-surfing uses a different type of parachute called a sport parachute, which is different than the traditional chutes used in other areas of skydiving, like military parachutes for instance. When it comes to the boards used, the person just beginning to sky-surf should start out with a board that is around 35 inches long, with perpendicular bindings for increased stability. You can progress to longer, more advanced boards that give you greater mobility for difficult stunts and parachute games as your skill level increases.
After receiving skydiving certification and making hundreds of practice jumps, anyone interested in going a step further with BASE jumping, sky-surfing and wing-suits should buddy up with a mentor in the skydiving community who can teach them the intricacies of such advanced maneuvers. Parachuting in normal conditions is thrilling, yet adding another layer onto that only makes it more so.
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