Skydiving

Mastan Bhai · Post by **Mastan Bhai** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 11:59 pm

Have you done this? Would you?

I was in Thailand sometime ago and had even booked a tandem jump but the only dropzone there (Pattaya) had shut down indefinitely at the time, due to problems with their plane. So I haven't jumped yet.

I like rollercoasters, speeding, reckless biking, hard drugs etc so I'm the kind of person who enjoys pushing myself and adrenaline in general. But rationally speaking, there is no need to do this. It always bothers me to think about skydiving. Is jumping out of a plane willingly and hoping that the chute opens as crazy as getting on a plane in the first place if you don't know how to fly it and entrusting a stranger with your life? Is a tandem instructor logically playing the same role as that of an aircraft pilot?

GutsyGibbon · Post by **GutsyGibbon** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 10:04 am

Mastan Bhai;414211
speeding, reckless biking, hard drugs etc

You could have asked the same question without these careless words. (careless about other life) For the record - these are not in the same category as sky diving. Sky diving is clean fun, no one else is at risk. In So. Cal its done in the deserts, cant even crash into others.

Talking of adrenaline, something I want to do is wingsuit base jumping, perhaps after my kids are on their own :) Checkout the top 7 jumps.
http://dsc.discovery.com/adventure/wingsuit-base-jumping-7-coolest-videos-of-all-time.html#mkcpgn=fbdsc15

Mastan Bhai · Post by **Mastan Bhai** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 3:50 pm

GutsyGibbon;414312You could have asked the same question without these careless words. (careless about other life) For the record - these are not in the same category as sky diving. Sky diving is clean fun, no one else is at risk. In So. Cal its done in the deserts, cant even crash into others.

What can I say, I'm a solipsist :)

cabo · Post by **cabo** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:01 pm

Mastan Bhai;414334What can I say, I'm a solipsist :)

Infants are solipsist. my friend.:) (You have a lot of growing up to do).

For all others, There is always the big book of psychiatry- the DSM- " solpisism syndrome " ?

okonomi · Post by **okonomi** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 8:53 pm

For a solipsist, bungee jumping would be a good thing. No pilots or noisy planes. Just a rope and a lot of quiet. After the jump, if one is still feeling like a solipsist, one can climb back up the rope to the starting point. High bridges are popular locations for this. Question: Have they started bungee jumping off the Worli-Bandra link bridge ?

Man · Post by **Man** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:21 pm

okonomi;414381For a solipsist, bungee jumping would be a good thing.

Actually bungee jumping would be ideal for a slippist.....

dbs · Post by **dbs** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:28 pm

Yes, there would be lot of aderalin flowing when you jump. All you need is faith in the guy who put your chute together and that you would remember to pull the string at the right time. They give you a watch like gadget to tell you it is time. they also can have a reserve for the chute that can open automatically, in case you get frozen with fear.

In a tandem jump, one does not have to worry about these. Your partner, usually a very experienced one will take care of all that.

But, yes, accidents still happen. Being a solipsist, you have no one else to worry about.

Man · Post by **Man** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:39 pm

dbs;414389But, yes, accidents still happen. Being a solipsist, you have no one else to worry about.

Even then when an "accident" does happen a sol-i-pist does have the manners to say "solly".
:)

GutsyGibbon · Post by **GutsyGibbon** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:47 pm

okonomi;414381For a solipsist, bungee jumping would be a good thing. No pilots or noisy planes. Just a rope and a lot of quiet. After the jump, if one is still feeling like a solipsist, one can climb back up the rope to the starting point. High bridges are popular locations for this. Question: Have they started bungee jumping off the Worli-Bandra link bridge ?

Wingsuit base jumping, no ropes either, just fly like an eagle. Saw these guys fly in Lauterbrunnen - just amazing.
Bungee event was organized in 2009 and this happened in B'lore.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-04-12/bangalore/28042614_1_bungee-jump-adventure-and-rejuvenation-sachin-venkateshaiah
Adventure sport and safety/risk mitigation needs a lot of work. Till then people should stick to something like Zorbing.

cabo;414357Infants are solipsist. my friend.:) (You have a lot of growing up to do).
For all others, There is always the big book of psychiatry- the DSM- " solpisism syndrome " ?

On the bright side, by replying to this thread, I did learn a new word. The word has nothing to do with Skydiving, or any other sport.

gulfIndian · Post by **gulfIndian** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 11:04 pm

Paragliding is an adrenalin pumping experience, which I enjoyed a couple of years ago in Manali in HP while on a holiday visit. The parachute is attached to you with lot of harness and the instructor is behind you. A short run on a gentle slope on a cliff and you take off. You get to sit on a swing seat and the instructor controls the chute for a safe landing. It is an exhilarating feeling as you take off as the air currents pull up rapidly and the view from hundreds of meters above with your feet dangling in the air is breathtaking . It starts from a vantage point on the road to Rohtang Pass from Manali. It costs just Rs. 1500 for a flight of 5 to 10 minutes.