www.ravstass.com > RAVSTASS Wiki > High Performance > Air Division > Skydiving 

Mindset 

In many ball sports, winning is usually achieved by scoring more goals. Missing does you no detriment, so long as you still make more. Golf meanwhile punishes you badly, adding to your score regardless whether your shot was good or bad. The bad shots matter just as much as the putts made. Tennis differs yet again, it is possible to score less overall points than your opponent, but if you win games and sets at the right moment, you can still win. Skydiving competitions are won in the preparation. The logistical chain of events, are for each individual, a conveyor belt of meticulous steps, with the added feature of grave danger, setting this sport apart from all others. Skydiving has further unique propositions. While other sports, allow freedom for individual talent to take over and shine at key moments, team skydiving requires perfect synchronicity, on three axis of movement. No one individual can fix the picture, all members must respond to each other. Coaching is also unique, given that unlike other sports, where the coach is an active participant, or a captain can communicate on the field, the methods of communication are reduced to eye contact and body language. While skill is always beneficial, the ability to bring all these components safely and successfully together can be immediately undone by lack of preparation. While skill is earned through repetition, we can minimise our loss of potential points that we are already capable of with our current skill set, by controlling the controllable. 

Preparation of Gear

1. Clear Visor - Avoid tints, as eye contact, and body language are crucial to reading your teammates. 

2. Gear Bag - A gear bag that doubles as a suitable packing weight is very useful, when the DZ is busy and there are no packing weights left. You need to keep up with your teammates in the load cycle. 

3. Closing Loops - Always have spare closing loops. You must not find yourself in a situation mid-competition, spending time looking for a spare to buy/borrow. It is also worth replacing your closing loop regardless of condition, prior to round 1 to hopefully see you through every jump without delay. Since you will be time compressed, take extra special care to be gentle with your loop, pulling through back of the pin. Fixing a closing loop is always a priority, but avoiding damage in the first place will avoid comprimising your debriefing/rehearsal time. 

4. Rubber Bands - Have enough for yourself (and that teammate who forgot). 

5. Known Gear - Competition is not the time to be testing a new rig/chute/suit. Only use gear that you are already 100% familiar and confident with. 

6. Spare Rig - Consider having a spare rig available if a member has a reserve ride. What size parachute would suit (most if not all) your teammates. 

7. Spare Footwear - Spare socks, especially in winter, it is hard to concentrate if you got wet feet from previous landing. Also, spare footwear in case you lose a shoe out the door. 

8. Gloves. To colour code each flying position, Fluoro coloured gloves are suggested www.foxracing.com.au/mens/moto/gloves/dirtpaw.  

9. Consumables - In addition to water, fruit, snacks; add Electrolyte capsules with Magnesium that you can dissolve in your drink bottle to alleviate aches. 

Training Goals

1. Know your exit weight - Get your naked weight, then get your weight with all gear, clothing, rig. Subtract the former from the latter, to obtain your gear/clothing/rig weight. You can then use this figure which is fixed, to add to your naked weight as it varies. This is crucial for calculating weight belts, understanding your weight relative to your teammates, and for being realistic in your wing loading. A bad landing, while hazardous in itself, might also destroy the teams chances of scoring points in future rounds. Extra wing loading should never be a surprise. 

2. Experiment with each members position - The following guide is not prescriptive, consider also skill level, competition experience, as well as knowledge of the jumps and leadership qualities:
   Point (Red) = Lightest
   Outside Centre (Green) = Heavy
   Inside Centre (Blue) = Light
   Tail (Yellow) = Heaviest 

3. Experiment with different exits - As competitions are timed, it is crucial to score points at the top of the jump, and not the bottom. If you score all your points near break-off, you are probably out of time already and scored zero! Therefore being able to reliably establish an exit, will prevent rounds from being wasted. You want to have at least one (1) exit that everyone is 100% confident in, that is rehearsed in training. You may find that depending on the success of your exits, you may have to adjust the positions of each member, until the balance works for your team. 

4. Team Discussion to lock in the positions and exits - Prior to competition, but after your first training session(s), have a team discussion to openly share everyone's level of comfort with their positions and exits. It is important to do this early in training, as each member will be visualising their role through to competition. It is too late, on the eve of competition to be raising doubts, or making changes. 

5. Visualise previous competitions - Now that you have established your positions and exits, you have a foundation to visualise from. As you do not know the jump plans prior to competition, research previous similar competitions, and visualise those as a team. Do this prior to every tunnel/DZ training session. Have copies everywhere that you have spare time, so you effectively trip over it. On the wall, on your desk, on your bedside table. 

6. Personal training - Ensure you have days as a team or individual where you have done as many (or more) jumps as what you expect to do on each day of competition, in order to determine your level of fitness. While the goal should always to be as fit as possible, the importance is to have no lapse in concentration through fatigue, that costs your team a point you were all capable of.  

7. Tunnel training - If you have the opportunity for Tunnel training, suggest the following timings, to replicate to some extend the ten (10) rounds.
   e.g.
   4:00pm - 60 min prior: Check-in, walk-through the 10 rounds.
   5:00pm - 1 x 15 minute session of 1 min 30 sec  blocks (=10 intervals). 
   5:30pm - 60 min break: Debrief, comfort, walk-through next session.
   6:30pm - 1 x 15 minute session of 1 min 30 sec blocks (=10 intervals). 
   7:00pm - Debrief. 
   
   

Dive Pool

Exits - Side Door

Exits - Rear Door

Rear exits are fantastic for formation jumping, with plenty of room on the tailgate to setup. Presentation is key, relevant to the prop blast and timing. Initially the jump will be into a void, before the slipstream carries the formation in a line away from the aircraft. Anticipating the prop blast is therefore crucial to avoid a funnel. This is the main difference, since on a side door exit the slipstream is immediate. 

1. Which exits to try - Symmetrical and round formations where the set-up is easier on both the ramp and during the launch are preferable. Exits where the individuals can see each other are also beneficial, in order that teammates can adjust for each other. M, A, P, H, 18 (Top) are all worthwhile exits. Consider chest strap cross grips. 

2. Positioning - Turn the formation 45 degrees anti-clockwise, so that OC and Tail are positioned symmetrically on ramp, and Point is not too far inside aircraft. 

3. Exit Thoughts - Everyone tuck knees. OC and Tail step back. IC and Point aim to kick top of door. Presentation to be steep, hitting air almost vertical. 

4. Airspeed difference - As rear door aircraft, tend to be larger than Caravans, the airspeed is likely to be in range of 10-40 knots faster. The hill is still 45 degrees from door down, rather than to the side. 

Competition Rhythm

Having a rhythm as a team is important for efficiently using your time between jumps, to perfect the jump plan and ensure also that everyone is relaxed and comfortable. 

1. Evening prior - Try to arrive to DZ the evening prior, in order to check-in, have gear inspected, have a team dinner, and walk through the jumps (which are often released on the eve). Arriving at DZ day prior can be crucial if you have never jumped there prior, as there may be additional administration, such as the issuing of jump cards, additional waivers which might be unfamiliar to your regular DZ). 

2. Morning of comp - Find an area that suits your team and try and establish that as your packing area. There is a lot of information that can be shared while you are packing alongside, as well as healthy peer pressure to keep in sync. Many individuals joining a team for the first time, will go to their preferred packing area. This wastes valuable time between jumps. In choosing a spot, also consider shade/comfort later in the day. 

3. After jumps - Priority is to find room in the packing area and pack first. Avoid wasting any energy on regrets of any errors (real or perceived). In order to perform on future jumps, your energy needs to refocus on the preparation ahead. 

4. Debrief - After you have packed, then you (might) get time to debrief. Avoid temptation to pause video on first play, as you may get interrupted and called forward in the load plan. If you have more time, then go into more detail on the second play. Competition debriefing is about what is fixable now, it is too late to change/coach individual skillsets. Coaching needs to focus on your existing skillset and what opportunities are available now. Some suggested briefing formats are on our Coaches page. 

5. Comfort - You need to keep margin for everyone's personal comfort, avoid temptation to continue to debrief until next load is called. Allow time for toilet breaks etc, you might use the previous load as a cue. 

6. Creepers? - Avoid copycatting other teams. Choose your rehearsal system that suits your team, and the environment. Don't creep in unhealthy heat for the sake of it. Preserving energy for the sky, might yield greater results than using it all on the ground where no points are scored. Whatever you choose, have a clear time that this occurs, prior to gear up, or after gear up call with rigs on, or both if time permits. 

7. Mock up - If you are limited in rehearsal time, priority should be given to the mock-up. As stated earlier, points are scored at the top of jumps (not the bottom, when time is out), therefore it is crucial that the transition from your exit into the flow of your first point(s) is 100% understood. Failure to do this, will cost points that you had the skills to achieve. 

Post Competition

Following competition, regardless of the result, be proud of what you have achieved together. The points made, the lessons learned and the experience gained. Your results, become your new benchmark, with your aiming being to make your best result your new average, and find bigger results in future. The experiences on the road to improvement also help you at your home DZ to bring new members into competition. 

1. Report your results - Do send your results via a RAVSTASS Post Activity Report, which may include extra information to improve this page. 

2. Honour Board - Your team results will be posted to the RAVSTASS Honour Board. 

3. Team Portrait - Regardless of result, we would love to see your team portrait. Champion teams also have their portraits on our Winners page. 

4. Plan your improvement - In reviewing your performance, you might feel need to create a shopping list of skills to improve. To roundly develop this, the Aussie Bigways Development Planner may be a helpful starting point www.aussiebigways.com/skills-development/development-planner/ 

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