BASE Jumping
1. Q. How many jumps do I need?
A. You must have made 50 prior parachute jumps, skydives and/or BASE jumps to participate. If you are a first time Bridge Day BASE jumper please refer to the training question (Q6) below.
2. Q. When do I need to register?
A. Registration begins July 1st
3. Q. How much does it cost?
A. Jump Passes are $75.00
4. Q. What’s included in my registration fee?
A. Some super secret stuff we can’t tell you about… but you do get a T-shirt and the right to jump in front of thousands of spectators cheering you on as you fly down into the gorge below.
5. Q. Is BASE jumping at Bridge Day safer than other 1st jumps?
A. BASE jumping is inherently dangerous, and you can be seriously injured or killed during any jump. Training and preparation help reduce the risk, but even the most experienced jumpers get killed. Bridge Day provides a good environment for your first BASE jump because:
Altitude. You have a lot more time to recover from a bad exit than at the Perrine. (half the height).
Landing. You can take the water and highly experienced rescue personnel will have you out of the water, usually in seconds.
Experienced help. Bridge Day is all about the first time jumper, and every year, experienced staff check each jumper’s gear prior to exiting the bridge. Every year, issues are caught that could have caused a fatality.
Landing in the water is pretty much the only sure fire method to stay safe, but practicing your canopy skills is a strong second. Pack your intended BASE canopy into a skydiving rig and make as many jumps as you can. Try to hit dead center in the peas, and try it cross wind and down wind, because you may have to land that way in the gorge.
6. Q. Is training provided?
A. One and three day training courses are available for interested BASE jumpers.
ONE DAY BRIDGE DAY BASE JUMP TRAINING
THREE DAY BRIDGE DAY BASE JUMP TRAINING
7. Q. What kind of safety gear should I wear?
A. We think it is a good idea to jump only BASE gear, but you can jump any free packed 7 cell F-111 canopy in any skydive or BASE rig. Check out the list on this page of BASE rigs and canopies that are recommended.
Is yours long enough? Your bridle. It has to be 9′ long and you have to use at least a 38″ pilot chute. Most people use a 42″ for any and all jumps at the New. A tail pocket is also a good idea if you want a clean opening. All gear will be checked when you check in.
Helmets and other protective gear are not required, but its a good idea if you don’t want to win the DFH Award. Better to have and not need than to need and not have.
APPROVED CANOPIES:
Fox, Mojo, Flik, Ace, Blackjack, Dragon, Dagger, Troll, OSP, Trango, Raven, Pursuit, Cruislite, Pegasus, Fury, Sharpchuter, PD 7-cell, Eiff Rock Dragon, H2O, Tektite, Aquila, BaseX, Seven, Feather, Mayhem Classic, Triathalon, Stratocloud, Parafoil, Lightning, Lopo, Squirrel Equipment
APPROVED RIGS:
Apex BASE containers, Wizard, Sorcerer, Merlin, Vision, Medusa, Gargoyle, Genesis, WSX-treme, Razor, Helium, Perigee, Perigee Pro, Perigee II, Odyssey, Reactor, Warlock, Bandit, Neo, Edge, Prism, Raptor, Vertex, Soft Cock, Huck It, Atmosphere, Hybrid, Relax, Zak, Bad Seed Diablo, Menace, Yeti, Talus Any TSO’ed skydiving rig, Squirrel Equipment
8. Q. How many jumps can I make?
A. Most people do two to three, but as many as ten have been done. It all depends on how many rigs you own and how fast you pack.
9. Q. How bad (or good) is the Landing Zone?
A. From the Bridge 900′ above, the landing area looks like the size of a postage stamp. By experienced BASE jumper standards, it is actually considered pretty easy, but if your tightest landing area has been a 20 acre field at the dropzone, it's going to seem insanely small. If you are in doubt, take the water. You can pack and jump a wet canopy, but if you twist an ankle or knee, you’re done for the day.
10. Q. Will we have to take the buses to the bridge in the morning, or will the cops at the gate let us in early if we park our cars down by the bridge?
A. There are 3 options to get to the exit point.
1. Go out with the exit point crew at 6:30.
2. Take the buses from the Holiday Lodge at 8:00.
3. Drive yourself and fight for the best parking you can get. The bridge does not open until 9:00, so you can’t walk out until it opens. If you want to jump earlier, take option 1 or 2.
