I just put down for going skydiving.

**Andrewtx** · 03-22-06, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by Indy

No, it's not false. It's a matter of percentages. If someone was skydiving to work several times a day, even if the % remained the same as what it is, I would highly doubt it would actually be safer than driving a car. I'm not "implying" anything. It was a statement. It's my opinion & I'm stickin to it whether you agree or not.

Originally Posted by Indy

There is no "backup plan." If you're driving a car and rear end someone, the vast majority of the time you walk away from it.

What's not a matter of opinion is that most accidents or injuries while skydiving are "walked away from." Just offering you the facts.

**Ken K** · 03-22-06, 01:56 PM

While offereing me the facts I don't see any. Comparing stats for one activity to another is almost worthless. I agree steelworkers have a higher rate of death/injury than say accountants, but so what. That's common sense. Maybe they don't but the severity is higher. Want to look at it by number of people or hours worked.

Looking at stats within an activity is something else.

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/skydiving8.htm

Compares diving to car accidents. Big deal. But 30 people died jumping who didn't need to jump.

Backup the comments with stats within the activety. And my friend didn't walk away...he was carried.

This is fun!

**Andrewtx** · 03-22-06, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by Ken K

While offereing me the facts I don't see any. Comparing stats for one activity to another is almost worthless. I agree steelworkers have a higher rate of death/injury than say accountants, but so what. That's common sense. Maybe they don't but the severity is higher. Want to look at it by number of people or hours worked.

Looking at stats within an activity is something else.

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/skydiving8.htm

Compares diving to car accidents. Big deal. But 30 people died jumping who didn't need to jump.

Backup the comments with stats within the activety. And my friend didn't walk away...he was carried.

This is fun!

The USPA in 2002 had 1,275 members report "having injuries requiring medical attention." 33 people died skydiving that same year. The USPA itself acknowledges that there were likely many more injuries that simply went unreported. My point is simply this:

The line of thought that skydiving accidents will almost necessarily result in severe injury or death is a result of assuming the worst case scenario. Other problems can arise to cause injury other than a primary chute failure followed by a secondary chute failure. Thinking of an in-air catastrophe as the only possible alternative to things going perfectly is the equivalent of thinking that every time someone is involved in a motor vehicle accident, it involves a head-on collision at 60 miles per hour. But as with MVAs, most skydiving incidents do not involve neither chute properly deploying or some other critical failure. If they did, many many more people would die than 33 in any given year.

I'm not spinning skydiving as safe. It's not. I was simply correcting the misconception that if anything goes wrong, the result will be severe.

http://www.uspa.org/about/page2/relative_safety.htm

**Virginian** · 03-22-06, 02:06 PM

I just know I don't even like being on a platform above 10 feet without a sturdy railing. Yikes.

Indy · 03-22-06, 02:08 PM

Ok, I'll play along.

If you're really interested: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/skydiving8.htm

To sum it up though, if you sky dived 17 times in a year, it would roughy equal the same percentage of dying in a car accident (given the average americans mileage of 10,000 miles a year). So exactly what I was saying - if people sky dived every single day like they drove cars, the percentage of death would be significantly higher sky diving.

Regardless of all that, it'd be nice to have the guts to do it so LVOG, HAVE FUN!!! Pictures posted would be great!

**Ken K** · 03-22-06, 02:09 PM

Hey Andrew, I got my private pilot license years ago and when the instructor got out and told me to give him three landings to a full stop, I crapped! I loved it.

I'm going to jump someday too! WTF!

**Andrewtx** · 03-22-06, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by Indy

To sum it up though, if you sky dived 17 times in a year, it would roughy equal the same percentage of dying in a car accident (given the average americans mileage of 10,000 miles a year). So exactly what I was saying - if people sky dived every single day like they drove cars, the percentage of death would be significantly higher sky diving.

I'll trust your math. I don't dispute that at all. Skydiving, again, is dangerous. I certainly don't think it's less dangerous than driving to work. I don't disagree with you on that at all. The only thing I disagreed with was your statement that, "if you're sky diving and something goes wrong, what then? There is no 'backup plan.' If you're driving a car and rear end someone, the vast majority of the time you walk away from it."

Just as very few driving incidents involve your brakes completely failing on the freeway, very few skydiving incidents involve both parachutes completely failing in the air. Sorry this was such a touchy point.

Indy · 03-22-06, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by Andrewtx

I'll trust your math. I don't dispute that at all. Skydiving, again, is dangerous. I certainly don't think it's less dangerous than driving to work. I don't disagree with you on that at all. The only thing I disagreed with was your statement that, "if you're sky diving and something goes wrong, what then? There is no 'backup plan.' If you're driving a car and rear end someone, the vast majority of the time you walk away from it."

Just as very few driving incidents involve your brakes completely failing on the freeway, very few skydiving incidents involve both parachutes completely failing in the air. Sorry this was such a touchy point.

Point taken.

**keith720** · 03-22-06, 02:21 PM

Percentages can be used to skew an argument in anyone's favor. The fact about skydiving is that it is inherently dangerous. It involves a greater chance of death than other sports such as tennis, wiffle ball, or bowling. if you jump after an adequate amount of training, you shouldn't have any problems. You will have a back-up chute and will be taught how and when to use it. if you look at skydiving accidents and deaths, those hurt or killed are usually experianced divers that were pushing the envelope too far. It's the same as accidental firearms deaths in Law Enforcement. Most accidents occur when an experianced officer doesn't follow thew basic safety rules. Follow the rules and do as you are trained, and you'll have no problems.

**Ken K** · 03-22-06, 02:25 PM

OK, so I am out walking my dogs and some skydiver flames out, first chute doesn't work an he gets tangled in the second. So now he's at like 80mph coming down.

What are my chances of getting hit by him and walking away? j/k

**keith720** · 03-22-06, 03:46 PM

Actually, he'd reach a velocity of about 120mph. I'd say your chances of being hit by him is about the same as you and Fido being struck by lightening.

**Virginian** · 03-22-06, 03:49 PM

Reminds me of when Taco Bell offered everyone in the country a taco if some space junk hit a massive floating target they put out in the ocean. In a strange coincidence, Ken would be getting free Mexican as well.

**cntryboy0531** · 03-22-06, 04:23 PM

Screw that, your off your fucking rocker.

**Prometheus** · 03-22-06, 05:04 PM

Don't listen to these grandmas. They will all die someday, tucked safely into their warm, comfy beds as their livers fail, their eyes grow dim and their bones slowly turn to dust. I say, if you're gonna live, then

LIVE!

**keith720** · 03-22-06, 05:38 PM

As Prometheus said, we're all gonna go someday, so live while you can! I don't want to be on my death bed wondering what I missed because I was afraid to do it. Hell, as it is, I'm eligible for an AARP card, but I'm not going to let that stop me from doing things. You're only old if you let yourself be old. One of my best friends is an old WWII vet that still goes to jazz festivals, drives a mint condition 1972 Midnight Blue Buick with white pinstips and he's "younger" than a lot of guys I know in their 30s.

**Andrewtx** · 03-22-06, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by keith758

As Prometheus said, we're all gonna go someday, so live while you can! I don't want to be on my death bed wondering what I missed because I was afraid to do it. Hell, as it is, I'm eligible for an AARP card, but I'm not going to let that stop me from doing things. You're only old if you let yourself be old. One of my best friends is an old WWII vet that still goes to jazz festivals, drives a mint condition 1972 Midnight Blue Buick with white pinstips and he's "younger" than a lot of guys I know in their 30s.

Right on.

**Prometheus** · 03-22-06, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by Prometheus

Don't listen to these grandmas. They will all die someday, tucked safely into their warm, comfy beds as their livers fail, their eyes grow dim and their bones slowly turn to dust. I say, if you're gonna live, then

LIVE!

You, on the other hand, will make a very nice looking crater.