COMMON PRECURSORS TO UNINTENTIONAL WATER LANDINGS

• Jumping in a new location.
• Exiting over solid cloud cover.
• Strong winds.
• Bad spot.
• Cutaway (since you’ll be open at a lower altitude than intended).
• Emergency exit from aircraft.

ELEMENTS OF WATER LANDINGS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO FATAL INJURIES

• Impaired depth perception.
• Hard impact due to cutting away before water entry.
• Improper flare height.
• Underwater hazards.
• Drowning due to fatigue.
• Hypothermia.
• Heavy or cumbersome gear (e.g., weight belt, wingsuit, cameras).
• Lack of a flotation device.

VARIABLES WHEN IN WATER

• Poor Visibility.
• Temperature.
• Currents.
• Distance to safety (can include land, boats, buoys, etc.).

PREPARATION FOR ENTRY

• Perform canopy controllability check.
• Disengage reserve static line and undo chest strap below your decision altitude but before touching down.
• Fly predictably and avoid erratic turns.
• Remain in your harness until landing.
• Engage flotation device before touchdown.
• Open visor if you are jumping a full-face helmet.
• Land in half brakes (protect your throat and torso by keeping your forearms close).
• Land into the wind if possible.
• Perform a parachute landing fall with feet and knees together.
• Fill your lungs with air before entering water.

CLEARING EQUIPMENT IN THE WATER

• Let go of your toggles and bring your hands to your ribcage.
• Shrug off your rig using a breast-stroke motion.
• Swim down, then away to help you free yourself from the leg straps and clear the suspension lines.
• Keep movement to a minimum to avoid entanglement with the gear.
• If stuck under your canopy, punch up to create an air pocket (like a tent), then follow a seam to the edge of the canopy.
• Get out of the water ASAP.

STRATEGIES FOR DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS

• Lakes: Hazards (boats, docks, pylons, etc.) are most likely to be situated directly next to the bank. Land several meters away from the bank.
• Rivers: Aim for the deepest part (usually the center) and against the current, if possible. This facilitates escaping your equipment.
• Ocean: Avoid the area where the waves break. Land in deeper and less turbulent water.

OTHER STRATEGIES

• Land together if you are in a group.
• Stay near your equipment, especially if your canopy is brightly colored, to make it easier for a rescue crew to find you.
• If you’re jumping at a location such as a beach or lake, where the possibility of landing in the water is stronger than usual, jump with your cellphone secured in a zippered plastic bag.
• If you are jumping near the water, wear a flotation device (required for those jumping round mains or reserves and for students within one mile of water, but it’s a good idea for anyone).
• Cut away your canopy only once you have entered the water and as a last resort. (Keep in mind that you cannot cut away your reserve.)
• When retrieving a canopy from the water, grab the warning label and pull the canopy out of the water tail-first so the water will drain out of the nose of the canopy.

Water training can be a fun and educational experience, so don’t just think of it as something you need to get out of the way to get your B license; enjoy the learning process. And don’t forget to review your procedures occasionally: You’ll be a completely different jumper at different stages in your career, and you may also be using additional equipment like a wingsuit or camera helmet that you’ll need to contend with.

About the Author
Brianne Thompson, D-30035, and Niklas Daniel, D-28906, own and run AXIS Flight School, which offers coaching in a variety of disciplines to licensed skydivers of any skill level. AXIS is headquartered at Skydive Arizona in Eloy and can be reached via email at info@axisflightschool.com.