Efficiency

Skydiving isn’t getting any cheaper. As a general rule, owning a rig and jumping in your free time involves having a relatively healthy amount of disposable income, and for the most part our sport got going and grew up in easy-mode parts of the world where such luxuries are more likely. Sport skydiving has increasing numbers and developing communities in countries and regions where the buy-in amount is even higher than traditional locations, and that is before you include the faff of getting stuff and the sting of paying to get it. If you are feeling squeezed by routine price increases, try buying a new piece of gear in places like Brazil or Mexico, where it is entirely possible to pay more tax and higher shipping costs for lower chances your things actually arrive.

After a highly productive, very educational and immensely fun trip around a few places in South America, transitioning back to Europe at the beginning of a new skydiving season has us thinking about efficiency. The CYPRES tour goes to a lot of places, and while planning the Summer events puzzle, we aim for a balance of big fancy things at long established locations, and smaller more intimate affairs in less famous (but no less important) spots.

With a lot of global uncertainty at the current moment, it is not exactly an amazing time to take on a bunch of risk equations by arranging new and untested skydiving events – which are always long of effort and short on profit margins. The calendar is again full of stuff, but this year is a little lighter on new adventures, so you will see us in places we know can deliver results, perhaps not so much pushing out at the edges of the map. Lining things up for the Summer tour is an exercise in efficiency on a personal and professional basis. Driving thousands of miles between events is not sustainable across months, and sensible jiggling into place of appropriate stepping stones helps the budget too.

Areas where attention to detail can make a real difference to the success of a skydiving operation exist for everyone who spends time at the dropzone, and do so in ways that can effect performance on an individual, group and an overall collective level. Being rested and hydrated can mean getting more from your skydives, as can the way you manage your energy throughout your jump process. Even serious sausage considerations like controlled breathing in the plane for when the air gets thin can make a difference to your best version of things. Jumpmaxing innit kids.

As a group, planning you jump properly is always better and safer for all. If you dirt dive a jump, then mess with it by adding someone or changing it at the last minute, you have a choice to make – either roll with it for a worse verision of the skydive, or put more effort into going over it again. Both of these are less good than what you have already done.

Something that we are all guilty of at one time or another is getting into and out of the plane inefficiently. In terms of an easy way to feel directly where and why the money is getting squeezed is when a full load of skydivers are standing next to the plane (or dawdling towards it) not knowing the order to get in. Engine on + plane not moving = money go down.

Technology can help. You don’t need to be a massive nerd to get some useful feedback for you swoops or your wingsuit flights by applying some GPS data to your progression. Just ask your local massive nerd, they love it. If the jump tickets at your dropzone are more now than they used to be not long ago, you can get more from your next jump by seeking a greater understanding of your last one.

Good admin skills help everyone get things done. If your group is coordinated and ready it might mean the difference of the plane getting up into that weather hole or missing it and sending the tandems home. Being clear and prompt with manifest may result in you getting what you wish for rather than… told otherwise. Things like this work in reverse too. You can be entirely on point while things shamble around you. Lead by example, hold your end up. Communicate.

There are so many ways to investigate that this could go on and on. A sharp pilot. Good weather calls or bad ones. Driving the vehicles, packing the parachutes, briefings, debriefings, no briefings. Good calls, bad calls, too many calls, too few calls. Every functional moving part of the dropzone can make a difference to how successful a day or a weekend or a boogie can be. For our part, CYPRES continue to be out in the world helping out at as many things as we can in all the ways we are able to. We would also encourage everyone else seek the ways that they can contribute to everyone getting as much as possible from every day and every jump.

Let’s go, Summer.