DQ's Equipment and Safety Recommendations

Diamond Quest have the following recommendations with regards to Equipment when doing CRW :-

1. Canopy
   • 7-cell canopy rather and 9-cell
   • retracting pilot chute
   • marked center and outside A-lines
   • uncascaded center and outside A-lines
   • a mesh slider for faster opening and better vision
   • cross connectors
   • on front risers - dive loops, trim tabs, grippers, Nasser toggles
   • easily accessible, self opening soft toggles
2. Rig
   • easily accessible hook knives - no plastic zack knives, they tend to break easily
   • minimize snagging lines (e.g. reserve protector flap)
   • Trapezoid or triangle reserve handles that won't snag lines
   • No AAD
   • No SOS or RSL
   • extra wide leg straps for comfort
   • make sure leg straps are even so the rig is not loaded on one side and causes a turn
   • riser covers to accomodate extra stuff on risers (e.q. dive loops, Nasser toggles, etc.)
3. Clothing
   • wear socks and gloves to prevent burns
   • cover arms and legs
   • no hooks that can snag a line
   • helmet that does not restrict hearing

Diamond Quest have the following recommendations with regards to Basic Safety when doing CRW :-

1. General
   • Always put safety first
   • Never lose sight of formation
   • Never fly below and in front of formation
   • Break off by 2,000 ft
   • Communicate when problem occurs
   • Do not land any formation other then a biplane or 2-stack
   • When landing off the DZ, land together near a main road. Check in at manifest on return to DZ
2. Pre-jump
   • Make sure manifest, aircraft pilot, and other jumpers know you are doing CRW
   • Get winds aloft from manifest or aircraft pilot
   • pin checks
3. In the Air
   • Know your canopy
     • how it opens, control it immediately
     • practice all maneuvers : spiral, sashay, riser dives, etc. until they are instinctive
     • make it an extension of yourself, be one with your canopy
   • Fly with legs crossed at the ankles to reduce wake turbulence
   • Know what the span of control is between float and dive
     • full flight to full brakes
     • sashay : with toggle, with risers
     • spiral : with toggles, with risers
     • stall : with toggles, with risers
4. Avoid wraps
   • from top : know how to accept fast and off angle docks, don't stop motion of incoming canopy abruptly
   • from the bottom : abort docks and reset if you are approaching too fast or off angle
   • Avoid flying formation through turbulent air
   • Watch for entangled pilot chutes
5. If wrapped
   • Top
     • cover handles
     • check altitude
     • communicate
     • work out the way you came in
   • Bottom
     • communicate
     • check altitude
     • give what help you can
     • make decision to stay or cut away
     • communicate intentions to wrapped person
   • In formation, but not in wrap
     • communicate, give information
     • get rid of good (inflated) canopies that are docked on you
     • hang on to bad (collapsed) canopies that are docked on you