When to let go of a funnel
Monday, December 27, 2021
That exit looks like a frog in a blender – when do you drop your grips? Hold on and ride it out? Or drop it immediately. Neither! I have actionable, concrete advice.
The Fun in Funnel
Funnels happen despite everyone’s best effort. Usually on exit, but sometimes in freefall. While it is fun to take a tumble in the air, they are not always benign. Bad funnels can result in hard hits, pulled joints, premature deployments, or damaging gear.
Fix it or Drop it?
I overhear opposite advice around the DZ – hold it forever or drop it right away. Which is it?
The right time to let go of a funnel is when you can no longer contribute to its success. If you can’t help make it better, drop it!
When can no longer contribute to its success?
- You do not know where you are
- You are not sure what to do to help
- Beyond your physical skill
If any of these conditions are met, let go.
However, if you can see, understand, and help fly it- hang on and assist. The cool thing is that what situations you can help with will change as your skills increase! A jumble of bodies is an unrecoverable mess at fifty jumps but might be a salvageable exit for a competitor.
In conclusion, if you can’t help, get off! If you can help, fix it!
