About - Frequently Asked Questions

What is BASE Jumping?

BASE jumping is a recreational activity that incorporates jumping from a tall fixed object and then opening a parachute to safely descend to the ground. BASE is an acronym for the four types of structures that BASE jumpers commonly leap from.
B is for building, A is for antenna, S is for Span (a bridge) and E is for earth (a cliff).

What is the Australian BASE Association

The Australian BASE Association (ABA) is a non-incorporated association of people dedicated to increased levels of safety within the base jumping sport.
See our page about Australian BASE Association.

What kind of people BASE jump?

BASE jumping attracts the widest range of people with varied personalities, occupations, families, hobbies, social backgrounds, ethnicity, culture and character. There are no stereotypes when it comes to BASE jumping. A common trait in all jumpers is a desire for adventure.

How Dangerous is BASE Jumping?

The potential dangers in BASE are obvious and very real. BASE jumping is all about minimising the risk so that it can be successfully done over and over again. The real risks come down to the actually people doing it and how they go about it. Experienced BASE jumpers generally have no problem overcoming the risks by implementing adequate risk management techniques. This starts with ensuring you have the sufficient knowledge and skill and are using the right equipment. To maintain a maximum level of safety BASE jumps should always be done with a high level of caution and a BASE jumper also should not try to push beyond their skill level. BASE jumping should be done regularly to maintain your skillset. For those that are overconfident or reckless or have insufficient knowledge and skills then it is only a matter of time before they get seriously injured or killed. Those people that stand out as thrill seekers or have an appetite for high risk are not really suitable for this sport.

How Do I Start BASE Jumping?

BASE jumping is usually an activity you progress onto after you have mastered skydiving. Although BASE jumping and skydiving are two different sports, they have several similarities. In skydiving you will learn necessary basic fundamental skills that will help you to progress onto BASE jumping. Learning to fly a parachute with precision is one of the important skills you need to learn. If you are interested in BASE jumping we recommend you should not bother looking into it until you have completed at least a couple of hundred skydives. You should go and experience as much of skydiving as you can in all sorts of conditions and preferably in many different places. Use skydiving to develop your gut feeling that things can and will go wrong when you least expect it. Make all the common mistakes in skydiving so you learn what not to do and also how to get out of difficult situations. Skydiving will help you develop your instincts of being ready for potential issues before they happen. In BASE jumping there is no time to think about a situation and then react to it. Any issues in BASE jumping need to be reacted to as a reflex reaction without having to think about it. Being able to react to a simple problem in the correct way will turn it into a non-issue. If you don’t have the necessary reflex reactions to correct the problem it can quickly turn into a life threatening situation. Once you have mastered skydiving and are really ready to BASE jump then you will already know BASE jumpers that may be willing to help you progress on to BASE jumping and guide you along if they are comfortable with your attitude and skills. You can also go and do a first jump course that several companies offer.

 

 

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