Openings

Opening body position

Stare at your opening heading/horizon
Don't grab/hold your risers
Return to boxman position after pulling
- Stay even in the harness
- Keep your arms and legs symmetrical

Stop grabbing your risers on deployment
- Yes, you are taught to be ready on the rears in case you're on a collusion course with another jumper. But, by grabbing for your risers during opening, you are putting pressure on them. Not only can this cause you to have an off-heading opening, but it can turn simple linetwists into fast, downward spiraling linetwists because of offset risers.
Stop looking up during deployment
- You look where you go. If you want an on-heading opening, keep your eyes locked at the heading you want.
- Your head is almost 10% of your body weight. If you start moving your head during deployment, you'll end up shifting your weight around, resulting in an asymmetric, off-heading opening.
- A hard opening can damage your neck if looking up.
Be a canopy pilot, not a passenger princess
- Don't be lazy on opening, you are in control of the opening.
- You can use those same harness turns that you learn as you progress in canopy courses to help keep your canopy on heading.
Don't open in a track
- If you're finding your shoulders sore/bruised after jumping, this is likely why
- Put on the brakes, and then return back to neutral before you do your wave-off

Don't put pressure on your risers with your hands.
Hands on risers, then slide them up
- Flash your grip on your risers to quickly let go of fronts to be able to dodge
Knees come up to 90°
- Prevents whiplash
- Gets you ready in the harness to steer
- Prevents legs from swinging side to side and turning your body (think pendulum) (they're far from the canopy so by the time they swing, they might be swinging the opposite direction of your canopy)