Object Avoidance

Object Strike is the leading cause of serious injury and death among BASE jumpers. This course is intended to improve your skills to help you avoid striking objects. It covers different object avoidance techniques, including their advantages and disadvantages, proper deep brake setting and customization, and recommendations for various types of jumps and situations.

Students enrolling in this course should be comfortable packing and jumping with minimal supervision, and should be able to perform stable full and side floater exits prior to the course.

This course includes three days of instruction and jumping supervision.

Download course syllabus as .pdf file.

Intermediate Exits

Modern BASE jumps are done from a wide range of objects, with a variety of different exit points. Some allow running exits, so require off balance positions, some have obstacles on the exit point. This course is intended to prepare you to deal with the difficulties encountered at different exit points.

During this course, students will practice and perform stable exits facing in various directions, including side and full floater exits, running exits, sitting exits, off balance exits, hanging exits, and running exits with obstacles (trip hazards) in the way.

Students enrolling in this course should be comfortable packing and jumping with minimal supervision, and should be able to perform flat and stable, forward facing exits prior to the course.

This course includes three days of instruction and jumping supervision.

Download course syllabus as .pdf file.

Unpacked Jumps

This course will cover the rigging and performance of various unpacked jumps, including the rollover (McConkey), TARD, TARD-over, SmartTard and other variations. Specific emphasis will be given to both the "fast" style of unpacked jumps (popular at many bridges for the ease of making repeated jumps without packing) and the "careful" style of unpacked jumps (more useful for avoiding malfunctions and achieving good opening heading, and generally more common for jumping more technical, solid objects). We will discuss the differences between these styles, and the selection of an appropriate jump and style of jump for particular objects and conditions.

Students enrolling in this course should be comfortable packing and jumping with minimal supervision, and should be able to perform flat and stable, forward facing exits prior to the course.

This course includes three days of instruction and jumping supervision.

Download course syllabus as .pdf file.

Ultra Low Jumps

This course provides training in ultra low (200 feet and lower) jumps, and appropriate techniques for making such jumps. The course covers static line rigging and use, pilot chute folding and throw techniques for ultra low freefall jumps, appropriate gear configuration, alternative closing loop materials, and exit point priming of velcro and pin rigs.

Students enrolling in this course should be comfortable packing and jumping with minimal supervision.

This course includes three days of instruction and jumping supervision.

Download course syllabus as .pdf file.

Landing Skills

An intensive landing skills workshop, this course covers riser flares, cross- and down-wind landings, accuracy, tight landing areas, and landing on broken terrain.

This course includes two days of instruction and jumping supervision.

Download course syllabus as .pdf file.

Rescue and First Aid

BASE jumpers often find themselves initiating self rescue before professional help arrives. And in minor accidents, jumpers often perform the entire rescue themselves, without additional assistance. Being able to assist with rescues, and perform minor rescues, can both avoid calling attention to jumping activity, and show non-jumping authorities that we are taking responsibility for our own actions.

This course includes basic first aid and CPR training, and rope rigging training in belaying, anchor construction, ascent and descent techniques, hauling systems, and rescue system principles.

This course includes two days of instruction and practice rescues.

Download course syllabus as .pdf file.

Object Evaluation and Analysis

Evaluating new objects is one of the most exciting, and demanding parts of BASE jumping. This course covers the theory and practice of evaluating new jump sites, including wind, landing areas, obstructions, and other considerations. Students in this course will also visit and evaluate several sites. Breaks in instruction will be taken to allow jumping of those sites, at student option, but such jumps are not part of the course. The Snake River BASE Academy is not responsible for activities that take place outside of class time.

This course includes three days of instruction.

Download course syllabus as .pdf file.