Today was USPA Safety Day, an event held at dropzones across the country to promote safety as the “season” kicks back in. Of course, living in California where skydiving can take place year-round, there’s a little less of an off-season, but it’s still great to remind everyone of the important stuff we can do every day to keep ourselves and others safe.
Sean and I were off to the dropzone early to be there in time for the pancake breakfast and safety presentations, which took place from 8-10:30. Turned out that we probably wouldn’t have been jumping at that hour anyway, as there was a thick cloud cover and a serious chill in the air. In addition to two t-shirts and long pants, I put on two fleece pullovers and my freefly pants just to keep warm while we sat outside.
The day warmed up relatively quickly, and by the time we got up to jump after 11, I was back down to just the t-shirts and one layer of pants. Unlike last weekend’s muck, the landing area had had another several days to dry and was much less muddy. I got in three jumps before the clouds and a storm front started moving in very late afternoon, and we headed back to Oakland and warmth.