Tips for first time BASE jumpers:

• Make sure you register online for Bridge Day starting July 1, 2008 at 2pm EDT (18:00 GMT).
• First time BASE jumpers are required to attend one of the following unless they've been trained by an approved mentor:
  • Bridge Day First BASE Jump Course - Four days (October 14-18, 2008) of advanced training by The Snake River BASE Academy, comparable to the courses taught on the West Coast by the main BASE Gear Manufacturers. In addition to the basic skills needed for a successful Bridge Day experience, such as packing, exits and canopy flight, this course covers BASE history, ethics and culture, as well as malfunction and object avoidance theory. In person training with simulated exits and some home study is included. Cost is $375. Click the link above for further information and syllabus.
  • Bridge Day Introductory Course - Six to eight hours of training on October 17, 2008 that covers packing, Bridge Day logistics, malfunctions, launch practice, and a landing area tour. The Snake River BASE Academy will be teaching this course and the cost is $50. Experienced jumpers are welcome to attend portions of this course for a minimal charge. Click the link above for further information.
    
• Read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) from start to finish.
• Reserve a hotel room as early as possible. More than 100 hotel rooms are available to jumpers, upon request, on a first-come, first-served basis during online registration. We'll inform all jumpers by mid-July if they received one of our rooms.
• Purchase, borrow, or rent BASE gear or approved skydiving gear. Please reference our Bridge Day Gear Guide before you purchase a jump slot if you have questions about what gear is acceptable. Make several skydives with your system and insure you are familiar with the canopy. If you plan on renting gear, please contact a BASE Gear Manufacturer as early as possible.
• Purchase a 42" pilot chute (2-4 second delays) and 9' bridle.
• Practice packing your Bridge Day parachute and make several practice skydives with it. Find an experienced BASE jumper to mentor you, if possible.
• Register onsite by mid-day on Friday, October 17, 2008 at the Holiday Inn located in Oak Hill, WV. We recommend you arrive by Thursday, October 16 so that you can soak up as much information as possible and attend the Bridge Day Introductory Course on Friday (all first time BASE jumpers must attend either our four-day Bridge Day First BASE Jump Course or our 6-8 hour Bridge Day Introductory Course taught by The Snake River BASE Academy). Also, the BASE Videofest is on Thursday night.
• Attend the jumper meeting on Friday night at 7pm for weather briefings, water rescue instructions, shuttle schedules, and tons of other important information. This meeting is mandatory for new Bridge Day jumpers!
• Jump...jump...jump on Saturday, October 18, 2008 from 9am to 3pm.
• Return to the Holiday Inn later that night for the free pizza, beer, soda, wrap-up meeting, photos, videos, awards, and the party of the year.
• Have fun!
• Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have.