| By :
Roger Brown
If you are looking into watches with altimeters, you probably have seen some pictures on the Internet about those outdoor types who use them most frequently. While they are very popular with outdoor enthusiasts and all who like to hike in the woods or climb mountains, they are also popular with skydivers and almost a necessity for them. Usually, skydivers will get a minute or so of freefall time before they have to pull their shuts. Every second for them is very critical, so that is why watches with altimeters are so critical to have along. That being said, skydivers are always looking for the next thrill. They want longer freefall times, so they go up higher. Jumping from just under 15,000 feet will give a skydiver approximately 1 min. freefall. That sounds like an awful lot of trouble for 1 min., but is 1 min. of total and absolute excitement. The record for a freefall happened back in the 1960s. As it turns out, Joseph Kittinger set the world record for the highest altitude from which a parachute jump has been made. This is all part of an experiment done by the United States Air Force involving human factors at high-altitude jobs. Believe it or not, this jump happened at over 102,000 feet. Since then no one has come close to breaking his record. The Navy SEALs and many others to what are called HALO jumps. That stands for "High Altitude Low Opening" and means that the participant has a long, long time to freefall. It is not uncommon for the HALO skydiver to jump from 30,000 feet. (However, most recreational skydivers jump from about 14,500 feet.) Above about 12,000 feet human beings need to be on oxygen to maintain their cognitive ability. So for this type of jump obviously, participants need to be on the continuous supplemental oxygen supply. It is totally amazing how fast the skydivers travel. They go well over 700 miles an hour which is approaching the speed of sound. When Kittinger did his job from hundred 28,000 feet the temperature was almost 100° below zero and his jump itself had a freefall of approximately 4 min. and 30 seconds. He did however pull his shut at 18,000 feet and came in safely for a landing. When considering watches with altimeters, know that they have been manufactured with skydivers in mind. So, unless you're actual conditions are a lot more strenuous than jumping out of an airplane in high-altitude, these altimeter watches are likely to hold up well under your hiking and mountain expeditions.
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