I like having a dedicated groundie. He manages the DZ, always knows what the next move is, is right on top of the rope work, so I never have to wait, and is an extra pair of eyes keeping me informed of anything that I miss in the tree.. My groundie would have never let me make that cut with my line fouled by that stub... kinda like having your Mom on the job at all times, keeping an eye on you... That was quite a fall and very generous of him to post it to youtube. he broke his tailbone and was a little cut up.. Glad he made it... it would have been ugly if the log fell on top of his arm...
Anyway, i think having a dedicated groundie should be put into the ansi safety standards, as a "should", meaning if possible.. The climber has to be fast enough to keep him busy and the rest of the crew has to be fast enough to process the material without needing his help, for the operation to "flow"... And when I work the ground for a fast climber like Pat or Big John, I never walk away from the porty... learned my lesson on that a few years ago, when I did, ... the temporary groundie took 3 wraps and the piece swung right back at the climber... who managed to throw his chest and arms back out of the way (barely)... very nice evasion.. he then proceeded to throw a nice 200t from about 70', which landed flat on turf, unharmed... WE TOOK AN EARLY LUNCH
