Whip Safety
Basics
When cracking your whip you should have the safety of three things in mind
- Yourself and your whip
- Your surroundings
- Spectators and assistants
Your Own Safety
You WILL hit yourself! Frequently when you're first learning! It is quite possible to cut yourself too. Safety gear is highly recommended, particularly when learning new techniques.
- Safety glasses
- Wide brimmed hat
- Long pants
- Long sleeves
- Shoes that cover your toes (no sandals)
- Hearing protection (more important if your practicing indoors)
- Lightweight work gloves
Your Whip
A good quality whip is a considerable investment. Take good care of it
- Don't crack your whip on abrasive surfaces like cement, sand, asphalt
- If your whip is leather, don't crack it in wet conditions
- Allow your whip to break in naturally, just by cracking it. Don't try to bend it by hand to soften it up.
- When target cutting, make sure to hit the target with the cracker, not the fall or thong
Your Surroundings
Remember a whip cracks because it is traveling over 750 miles per hour. Anything it touches around the moment of that crack will be getting hit with an incredible amount of force. If the object being hit is small enough, you may well send it flying through the air at over 750 miles per hour!
Be conscious about the amount of space needed to crack your whip. An 8 foot whip will have an additional 2 feet or so of reach with the fall and cracker. that means you need at least 20 feet around you clear of obstacles, and that assumes that you don't move around much. You will also need about 14 feet of clearance overhead, so watch out for trees, power lines, etc.
Spectators/Assistants
Even if you don't have an "audience" per say, cracking a whip in any public area will inevitably attract spectators. Always keep your eyes open, particularly for children that might not be paying attention and will be quite unaware of the possible dangers.
If working with an assistant make sure they are fully aware of what you are doing and exactly what they need to do to be safe. When first practicing with an assistant it's a good idea to make sure they are garbed in the most protective clothing possible given the planned stunt.
