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Dropzone Database: North America: United States: California : Bay Area Skydiving : Reviews

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(Review ID:5380)

4 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

Rebuttal to recent negative comments

Rated by: Krusin on 2009-09-17 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Bay Area Skydiving
Pros: Close to Bay Area, Impecable Safety Record
Cons: Windy, no running water

Professionalism
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My name is Vic Krusi, and I'm the general manager here at Bay Area Skydiving. Anyone who knows me well, will be surprised that I'm responding to anything on a public forum, as I feel it's unfortunate that a couple of disgruntled people can have such a loud voice.

That said, I have filled out the ratings in what I feel to be a fair manner. I'd like to take a couple of the negative comments at their face value and try to explain the circumstances behind them.

Bay Area Skydiving is a USPA group member drop zone, and therefore, as you know, bound by the group member rules. We are required to follow the FARs and BSRs, so when we ask for certain things, like packing data cards, membership cards, and logbooks, or follow stringent recurrency requirements, it's not that we're trying to single anyone out, it's what we're required to do. Additionally, as I stated before, we have what we feel to be an exemplary safety record, which we guard with pride and without prejudice. If we don't feel what you want to do is safe, we will discourage it and try to give you the reasons why.

Finally, it's unfortunate, but even in the most professional environment, you reap what you sew. If you have an attitude that says 'I don't have to listen to you because I was doing this when you were still wearing diapers', you may not get the professionalism you desire.

All that said, we are aware that the actions of a few reflect unfavorably on the whole, and we are working hard to change that. However, we will continue to guide new and visiting jumpers in the manner we feel is the safest for all concerned, and we will strive, to be friendly and professional when we do it.

Vic Krusi
General Manager
Bay Area Skydiving
(925)634-7575

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(Review ID:4890)

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

Not bad...mostly would recommend

Rated by: Pegandmeg on 2008-11-18 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Bay Area Skydiving
Pros: Aircraft, huge packing area, mostly nice people
Cons: No running water, winds, some jerks

Professionalism
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When there are this many people at a dropzone, there's bound to be a few unfriendlies. Once you know who they are and avoid them, the place is ok. Avoid Gareth, Ego Mike, the older rigger, and one of the owners, Vic. They don't try to be unprofessional, they just can't help letting their natural personalities shine through. Let's just say that if you have questions, ask someone else to avoid a smart-aleck or unhelpful answer. They have a knack of treating a new person like an outsider. Don't worry, there are others that will be helpful.

The hangar is big and really close to the plane. The landing area is a decent size with places for the sky god or the newbie to land. The aircraft is decent, they're using a Pac750XL and I think they have a Cessna.

There's no running water, so port-a-potties are there. Bring your hand sanitizer. The winds during the summer are pretty brutal. Newbies beware there.

Can you imagine being a new dzo and saying, "Hey, I'll put a drop zone near a bunch of windmills and near protected land that won't allow plumbing"?

At least it's sunny there most of the time.

Note: One of the staff members listed above just contacted me with a very nice private message apologizing and explaining things. He made no excuses for the others and took ownership for himself. It was really a stand-up thing to do.

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(Review ID:4513)

11 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

Bay Area Skydiving is the closes dropzone to the San Francisco/Oakland/Berkely area. It is located

Rated by: sdtyner on 2008-05-15 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Bay Area Skydiving
Pros: Great vibe, nice wide open landing area, great instructors
Cons: Windy so be sure th check on that before you go and no running water so if you are afraid of port-a-jons then not the DZ

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I went there to begin my AFF last Saturday. I had read and heard great things about this DZ and everything was true. Great, friendly atmosphere with lots of people. All of the regulars are outgoing and no one was a skygod. People want to help you and actually enjoy it. I was there on an extremely busy day, one of the busiest ever I believe, and it was very nice. There are lots of instructors and all of them are great. My ground school instructor was very knowledgeable and wanted to be sure that the class understood. One of my JMs was 23 years old and had just gotten his AFFI rating two weeks prior but I was very comfortable and he did a great job. The other JM was a world class skydiver (was on the 2006 400-way) so it was training for both of us. I really like this dropzone and I am glad it is close by so I can come often. There are a few things people should be aware of. The airport is on "protected wetlands" so there is no running water and there will be none coming in the future. There are port-a-jons so if you are a germaphobe then deal with it or go somewhere else. Also, Byron is in the middle of the middle of nowhere so bring a lunch if you are coming for the day. They do have snacks and drinks available for purchase though. The main problem that I have and it is completely out of control of the DZ is the wind. Byron is located right in the middle of windmill country so wind is very common. Since students have to adhere to the 14 mph windhold, this can present a problem. Don't assume that you are guaranteed a jump when you come, and this is the case with any DZ if you are in AFF. If you show up and you can't jump then try to learn something while you are there. Enjoy hanging out and meeting other skydivers or learn to pack or something. Byron is a great place to be regardless if you can jump or not. You can call ahead to check on the winds but remember they could change and there are windows where you can jump during the day. Overall, this is a great DZ and I would recommend it to anyone no matter what your interests are.

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(Review ID:3158)

4 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

If you want to feel like part of the family at the dz and have great, helpful people to jump with

Rated by: wonderwoman07 on 2006-06-12 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Bay Area Skydiving
Pros: the people and the attitude!
Cons: a little breezy....

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Not long after arriving at the dropzone I had people coming up to me and introducing themselves. Everyone had a great attitude and created a fun atmosphere that I was readily welcomed into.

As I was gearing up for my first jump of the day a couple of people i had met just moments ago invited me on a jump with them. Even though i had little freefly experience they were happy to have me along. I had someone to jump with all day and lots of great help.

It is pretty windy most of the time, but doable, and there are no real bathrooms. But if you can deal with that, Bay Area Skydiving is amazing!

I highly recommend it.

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(Review ID:2665)

3 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

A must to be sure!

Rated by: lpurdy on 2005-10-19 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Bay Area Skydiving
Pros: Very freindly, safety minded group and fun group to hang with. Nice aircraft and a great landing area.
Cons: WInds tend to pick up a bit but I found plenty of low wind windows to jump in.

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There are few places that you can find the kind of open and friendly atmosphere that BAS provides. I started with a tandom and was hooked on the concept of human flight and the people there from that day on. I returned to complete AFF 1 through 8 and wouldn't trade the experience for anything. I'd be a regular had I not relocated to the East coast. Looking forward to returning some day. Great instructors, craft and a relaxed facility to boot. I highly recommend this DZ.

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(Review ID:2362)

6 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

Great atmosphere and vibe

Rated by: seanstill on 2005-06-20 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Bay Area Skydiving
Pros: Landing area right in front of the hangar
Cons: No running water and the weather

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The Good; friendly people, great vibe, indoor packing, nice landing area right in front of the hangar and a King Air.

The Bad; overcast clouds and wind can be a problem so call ahead, no running water and the hangar could stand to be a little bigger.

The Ugly; bad location, kind of out in the middle of no where and bring lots of food and drinks because there's nothing out there.

Conclusion; the people are what seem to make this a good drop zone, it's small and very friendly and has a great vibe. If your in the area check it out.

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(Review ID:2089)

8 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

Great place to jump

Rated by: bkoch on 2005-02-14 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Bay Area Skydiving
Pros: Friendly people, land at the airport
Cons: No running water

Professionalism
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Aircraft
Facilities
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Location

I've jumped at Byron the past two weekends and I really enjoyed the experience. I jumped there years ago and the positive vibe is still there, as it was then. Getting to land at the airport is nice. No van ride. Not having running water is the only drawback that I can see. I was told to always call before I make the 60 mile drive out to Byron from San Jose to check wind conditions, but that hasn't been a issue at all the last two weekends. The people are super friendly. It's a family friendly DZ too, as I brought my 18 month old with me the past two weekends and no one seemed to mind. All in all, it is a great place to jump. I'll be back there soon.

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(Review ID:1814)

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

A great Bay Area dropzone

Rated by: 377 on 2004-09-16 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Bay Area Skydiving
Pros: Great vibe, huge landing areas, easy drive from SF
Cons: No running water, can be windy,

Professionalism
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Aircraft
Facilities
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Updated review, 9/25/09.

I started jumping here again after Clay lowered the price of a jump to an astounding $17. With a new PAC 750 doing the lifting I don't see how he makes a dime on up jumpers at that price. Even if it pops back up a few bucks I'll likely keep coming. I have sent a few tandems his way to express my gratitude for the cheap up jumper prices.

I like the PAC 750 mainly because of all the windows. I love plane rides and the scenery makes it a lot more enjoyable when you are seated away from the door.

I hadn't been out there in ages and I didnt get any hassles, just a USPA card/license check and a peek at my reserve data card.

I only know one of the current DZ regulars, but most people I ran into were open and friendly. The vibe seemed good to me. The packer, a Russian? guy named Ed, who speaks almost no English, packed some very smooth openings for me and seemed to really appreciate my tips.

Byron has no running water but aside from having to use porta potties, you really don't notice. There are a LOT of safe places to land out, but I've never had to use them.

I like Lodi and Monterey, but Byron is a lot closer from the SF Peninsula. It has a lot of tandems but you don't get the tandem mill feeling at all.

I have read recent reviews about the dispute(and its resolution). I think that the outcome says good things about the jumper who felt he was being hassled and the DZ that was willing to discuss it constructively.

I am grateful there are any DZOs. Can you imagine leasing or buying a million dollar plane and trying to support it and your other considerable overhead with jump prices at or even below $20? That's why you never see DZOs driving new Ferraris.

Give Byron (Bay Area Skydiving) a try. I think you'll be as pleased as I was.

Peace,
Mark

******************************************Byron is located just on the East side of the Altamont pass, in windmill country.
It has a big hanger for indoor packing and a HUGE hazard free landing area. People are generally very friendly and Sky God attitudes are not encouraged. It can get windy in the afternoons, but that is true for most DZs in the SF Bay Area. The King Air is a good climber and seesm well maintained. One caution for new to the DZ jumpers is be sure to stay clear of the runway line when descending under canopy. The airport is not busy and its easy to forget that planes other than the jumpship may want to use the runway and don't want to fly through canopies on appraoch or departure. Byron has lots of freeflyers, but all types are welcomed. The lack of running water means outhouses and no real food or hand washing facilities, so bring a picnic lunch and some handiwipes. There is a surprising amount of small wildlife to keep the kids occupied. My kids have always found lizards, snakes and other creatures in the gullies. The nearby town is nothing to write home about, but you can get a meal and some groceries. The Byron Boogie in the Fall is a must go event.

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(Review ID:1759)

4 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

GREAT naked skydiving

Rated by: Love2skydive on 2004-08-21 (user profile) (user reviews)

Review of: Bay Area Skydiving
Pros: treat everyone like family, awesome atmosphere
Cons: No running potable water, afternoon wind, naked friendly

Professionalism
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You want a great place to cut loose and jump with every discipline, Go there.
Family owned and operated, and best of all, they have no issues about jumping NAKED.
My home, my people, everyone welcome and treated the same from jump one to jump 10,000.
Visit soon and find out why people travel far and wide to jump with us.
Naked A.J.

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