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Dropzone Database: North America: United States: Texas : Skydive San Marcos : Reviews

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has contributed 35 reviews

Review Summary: Average Rating: Total Reviews: 35 Write a Review Show: All Ratings 5 Star Rated 4 Star Rated 3 Star Rated 2 Star Rated 1 Star Rated Sort by: Newest First Highest Rating First Most Useful First Display: 10 25 50 100

100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Times  6 5 1 4 19 Rating  1 2 3 4 5

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(Review ID:5251)

2 of 8 people found the following review helpful: Great DZ Rated by: Whorl16 on 2009-07-13 (user profile) (user reviews) Review of: Skydive San Marcos   Pros: Top rate facilities, excellant staff, nice turbine aircraft, made you feel welcome. Cons: The DZ doesn't control the weather. 100+, but tolerable due to low humidity and a slight breeze

Professionalism   Vibe   Aircraft   Facilities   Services   Location

Travelled to Texas from South Carolina while my wife was attending a convention in the Austin area. Located SSM on DZ.com and decided to give it a try. As an experienced jumper I had read the negative comment about SSM. I found none of them to be true and everyone was so polite & helpful. I wish to thank Theresa, DZ Manager Eric, Tom (Packer), Nick, and Marcus. I had a great time and was asked to meet several of the employees for beers & a bite to eat after jumping. I wish to thank everyone at the DZ for a great time and for making me feel welcome. I would definitely recommend to anyone wanting to jump at a large DZ with the small DZ feel.

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(Review ID:5166)

7 of 13 people found the following review helpful: Worst drop zone i've been to Rated by: sleepydiver on 2009-06-08 (user profile) (user reviews) Review of: Skydive San Marcos   Pros: Good aircraft & facilities Cons: Horrible staff, no scene

Professionalism   Vibe   Aircraft   Facilities   Services   Location

I've been to a fair number of dz, big and small and this one takes the cake. Its got a great plane, competitive rates, and quality facilities and still manages to be the worst dz I've ever been to, which is quite impressive actually. Their instructors go out of their way to make sure you know their at the top at this dz and that you don't know $hit. The manager/s&ta, has got to be the rudest manager is Ive seen at a business. He went out of his way to personally insult me after I just politely asked why it took 2.5 weeks to get a repack in their well stocked loft with 2-3 riggers. Even the office girls are hit-or-miss. Its ridiculous. They've driven all the talented fun jumpers away, so if you wanna jump, you're stuck trying to teach someone with 20 jumps how to sitfly, and the only reason these newbies are still there is because they don't know there are WAY cooler places to jump. its sad really.

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(Review ID:5018)

2 of 9 people found the following review helpful: firendly local jumper vibe -- polluted by instructors Rated by: surfbum5412 on 2009-03-14 (user profile) (user reviews) Review of: Skydive San Marcos   Pros: Otter to 13,500 Cons: No lo's, horrible weather, skygod instructors like you wouldn't believe

Professionalism   Vibe   Aircraft   Facilities   Services   Location

Upon arriving, I was suspicious of the place after reading reviews on DZ.com. To my surprise, front office staff was really cool and a female tandem instructor inspected my gear -- she was really down to earth. Then I started to hear the jaws theme as a young instructor with an accent creeped up on me and began 20 questions, then giving me random advice that wasn't welcomed...skygod.

The next weekend I brought a load of tandems for the school. Great thing was that they did give me $10 for each one. Bad thing was that every time I even tried to talk to a friend doing a tandem, a couple of the instructors would look at me like he I thought was a complete a-hole.

Nice facilities that are clean and they have an indoor packing area.

They have one twin otter. They do two passes; one at 10,500 for tandems and then about 13,000-14,000 for fun jumpers. that was cool getting extra altitude. And they're a little more lenient than my home DZ towards jumping with cloud coverage which was cool.

Not sure if it was because the time of season I was jumping there, but there weather in Texas is totally unpredictable.

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(Review ID:4882)

11 of 18 people found the following review helpful: Bad vibes says it all Rated by: airathanas on 2008-11-12 (user profile) (user reviews) Review of: Skydive San Marcos   Pros: Otter Cons: everything else

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I jumped here for the summer of 2008, and it was a struggle for me to keep going. Every weekend I went, people are bullied and ridiculed if they have less than 5000 jumps. I have since stopped going there and I don't regret that decision at all. Most of the people there are cool, but many staff members are egotistical skygods who soak you for every penny you got. A reserve repack takes 2 weeks. It's a total tandem factory and many instructors treat their students very poorly. There is a particular instructor who can't keep his hands to himself and makes uninvited advances to all of the women there. Students have complained but of course nothing changes. If you make a mistake, it's a chance for the skygods to let you know who's boss, rather than helping you learn more about the sport and help you become a better skydiver. I'm not alone in feeling this way; many people, even other staff members feel this way, yet nothing is done. I would not recommend going to this place.

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(Review ID:4877)

3 of 16 people found the following review helpful: Possibly the most hostile dz ever. Much like clicky high school drama. Rated by: bsbooker on 2008-11-10 (user profile) (user reviews) Review of: Skydive San Marcos   Pros: Good aircraft and facilities Cons: Unfriendly vibe, too many skygods

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Skygod (ski-gahd): A skydiver, usually high on the drop zone totem pole, who pretends to be safety oriented, but in truth would love nothing more than to see somebody pound in for the excuse to flex his authority and chew somebody a new ass. This sport has no room for skygods. The world would be better if skygods would pull their bottom lips over their heads and swallow.

My idea of a good S&TA is one who uses his skill to build up rather than tear down; one who helps you become a better and safer skydiver, not one who makes you feel stupid and insults your intelligence every chance he gets. This drop zone has no S&TA, only a bully with a rating.

Fun jumpers are not welcome here. Even the tandem students are just treated like another number; dump you out at 10,000 feet, take your money, and strap up the next one. I've even heard instructors openly say "I hate fun jumpers." An AFF instructor's job is to turn students into fun jumpers. I guess after you get their money, they can go run head first into traffic.

The staff members have nicknamed the current manager "Fred Flintstone" for his half evolved, neandrotholic way of doing business; using his 6'4" 300 pound stature to scare everybody into respecting him. I have spent all summer studying the sociological flaws with this place, and have determined only three ways to be treated with respect by the manager and his followers. 1) Be a highly skilled hotshot skygod. 2) Be female and not ashamed to bare it all when you're drunk. 3) Limit yourself to an eighth grade education, smoke a lot of dope, and always have something disgusting to say. If you have one or more of these three things going for you then you'll fit right in. Otherwise, you're a nobody, and they will go out of their way to let you know it.

Even the non managerial staff members admit that this is the most hostile drop zone that they know of. What disappoints me most about hearing them say it is that they are aware of the problem, but don't do their parts to change it. They try to act tough as nails, but if you don't totally walk on egg shells around them, they become the most thin-skinned, sensitive crybabies that you'll ever encounter.

Most of the staff members and fun jumpers (including the DZO and his wife) are some of the nicest people that you'll ever come across. I made a lot of great friends this summer. Unfortunately it only takes a couple of skid marks to turn an otherwise awesome dz into a sludge-caked stinkfest that reminds you of the discomfort you get when the doctor is exploring your nether-region. Skydive 35 south of Dallas now has a Caravan. Tell a friend.




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(Review ID:4876)

4 of 13 people found the following review helpful: New Looks...great plane.....be very wary b/c staff is concerned about one thing,,,$ and tandems Rated by: dtemple on 2008-11-09 (user profile) (user reviews) Review of: Skydive San Marcos   Pros: Great A/C and new facilities make it look nice Cons: The old adage applies here..."Don't judge a book by its cover"

Professionalism   Vibe   Aircraft   Facilities   Services   Location

Let me start by saying that there are nice people and staff at this DZ (Lloyd, Kevin, Perry) but a majority wont speak to you unless you have boobs or are a so-called skygod.

I attend this DZ only to keep current. I jump other places for fun. When you first arrive, you may notice nice new facilities and the great aircraft, but that is where is ends. When you start to interact with the staff, you get the vibe of "who are you and why are you talking to me?" (you know they are staff bc they are the only ones with a purple shirt that say staff on the back). I still get this vibe and I have been going there for 7 to 8 months.

If your a student, forget it. Go somewhere else. They will bump you and you have one of the lowest priorities for a ride.

I have jumped from the west to the east coast and this is the worst and is not very skydive friendly.

One last note, they fired their manager a couple of months back, but nothing has changed...TANDEM FACTORY with no concern for others. (Concerned with tandems because that makes the most money)

I would be happy to adjust this review when their attitudes are focused on all skydivers.

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(Review ID:4852)

7 of 14 people found the following review helpful: WARNING Rated by: chuck.johnson3 on 2008-10-26 (user profile) (user reviews) Review of: Skydive San Marcos   Pros: Twin Otter Cons: The vibe sucks, the people suck

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WARNING...............This is by far the worst dropzone I have ever been to. If your looking for a drop zone keep driving. This place is not friendly at all. I waited 5 hours at a boggie for a jump we kept getting bumped and lied to as to why. During the Halloween Boggie a lot of skydivers where pissed off by the treatment. I will never give them another dollar of my money. Two jump planes and a Helo and waited 5 hours to jump what a joke. Over all I would not recommend or jump here ever again.

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(Review ID:4685)

10 of 17 people found the following review helpful: $$$$ TANDEM FACTORY $$$$$$ Rated by: Squig0301 on 2008-08-04 (user profile) (user reviews) Review of: Skydive San Marcos   Pros: great jump plane Cons: staff, willingness to help fun jumpers, tandem factory

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Not so much fun, very much a tandem factory. Didn't like the staffs attitude towards fun jumpers or guests. If they don't know you, then you don't even matter to them. Been there multiple times and get the same feeling every time I go there

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(Review ID:4640)

8 of 15 people found the following review helpful: tandem factory; not one of the friendly dz's Rated by: ewing7026 on 2008-07-10 (user profile) (user reviews) Review of: Skydive San Marcos   Pros: twin otter Cons: staff and management is standoffish/unhelpful/ rude

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The feature about skydive san marcos that stands out most is the unprofessional and unfriendly attitude of the management and staff. i did my AFF there and jumped over a period of almost a year. if you're popular or a skygod, you won't have too much of a problem. but if you need extra hands-on help with a basic skill, you have to look hard for someone who doesn't mind helping you if you're an average joe; no one will offer hands-on help unless you're cool or a hot chick. i've seen loyal fun- jumpers treated like sh*t-- put down in public, ridiculed, or totally dissed like they don't matter. i've even seen a couple of staff make people cry. even some of the staff realize it's an unfriendly place and eventually leave. too bad, because the ones who leave are usually the GOOD ones. this dz has the reputation for being a tandem factory, and it is. but i've also seen first time tandem customers treated rudely or made to feel unimportant or stupid. it's hard to believe that they have return business. the dzo when he's there seems somewhat approachable but usually blows people off. there are friendly dz's in central texas, but unfortunately they don't have comparable aircraft. AFF students spend a lot of money at ssm, especially if they have to repeat levels; they are taken advantage of.

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(Review ID:4611)

6 of 15 people found the following review helpful: Great for tandem jumpers! But not the best place for advanced students. Rated by: skyfox2007 on 2008-06-28 (user profile) (user reviews) Review of: Skydive San Marcos   Pros: Caters to Tandem Jumpers, Sizable/Safe DZ, Very Safe, Expedient Aircraft Cons: Unfriendly Staff, Insufficient # of AFF Instructors/Coaches

Professionalism   Vibe   Aircraft   Facilities   Services   Location

This dropzone caters to tandem jumpers; those seeking a one-time thrill. The tandem instructors are safe and courteous and there are a sufficient number of them to meet the amount of business they receive. The wait time is reasonable short (under 90 mins) and the price ($189) is compartivly good. A friend of mine recently made a tandem jump and completed training and the jump in under an hour. If you seek a tandem skydive, this place is for you. Unfortunately, this dropzone does not employ a sufficient number of AFF and advanced level instructors. If you wish to make an AFF, re-cert, coach, or A-license dive your wait could range from several hours (3 or 4) to several days ("Come back tomorrow/next week") based on my experience. There is never more than 2 AFF level instructors on the DZ at any one time while the number of AFF/advanced students at any one time is much greater than they can tend to. I have visited this DZ three times in the last three weeks (once each weekend) and have only made 1 jump! They are also a bit short on coaches so completing your coach jumps prior to your A license "check dive" may take a while. If you plan to attend an advanced course here be prepared to spend the day there or come back the following day/weekend. The staff are also short on courteousy. They are all too happy to smile and cater to the every need of the tandem students who fork over large amounts of money and pay the bills. But AFF students and those seeking a license are treated as inconveniences. The staff never directed me to an instructor; I was expected to comb the DZ and find a him or her myself to schedule training and a jump. When I finally did, he or she was never thrilled to see yet another student while preoccupied with a few others. However, the instructors are certainly safe and do not cut corners when it comes to instruction. Each briefing I had with the instructors was thorough and helpful. Though the experience could have been more respectful and expeditious. It's no fun sitting on the ground for several hours or days at a time waiting in line.

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