May 31, 2009, 3:10 PM
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New Jumper!
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Hello all! Been bumming around on the site for a little over a week now...basically once I had decided to finally DO my initial jump.
I jumped last Saturday in Lodi (tandem) and the last 8 days have felt like a month. I'm definitely having trouble being patient as I wait to start AFF...I've wanted to be a skydiver since I was a teenager (not skydive, but BE a skydiver...none of this do-it-once business for me, I knew I'd get hooked) and figured there's no time like now.
So here I am! Looking forward to "meeting" y'all as I progress (at what seems like an EXCRUCIATINGLY slow pace).
i know what you mean about time passing so slowly.... i did my one tandem a few weeks ago, and i'm counting the days until i start aff, which is 4 more weeks for me!
Welcome to the group, I also just started and I am hooked, did my first as a Tandem and than i did my my first AFF jump this Sat and already sch for next Sat. to go some more
skymama (D 26699)
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Jun 1, 2009, 7:20 AM
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Thanks! It depends on how patient I can be. If I wait a few months, I might be able to save the $$ to do it all at once...more realistically, I'll do level 1 sometime late this month or early next, then 2/3, 4/5, etc with the goal of A license by my birthday! (november) and my C license by the time I finish grad school.
Any tips for making people less tired of me talking almost exclusively about jumping? I can't look at the sky the same anymore and nothing is making this go away! :)
Any tips for making people less tired of me talking almost exclusively about jumping? I can't look at the sky the same anymore and nothing is making this go away! :)
-Katie
Nope. They don't get it, and unless they jump, they never will. Most folks are a little interested, and will listen to the basics, but as you go into more and more detail, their eyes will glaze over, and they will try to change the subject or wander off.
You will learn (eventually) how to keep it short and general, and when to let them change the subject.
The folks at the DZ (and on here) are the only ones who are willing to put up with it.
I got hooked on jumping when I was a freshman college student and continued through grad school. Still jumping 40 years later. It really helped in getting through school. Skydiving is a great stress reliever and head cleaner hobby. It really puts stuff in perspective.
Keep us posted on your AFF. Lodi rocks, you will have some great times.
I got hooked on jumping when I was a freshman college student and continued through grad school. Still jumping 40 years later. It really helped in getting through school. Skydiving is a great stress reliever and head cleaner hobby. It really puts stuff in perspective.
Keep us posted on your AFF. Lodi rocks, you will have some great times.
377
Sounds about right...I just finished up my first semester of grad school and I'm pretty sure this'll help keep me grounded (er, maybe that's not the right term? )
I really loved Lodi and everyone I met there--I can see how it's more of a fun jumper's dz than a first timer's, though. Lodi's not too far from where my parents live, so I'm sure they'll have mixed feelings about my visits home...:)
I will absolutely keep y'all posted on my AFF...I'm still navigating decisions as to where/when since I'm actually a lot closer to Madera than Lodi. Thanks so much!
i know exactly how you feel. i did my first tandem at the end of may, and haven't been able to keep my eyes off the sky since. my friends have heard me talking about jumping so much that a few are going to jump tandem when i start my aff jumps on july 18th. i still havent found a way to take my mind off jumping again, but i guess the best remedy is to jump. good luck
Congrats Katie, on your new found love! I did 2 tandems in 3 weeks, then waited 10 more months before starting my AFP. You're progressing much faster than I did. Have Fun!!!
Well, I passed level 1 with "flying" colors last weekend and I'm anxious for level 2...and so on and so forth. Was nervous, but I did just fine, & had no trouble with control in freefall! :D
Hi! So, about me...I'm 22 (23 in November) and a CA native. I guess I always just thought I had to keep big dreams a little bit more "in the future"...that, and I knew once I started that would be it. No halfway, no putting off...I would be in it for good. And I knew that would require a lot from me financially/mentally/etc so I needed to be prepared to go all in. You know? I don't ever ever believe in regrets, and thus I don't regret waiting until now. I am learning I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Haha...a little philosophical there, sorry...
Anyways, if there's ANYTHING you wanna know about me, I'm an open book. I'll also be sure to post as I progress!
Hello KatieBeth. Looks like you picked a very cost effective dropzone. You should be able to rack up alot of jumps in a short amount of time. Now get out there and do it! Have fun and be safe.
Know the feeling, cant stop thinking of jumping again, did tandem a few weeks ago and finally able to schedule 1st AFF class last Thursday but couldnt jump due to weather. I must be driving everyone crazy because i cant stop talking about it. Driving to work tonight it was finally sunny and thinking to myself must rather be up in the clouds than driving to work. Hopefully can jump this Tuesday.
Know the feeling, cant stop thinking of jumping again, did tandem a few weeks ago and finally able to schedule 1st AFF class last Thursday but couldnt jump due to weather. I must be driving everyone crazy because i cant stop talking about it. Driving to work tonight it was finally sunny and thinking to myself must rather be up in the clouds than driving to work. Hopefully can jump this Tuesday.
know the feeling. i just finished my aff jumps last friday. just remember to breath deep and relax, the dives will go much better. thinking about jumping just gets worse with every jump, but its a fun addiction. good luck!
Knocked out levels 3 & 4 this afternoon. Made mistakes, fixed 'em, good landings...looking forward to the next level. So far, so good. Still nervous before every jump. :)
We have a little cessna so the climb to 10k is about 20 mins...plenty of time to think. I guess it seems the two most beneficial things I've learned to do are to visualize my jump once or twice from start to finish and to BREATHEEEEE. I don't even realize how tense I'm getting until I purposely relax. And I haven't even started spotting yet! Maybe that'll help.
JohnDeere & Skymama: thanks for the encouraging words. More than anything else I'm excited to fly, more than the fear and the nervous, so I'm okay with those other things being there. :)
No one told me that skydiving would make NOT spending money on other things so much easier. :P
Levels 5 & 6 today & jumped a self-packed rig! Planning my level 7 for next weekend...having a hard time settling back into the world outside my little dz family! I'm finding it really easy to head up first thing in the morning and not get home until long after the sun has gone to sleep. :) Anyone else?
Levels 5 & 6 today & jumped a self-packed rig! Planning my level 7 for next weekend...having a hard time settling back into the world outside my little dz family! I'm finding it really easy to head up first thing in the morning and not get home until long after the sun has gone to sleep. :) Anyone else?
-km
its gotten so bad i just go up friday and camp. come home sunday evening after jumping all weekend.
Hi, another new jumper here. I'm at 16 jumps and addicted! I seem to spend all weekend out on the skydive patio hoping to get up in the air whenever there is a space!! Luckily I have a really friendly dropzone and the owner has already let me sleep on the sofa in reception instead driving all the way home to come back early the next morning!
You all were right! :) it was a really really fun jump and 8 was a breeze. Made my first jump off-student today, and finally on a rig that isn't HUGE. It's so nice to fly something smaller! Onward to my A!
Good job, I'm jealous. I work every weekend so I hope the weather is good this week since my daughter is off camping with her mom all week. Need to pass that silly level 3.
Sorry to drag up an old post, but thought an update was in order!
Still working on the A, hoping to have it by the bikini jump that's planned for my birthday in a couple months. Yes, I know it will be cold, and yes, I know I will look funny. :) Packing finally clicked a few pack jobs ago and now it makes total sense to me how everything's organized.
Let's see...what else. There was the 2nd jump on the new-to-me rig that left me with a couple of scraped knees cause I was riding my brakes in...have since learned not to do that! And then had some fun with a 4-way horny gorilla...even pretended to pick my nose in freefall. Had to ham it up for the camera a little. :)
So overall, jumps are going well and my only complaint is that with classes starting back up, as a grad student I'm going to have to fight for jump weekends this semester. Can someone say study groups at the dz? :)
Did jumps 13-15. One unsuccessful swoop & dock, one solid 2-way exit to 4-way, one sort of sit fly! Got stable for a few seconds in the sit, which was really a cool feeling. Too bad I'm better in freefall than I am with landings. Seems like taking even two weeks off puts me back at square one with canopy control. I know it takes time, but I'm getting tired of skinned body parts! :)
Blue skies...hoping to jump again soon & get that A card filled out ASAP!
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