Okay so i caught the skydiving bug last month when I went for my first tandem jump at Skydive Arizona in Eloy,AZ. I want to go balls to the walls into this fantastic sport; however, it's not cheap to get into so I've been told. For my A-license alone it's going to cost about Four thousand dollars then you add in the rig which is another 5-6 thousand. So in total I'm assuming i need about 8-10 thousand to get into the sport completely. I would like to know what type of methods some of you used to finance. I was thinking about taking out a student loan because of the low interest rates. I have excellent credit last time i checked it was a 760 credit score. Sorry for rambling just looking for some tips thanks guys BLUE SKIES
Re: [Kursk] Tips on how to finance Skydiving.
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I don't know if I would go that deep into debt until you're sure you want to stick with it, and even then you can do it cheaper than 10 g's to start off....
On the other hand there's always identity theft and credit card fraud!
Re: [Kursk] Tips on how to finance Skydiving.
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There are obviously many threads similar to yours. Most get suggestions to learn to pack.
While money is short, you can always go get yourself a skydiving themed tattoo - this way, even if you don't make it in the sport, everyone around you will always think that you are a badass hardcore skydiver. Seems to work for many people...
Re: [Kursk] Tips on how to finance Skydiving.
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Okay so i caught the skydiving bug last month when I went for my first tandem jump at Skydive Arizona in Eloy,AZ. I want to go balls to the walls into this fantastic sport; however, it's not cheap to get into so I've been told. For my A-license alone it's going to cost about Four thousand dollars then you add in the rig which is another 5-6 thousand. So in total I'm assuming i need about 8-10 thousand to get into the sport completely. I would like to know what type of methods some of you used to finance. I was thinking about taking out a student loan because of the low interest rates. I have excellent credit last time i checked it was a 760 credit score. Sorry for rambling just looking for some tips thanks guys BLUE SKIES
If you need to borrow money to get a rig you can't afford a new one for $5-6K. Used and airworthy can be found for not much over $1000 (this requires expert help, because there's a lot of crap out there), and $2500 should even get you something nice (rigger advice + inspection is needed here too). If you're an odd size/shape sending such a rig to the manufacturer for a new harness at $400 + shipping is going to be more affordable than a new harness/container.
I know one guy who paid his way through the student program by selling plasma although I think there are better approaches like
1. Getting far enough into a good career you can skydive as much as you want until sending kids to college.
2. Cuting expenses. When I started skydiving I had a room in a house ($300) instead of my own one-bedroom apartment ($600). Drove an old car I paid $2000 cash for instead of having a car payment ($300-$600 a month). Ate lots of spaghetti. Skipped cable TV.
3. Packing parachutes. I doubt there's a legal way to earn as much money fast for the level of training and practice it takes. $6 each at 10/hour = $60/hour.
4. Cutting lift ticket costs. This is especially applicable to students and other people with a lot of travel flexibility.
Not for profit skydiving clubs are one option.
Skydive Wissota will charge you $240 for your first 5 student jumps, $30 for each one after that, and sell you a 20 jump free fall package with gear rental for $500.
That will get you to your A-license for under $1000 and you should get more personal attention than you would at a big DZ with 100+ students per busy day.
Lodi is another option. Their 2-3 day AFF package is $1000 plus $100 for a tandem first. AFAIK they have the least expensive turbine jumps in the country.
(This post was edited by DrewEckhardt on Nov 4, 2009, 2:11 PM)
Re: [Kursk] Tips on how to finance Skydiving.
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If you've got a well paying job -- keep it. You may not have the time to jump as often as you want, but you'll have the finacial freedom to afford the sport.
If you've got a lower paying job -- start saving money and jump when you can. Currency is important, so you may want to save up a big chunk of money so you can finish AFF in one block, and then maybe A-license in another.
Re: [Kursk] Tips on how to finance Skydiving.
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Re : "balls to the walls into this fantastic sport"...
Just the sort of approach, which could get you into trouble. That might work in some sports,,,, but IMHO,,,not this one...
It could be best to go easy and openminded, cautious and willing to accept that there is SO much to learn... carefully and attentively...listening to your instructors, all along the way.
I would Never advise borrowing $$$$ to jump... especially NOT a student loan...( regardless of the interest rates ).... Don't you have to BE a full time student somewhere??? to get the loan,, and then, IF you spend it on skydiving, how would you plan to pay your tuition??...
try to do both college and skydiving, if possible, but recognize that it's a slower pace, and much more work,, than you may realize. Especially if you do BOTH....
Pack parachutes, sweep the floors, empty wastebaskets....use your networking abilities right within your local DZ, to connect to a part time job, or to create a part time job, in order to generate funds, which can be used exclusively for your new hobby.
Are you currently employed full time?? if so, have those wages, cover all your various living expenses and YES, even continue to build savings. See if any work opportunities are available right on the DZ,, from maintanence to , cleaning, to office needs..to packing parachutes.
enjoy your next jump. jmy A 3914 D 12122 POPS 3935
Re: [Harmless] Tips on how to finance Skydiving.
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Okay let me clarify some things that I previously didn't mention. I'm not cash strapped, I currently have somewhat of a respectable job as a full time Medical Assistant, I make about $15-18 dollars an hour depending on what I hours i work at my hospital. I'm currently also going to school part time to become a RN. So you could say i work in a stressful environment, but when i hang out at the DZ at Eloy all of that kind of melts away. The people there are so cool and laid back and I've already made tons of friends. The reason i mentioned a school loan is because I know i could get a Large lump some of money off the bat. Hmm I guess i just almost answered my own question, I just need to pull the trigger on the loan and sell my life to the banks. The only downside is i will have to put my RN career on hold for maybe a year or two. Would you put your career on hold for the sport should have been my real question
(This post was edited by Kursk on Nov 4, 2009, 5:01 PM)
If you want to skydive, forget about Eloy. Like other said, unless you have a good job, won the lottery or have a recently deceased rich uncle or something, it's nigh impossible to afford their services. Find a non profit club someplace around where you live (To give you an idea of what I mean by "around where you live", I drive 3 hours to skydive Wissota) and learn through static line or IAD (instructor assited deployment).
I've spent about 7-8 grand to get to where I'm at now.
Here's the breakdown:
750 for an A license at skydive Wissota - great place if you live anywhere near it, almost worthwhile to move to Wisconsin for a summer if you're serious about it. Not only do you get the cheapest A license in the States, but you get completely unwarranted and generous personal attention (coaching) from world record holders who just want to further the sport. There are other places that offer similar deals (albeit without MB kicking your ass to get your shit together and get on the next load), do you're homework and find them.
1800 for all my gear - study gear so you know when a deal comes up in the classifieds and haggle hard; I could turn around and sell my equiptment for at least 2500 right now and that's after putting 200 jumps on it. There are good deals out there, you just need to be persistent, patient and smart about it. Also, I'd actually recommend taking out a loan for this one. No matter how bad the interest rate is, I can guarantee it'll be cheaper than paying ~15 bucks a jump for rental gear. If had I rented for all the jumps I've made on my own gear, it would have cost me 3000 bucks (200 jumps * 15 dollars). Even just 20 jumps on rental gear would cost at least 300, that's around five years of interest on most 2000 dollar loans.
4000 for jumps after my a license (approx) - it's only 15 bucks to jump at Wissota, but I've traveled all over the place and probably spent an average of 20 bucks per jump over 200 or so jumps. This however can be as much or as little as you like. If I wouldn't have gotten addicted and had to do 200 a year, this figure could easily be 1500 bucks and I'd still be happy as hell.
500 for gas - it's often a three hour drive.
400 for beer - you'll have to buy a case every time you do something for the first time, it's a tradition and it's not fair to the students/novices who, by definition, are doing stuff for the first time all the time. Still, pay your dues.
oh yea, 375 for a wingsuit
Your situation will vary depending on where you go and how that dropzone runs. But the point is, it's totally doable. Save up for static line instruction over the Winter, take a loan out for gear, and then your only skydiving expenses are jump tickets, gas and beer. Hell just by giving up cable TV, you've just saved like 360 dollars for the year. That's around 18 jumps. Eat out less, buy used textbooks and go easier on the gas pedal. That's at least 30 more. Get the picture...
Point is, you'll find ways to feed the addiction. After start-up costs, it's actually a remarkably cheap sport considering what you are doing.
You'll be a real student skydiver, stealing toilette paper and shopping at goodwill just so you can afford one more jump in no time.
One last thing, be prepared to spend an insane amount of time at the dropzone. It's more of a commitment than you think, of course there are worse things to do with your time.
Re: [Kursk] Tips on how to finance Skydiving.
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Would you put your career on hold for the sport should have been my real question
NO! Especially not when you are talking about a career that ALSO requires a certain amount of "currency" to continue. You've already invested in that, tough it out, finish, get a great job as a nurse that pays you well. Depending on what kind of nursing you want to go into you might even find something with the kind of schedule that not only pays you well but gives you ample daytime hours for jumping!
I did something similar to what you are talking about. It was awesome, I had a stash of money that was meant for other purposes but did one jump and loved it. I did AFF followed by another 50 jumps or so in a very short time and then that pot of money ran out. Then not only did I not have the money to skydive, but I also no longer had the money to use for it's intended purpose. In your case, not only would you end up depleting your loan money eventually, but you would then be paying the loan money back ON TOP of trying to come up with the money to continue jumping.
Priorities, regardless of how much they suck, are important. Get the career going and put yourself in a position to CONTINUE in the sport before you START in the sport!
Of course, you could sell everything you own, buy a camper, move to the dz and pack for a living too.
Re: [Kursk] Tips on how to finance Skydiving.
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Okay let me clarify some things that I previously didn't mention. I'm not cash strapped, I currently have somewhat of a respectable job as a full time Medical Assistant, I make about $15-18 dollars an hour depending on what I hours i work at my hospital. I'm currently also going to school part time to become a RN. So you could say i work in a stressful environment, but when i hang out at the DZ at Eloy all of that kind of melts away. The people there are so cool and laid back and I've already made tons of friends. The reason i mentioned a school loan is because I know i could get a Large lump some of money off the bat. Hmm I guess i just almost answered my own question, I just need to pull the trigger on the loan and sell my life to the banks. The only downside is i will have to put my RN career on hold for maybe a year or two. Would you put your career on hold for the sport should have been my real question
Ok, well here's a thought. Since you have access, why don't you steal some drugs and then sell them? I'm sure you might even find people right at the dropzone to buy them.. win win.
Re: [Kursk] Tips on how to finance Skydiving.
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just looking for some tips
First tip, pay for student jumps as you go. There's no need to pay the full amount up front, and when you pay as you go, you don't have any pressure to jump other than whatever you feel like doing. If you spring for the whole program up front, you may feel like you have to jump, when you should only be there when you want to jump.
Some have suggested finding a cheaper DZ, which might be a thought, but only if you can find one nearby. When you travel to a DZ to get a license, you have the added pressure of getting it done before the trip is over, and you don't need that. Proceed at your own pace, at a DZ near your home.
Next, don't think about buying gear until you have a license. All of your student and coach jumps will include rental gear, so there's no problem there. After that, you can continue to rent gear as long as you want. Yes, it will cost money to rent, but it on a per jump basis, not a lump sum.
Once you have a license, and are ready to look at gear, a used rig is the way to go. Your first rig will be very similar to the student rigs you'll be using during your training, but you'll outgrow it within about 100 jumps. If you buy new for the first one, you lose a ton when you sell it to move to a more 'sporty' rig.
Once you're ready to upgrade, you'll be buying a rig that will last you for at least serveral hundred jumps, and buying new makes more sense.
So figure on pay-as-you-go for student jumps, so you don't need to worry about taking out a loan for that. While you train, start saving your pennies, and when you're ready to buy a rig, plan on a used rig and expect to pay between $3000 and $4000. Even if you can only save up $1000, your loan amount just went from $8k down to $2.5k, and you have a $3500 rig to show for it (typically you can sell your used rig for 75% or 80% of the purchase price if you take care of it).
There's no reason to go 'all in' to start skydiving. Go slow, see what's what, and make sure it's everything you think it is. Get your license and nice used rig, and give it a year. If you're still head over heels for the sport, then re-arrange your life to fit around skydiving.
If it's going to happen, going in slow isn't going to hurt. If you find it's less than you thought it would be, then not having $10K to repay is going to be a VERY nice thing.
Re: [FlyingJ] Tips on how to finance Skydiving.
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Depending on what kind of nursing you want to go into you might even find something with the kind of schedule that not only pays you well but gives you ample daytime hours for jumping!
I was going to say the same thing. I know several nurses and most end up having a fairly flexible schedule, and have the time and money to do quite a bit of jumping. I would recommend against putting those plans on hold.
I started in college. My university had a club that had a great deal for students (FreeflyChile, nerdgirl, FallingMarc, and I were all presidents at one time or another) and I got my A-license for less than a grand. In my first year I did about 40 jumps and at the end of that year I bought a complete used rig with about 400 jumps on it for three grand. The following year I did around 160 jumps, taking it easy because I was going to school and free time was at a premium.
Since I finished undergrad I've been making 400-600 jumps a year.
Re: [Kursk] Tips on how to finance Skydiving.
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I'm a broke college student too. So far, I've spent:
1250 AFF 1300 Used Rig (Got a sweet deal. Just keep looking around.) Assuming ~24 for each jump after AFF, That's a total of $2982 to get my A license.
Oh, and to make the money, I work!
(This post was edited by thedude325 on Nov 4, 2009, 10:40 PM)
Re: [champu] Tips on how to finance Skydiving.
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I didn't read all of the replies but wanted to say this. I have played guitar for 15 years now and toured for 4 of them. It cost a lot. I at one point had 15 grand worth of equipment. It's not something you just jump into. I started out with a decent guitar and a small practice amp and as I found that I loved it more and more and I started buying more and spending more on my love. It goes the same with this. Don't be that idiot that picks up a guitar and thinks it's awesome and then goes out and buys all the top line gear on credit only to find out 6 months later that you are bored with it. Give it time, work slow and learn. If it turns into something that you really love and can't live without, then you sell your soul to afford it!
Re: [airtwardo] Tips on how to finance Skydiving.
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I don't know if I would go that deep into debt until you're sure you want to stick with it, and even then you can do it cheaper than 10 g's to start off....
On the other hand there's always identity theft and credit card fraud!
Always take advice from a guy who started before Orrville & Wilbur
Re: [Kursk] Tips on how to finance Skydiving.
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The reason i mentioned a school loan is because I know i could get a Large lump some of money off the bat. Hmm I guess i just almost answered my own question, I just need to pull the trigger on the loan and sell my life to the banks. The only downside is i will have to put my RN career on hold for maybe a year or two. Would you put your career on hold for the sport should have been my real question
Re: [Kursk] Tips on how to finance Skydiving.
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The only downside is i will have to put my RN career on hold for maybe a year or two. Would you put your career on hold for the sport should have been my real question
BAD IDEA
Don't do this. Figure out how to advance your career and skydive or put the skydiving on hold.
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