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sombra2

The cost of becoming a pro

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Hi all and first of all sorry if my english is not very good as it is not my mother tongue.

It's not that I am considering right now becoming a pro, but let's think about this scenario and please share your thoughts with me: somebody like me with now around 220ish jumps and a USPA C license who wished to go full time on skydiving (and I mean full time), for, say, a year. A whole year training 6 days a week in order to achieve, what?, 1000 jumps-ish? During this year also trying to achieve as many ratings as possible of course and try to make the best of it. The cost of all it could rise easily up to 50k €, even probably more if we include some tunnel time. But, would that be a gateway to start a career? Would it be a good starting point if I did that? As I said, it's not something I am reallistically doing probably in the future, but it has crossed my mind several times since I am not particularly enthusiastic about my job, I have some savings and I definitely love the sport. I know it sounds crazy, but all the stories I've heard about instructors and other pro skydivers have always started by something like this. Can you share your thoughts with me? even if you are pro's it would be great if you shared with me how did you started in this. Also keep in mind that I have one disadvantage: I am currently 35 and I started in the sport 2 years ago, so basically I'll have a definitely shorter career compare to many others!

Thanks in advance guys

regards

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I am interested in this as well. I am about your age and not fond of my job as well. On the other hand I think that if skydiving became your full time job it might not be that special anymore. I see the fulltime tandem instructors and coaches at our dropzone and sometimes wonder if they are still happy skydiving. Maybe it's better to have your job, and then have skydiving to look forward to in the weekends.
But this is not an answer to your question.
There are some skydiving schools in New zealand en Australia where you make about 200 jumps in 3 to 6 months. This might help getting those skills and jump numbers.

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What kind of skydiving job do you want?
You can get a job as a packer or manifest starting where you are now. Get to know the full timers around you. Do they live in the parking lot? Do they have second jobs? Do they get to fun jump more than you do now?

I'm a full time TI and was a full time SLI last year. My expenses are low and I have another job in the winter. Static lines barely pay the bills and I burned myself out last year not having enough time or cash to fun jump. Tandems pay much better so I only work 3ish days a week. But, I have a second job 9 months of the year, no debt, and minimal expenses. While I'd love to train and compete, I don't have the right time/money combination.

My advice: keep jumping and feel it out at your dz. Do the numbers. How much money do you need to make toto be comfortable - including a fun jump and vacation budget. Can you make that at your dz? Plan aead and it can work; getting my TI was over $1200, and that's after all the prerequisites were met.

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I will not give advice, but I will share some perspective. I was at a boogie about 15 years ago and was talking to a British ex-pat who was a full-time skydiver. I said that he was "living the dream," then he confided that it was more of a nightmare. He was 40+ had no house, no healthcare, no savings and no options. What seems unimaginably cool in one's 20s may not be later in life.

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bdawk

From a jump cost perspective, I would think you could get a deal somewhere. For example Spacleand locations in the US have an unlimited jump package for $8200.

As to the rest of your question, I have no idea.



That's definitely a good start, I didn't know about it, thank you! I've just checked their website and that's definitely a great deal! The only issue is that I am not a US citizen or resident, so in that case it would be a little bit tricky for me if I went for that, but thanks for the info, really!

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Most of what the other posters have said are accurate. Just want to point out another scenario. As you increase your jump numbers while still working at the job you dont enjoy,or the dz, bite the bullet and focus on getting on a team(and getting awesome) in a discipline you enjoy. If you start winning competitions then you can think about sponsorship and so on. Christi Frikken did a story in an issue of parachutist about becoming a professional skydiver and being able to pay the bills at doing what she loves. She is based out of Perris Valley Skydiving and covered how she accomplished it. Most of the TI's at my home DZ have multiple ratings, and still have other jobs. There are 2 or 3 instructors that only work in the skydiving industry, in order to cut over head they live on the DZ which is not as glamorous as it sounds. Like another poster said about the ex-pat, no med benefits(unless you pay for your own), no vacation pay, no retirement(unless you invest wisely), you have to 1099 your taxes, which means for us us citizen, our taxes are taken out of our pay check, but at the end of the tax year we get a return, not so when you 1099. You pay what you owe based on what you made over the year. And think about weather days, you dont get to work.

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Another thing to consider, is how good you really are at skydiving related things vs. other possible jobs.

We all like to think we're pretty reasonable at stuff, but we're not all exceptional. That doesn't mean we're all stuck with our current skills. People can discover hidden talents and change. Sometimes a dumbass happy go lucky skydiver can turn into a responsible, disciplined competitor or trainer over time. Still, some hint of extra abilities in a field can be useful, even if sheer determination and enthusiasm matter a lot too.

If you want to be in skydiving in the long run full time, will you be able to bring more than the average, and do more than just maybe tandems and video? Will you be able to move up to the higher levels of the sport, as you get older?

Living the dream as a full time DZ bum can fun for a while but after a few years it can get old.

Someone can ask themselves whether they really will be pretty gifted at sports (and maybe do well as a competitor?) or be good at technical things (get more into rigging?) or be really good at teaching (and get into training people for ratings?) or organize activites (and become involved in running a DZ?) or even just have a good constitution (and not mind day after day in the hot sun hauling tandems?).

You'll also want to consider what the market is where ever you are. Is the sport big enough, is there room for the sport to grow, is the skydiving season long enough to support many full timers, and where else can one move or temporarily work?

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skydiverwannabe

I am interested in this as well. I am about your age and not fond of my job as well. On the other hand I think that if skydiving became your full time job it might not be that special anymore.



There are not many (if in fact any) full time year-round skydivers-only in The Netherlands. Most have a 'regular' job, or even more than one other job, even during the summer. In the winter you'll need to find other employment (ski instructor?) or find a warmer place to work (ie, New Zealand, Australia etc).

If you want to become a professional skydiver here, you better get as many ratings as you can (tandem, AFF, rigging) and have a backup plan in the form of another steady job and/or winter gig. Or move to a warmer/better weather location :ph34r:

ciel bleu,
Saskia

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