0
McDuck

Questing Newbie

Recommended Posts

Hey all. Just thought I would stop here first and say hello before making an ass out of myself with inanities elsewhere in the forums. My girlfriend and I are new to the sport and we simply cannot get enough of it. We only have 14 jumps each, but we feel as if we are picking it up well. My 14th jump, I started experimenting with different body positions and center turns. It was a thrill BEYOND a thrill, even if I'm only beginning to learn a highly modified (read: personalized) version of the mantis. I've been reading about relative work and "chasing the ball" and I know that I still have an infinitely vast amount of knowledge to glean. I would like to ask, however, for some initial tips on how to start transitioning to head down, stand & sit flying. I know it's early in my experience, but until I knuckle down and start doing some serious RW, I want to experiment a bit. Any suggestions?
Kevin - Sonic Beef #5 - OrFun #28
"I never take myself too seriously, 'cuz everybody know fat birds don't fly." - FLC
Online communities: proof that people never mature much past high school.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
14 jumps is much too early to be thinking about going headdown. For the time being I would suggest continuing trying to improve your belly skills and in the not too distant future, it's okay to start trying to learn to sit and stand. But headdown can be very dangerous to yourself (and others in the sky) if you don't know what you are doing and where you are in the sky.

Good luck ...


Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Hey all. Just thought I would stop here first and say hello before making an ass out of myself with inanities elsewhere in the forums.



Welcome to the wonderful world of skydiving and Dropzone.com! Now, feel free to go ahead and make an ass out of yourself like everyone else. ;)
Safe swoops
Sangiro

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Thanks for the tug on the reins. I tend to get a bit ahead of myself when I'm talking about skydiving, but when I'm in the plane, it's all about the butterflies.

I'll stick to belly flying for a while and get that as ironed out as I possibly can.

Since I'm usually the last one out of the plane, and jumping by myself, would it be a bad idea to attempt any sitflying? I tried flying on my back, but I forgot to de-arch, and I rotated right back over onto my belly. Strong testament to the power of a good, strong arch, I suppose. Anyway, thoughts on some initial sitfly practice?

"I may be new, but I'm also UGLY, and...wait..."
Kevin - Sonic Beef #5 - OrFun #28
"I never take myself too seriously, 'cuz everybody know fat birds don't fly." - FLC
Online communities: proof that people never mature much past high school.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
First off, what sort of container are you flying? If you're jumping a freefly friendly container, then learning to sit is a possibility. ;)

Okay I know a few people will disagree with me here (many believe that new skydivers need to spend plenty of time on their bellies before they learn freeflying). Now I'm not sure why you're usually last out (do you pull high?), but the big issue when learning to sit is to prevent yourself from sliding into someone else's airspace (it's so much easier to slide across the sky while freeflying than when you are belly flying, especially headdown). Anyway, likely what you'll do when learning to sit (don't worry virtually everyone goes through this phase) is that at first you'll flop around (we call you guys floppers ;) and we like to put you between the belly fliers and the freefliers because you'll drift more like a belly flier, but I digress). Then at some point you'll find what you think is a stable sit. But the problem is, is that you'll likely be leaning forward with your torso and backsliding (once again, most people go through these phases). So the important thing to do when learning to sit is to align yourself perpendicular to the flight line. This way, if (when) you backslide, you're not sliding into someone else's airspace.

Have you heard that the sit in freeflying is the equivalent to arching in belly flying? Basically when we become unstable during a freefly jump, we need to immediately go to our sits and recover before we get back into the dive. Corking is extremely dangerous if someone happens to be above you.

Once again, I know some people will disagree with me, but if you want to become a freeflier, the sooner you don't develop bad freefly habits like arching (causing you to cork) the better freeflier you'll become. I recently got to watch a friend of mine's brother (with more jumps than you, but not that many more) freefly and it was amazing. He had no bad freeflying habits like arching when he became unstable. Why? Well we think because he's watched tons of freeflying video he got from my friend, but also because he never allowed himself to build an arch when unstable habit into his muscle memory. It was an amazing sight to watch this new freeflier progress so well in his sit at his jump numbers.

Anyway, if you are going to learn how to sit, dress for success (which applies to all disciplines of skydiving). It's thought that wearing tight pants (or shorts) and a baggy top will help you find your stable sit position faster.

Good luck ... but be safe ... freeflying can be dangerous.


Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Now, feel free to go ahead and make an ass out of yourself like everyone else.



Heyyyyyy, speak for yourself there, buddy. :P
She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Dude,
First off Welcome to Skydiving.
Second the only rush you should have right now is the one you get jumping out of the plane.

I hope you intend to be in this sport a long time.

IMO If that is the case learn to belly fly and get good at it. Learn to track and get good at it.
Learn to do RW and get good at it. Learn to be aware of your position to the plane on jump run.
Then Learn to Free Fly and get good at it.
Same with down sizing your canopy learn to fly and control a large canopy and get good at it before you down size.

IMO in the 3 short years I've been in the sport I have seen or read about too many people in a hurry to do it all in a short amount of time. Some of these people are either no longer in the sport (dead) or are on the mend from injuries.
So ask your self what's the Rush learn all you can in a safe manner so you can be in the sport for years to come and be healthy at the same time.

Nick D

The key to Immortality is- first living a life worth remembering”

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I hear you, and I'm really not in a terrible "rush" per se. I'm just eager to learn all I can. I have no intentions of jumping ahead of myself...no pun intended. B|

I think I'm more eager to cram it all in my head so I can grok it all at my leisure. Sorry, I'm a Heinlein fan. I just want to learn for now. Then I can apply it all at the appropriate times. That's why I'm posting here now, so you aren't reading about me in the obits in the near (or distant) future.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm in this for the long haul, so I have no intentions of making rash decisions. Right now, I'm flying a Manta 290 in a Talon container, and I'm quite content to stay at that size for now. When I'm ready, I hope to demo a 250 just to see how much difference there is between the two.

In my enthusiastic desire to learn all I can, I neglected to mention that this is an extension of my ground schooling...at least from my perspective. I'm all about the learning, and this is just as important to me as everything I learn from my instructors.


"I may be a newbie, but I'm also ugly, and...wait..."
Kevin - Sonic Beef #5 - OrFun #28
"I never take myself too seriously, 'cuz everybody know fat birds don't fly." - FLC
Online communities: proof that people never mature much past high school.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
By the way, thank you for all the warm welcomes. This is quite a fraternity...no slant at sex intended...there just isn't a word in my lexicon for a co-ed brother/sisterhood. [:/]
Kevin - Sonic Beef #5 - OrFun #28
"I never take myself too seriously, 'cuz everybody know fat birds don't fly." - FLC
Online communities: proof that people never mature much past high school.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Welcome! Things are so awesome when you are new and you want to learn so much and you do have lots to learn. Listen to everyone do some belly flying fisrt...TALK TO A COACH see if you are ready to start freeflying...I started out doing tracking dives and lots of jumps being stable on my back first...helps you not look at the ground so much. Get a dytter, but don't reley on it. Get really really good freefly friendly gear. Go from being an awesome tracker to and awesome back flyer, then to a sit and the stand and last head...If your dz has good coachs use them...they know what they are doing and can fly with you and keep you safe while you are learning. If you do fly with someone with little experiance, and I don't suggest it, but if you do Be careful and maybe stick to your belly on those jumps...And while you are learning just remember to relax and breathe and have fun, don't get frustrated, like me, I always get fustrated, it is only when I am not that my flying is goddess like.
Kathryn

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Welcome there....and glad you can join us...

Although I do respect the advice that most inhere have given you, you should be more concerned in getting off student status...go for your A license....work on the proefficiency skills and packing requirements to get it.

And ask your instructors a lot, it is great that you come here and ask around, but those who have trained you should be the last resource prior your jumping. Ask us, write it, and take it to them and people in your dz to help you out.

Blue ones
"According to some of the conservatives here, it sounds like it's fine to beat your wide - as long as she had it coming." -Billvon

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
WELCOME to skydiving. :) I'm definitely newer at skydiving (64 jumps), got my A license in july with 20. I would like to give you some advice from a novice to a novice. Like you, i started to hear about freeflying, and was immediatly drawn to it, reading all i could, asking questions from people with more experience, etc... I learned how a sit should be preformed, and started to practice it. I toyed around with a headsdown, and also the stand. This was before i had my own gear, and i was still flying student gear (probably jump 18 or so). I'm very drawn to freeflying, still practicing my sit so i'm not backsliding, etc... Someone with a lot of experience, lots of coaching, gave me a word to the wise. Freeflying is being able to fly in ALL dimensions, not just sit/stand, headdown, therefore belly flying is important. I come to realize that this is true (at least i think it is), and wish i had more belly experience at my level. I work on going back to belly stuff, every once in a while, but I would definitely wait a little bit before really experimenting with freeflying. Learn the basic belly stuff, do some coaching perhaps, do some 4 ways, etc... Granted I'm a novice, other people will tell you otherwise, just some ideas from another beginner.

bubbles
"Women fake orgasms - men fake whole relationships" – Sharon Stone
"The world is my dropzone" (wise crewdog quote)
"The light dims, until full darkness pierces into the world."-KDM

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Hey, thanks for the advice. My main thrust was not to start flying outside my skill level (and believe me, I KNOW I'm only beginning to be a beginner). I just mainly wanted to start getting ideas about how to proceed and what to be concentrating on. I knew I could count on folks here to help add to what my coaches and more advanced skydivers are telling me at my home DZ. Thanks for setting my mind on the proper course so my body can follow when the time is right. B|
Kevin - Sonic Beef #5 - OrFun #28
"I never take myself too seriously, 'cuz everybody know fat birds don't fly." - FLC
Online communities: proof that people never mature much past high school.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0