rickyf430 0 #1 March 13, 2006 have never skydived or tandemed or even done a fixed line but to get my license and to become a regular diver is a lifetime ambitioni hope to do my AFF course while at uni or when i come out, im 17 at the moment so i can inly do it with parental consent (which is not a poblem but i dont have the time as im a full time college student) just joined the form to get some info on the sport and some knowledge. i understand it all perfectly appart from all the technical stuff like containers canopies and wing loadings etc but i'll get it sooner or later. it seems "blue skies" is diver lingo! so thats what i'll say! Blue Skies" Ricky Ricky If at first you dont suceed, skydiving is not for you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #2 March 13, 2006 Welcome to the forums! 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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rickyf430 0 #3 March 13, 2006 Yeh i must admit i havent even got the money for the AFF course yet its £1500 here at almost all the major centres. one thing that surprised me is the cost of a rig, i knew canopies were expensive but i never thought the containers would be so expensive i know they have to be insanely strong but i thought they would be cheaper! doesnt matter though because i only have to worry about getting my own rig after ive got my license If at first you dont suceed, skydiving is not for you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simon_uk 0 #4 March 13, 2006 Hi, You've found the right place to find out information, its great on here. Where are you thinking of going to Uni? Uni is a great time to take up skydiving because as a sports club the uni often subsidises jumps. I'm at uni in Portsmouth and we get static line jumps for only £10, I think it's probably the cheapest any uni does it for. It does become expensive once you start buying gear, but its well worth it. University of Portsmouth Skydive Club Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rickyf430 0 #5 March 13, 2006 Not sure what uni i will end up in at the moment. im in year 12 so i only really have to start applying in about 5 months, i might go to any uni from Imperial college to bath to bristol to nottingham(near the DZ there i think iots called brackley) im in bristol but i doubt i will go to bristol uni but back to skydiving, im goin to start saving now as it should mean i will have sufficient money to do the aff jump and then buy the equip once i have my license. i might do a static line this summer or a tandem to get a feel for it. If at first you dont suceed, skydiving is not for you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simon_uk 0 #6 March 13, 2006 If you want to get a feel for skydiving I would recommend doing a tandem rather than a static line jump. I did a tandem for my 16th b'day and thats what got me hooked, it allows you to experience freefall which is the best part of skydiving. You might want to check out The BCPA Website, it has details about university skydiving clubs in the UK. If you wanted to start reading up on skydiving you might want to get Parachuting: The Skydiver's Handbook by Dan Poynter and Mike Turoff. It contains loads of information everything from the different training methods to equipment etc. University of Portsmouth Skydive Club Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rickyf430 0 #7 March 13, 2006 thanks thats a usefull post, im busy looking at doing a tandem jump this summer (im pricing it at the moment), i have a friend who is at welbeck military college who just did a static line he said a ground of 10 of them did it and not one of them pulled out. he did say it was scary as hell though! im just looking for the nearest DZ from Bristol im thinking of one in the gloucestershire area. If at first you dont suceed, skydiving is not for you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thourb 0 #8 March 14, 2006 Quoteim just looking for the nearest DZ from Bristol im thinking of one in the gloucestershire area. That would be south cerney. I've just finished my AFF and that will be where i'm jumping on a regular basis. I'd be happy to have a chat with you about anything skydiving related. You only live about 45 minutes drive from where I am too Please feel free to add me to MSN messenger if you'd like to chat at all. I've sen't you a PM with my email address if you want to talk. Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rickyf430 0 #9 March 14, 2006 Yeh will do mate many thanks, im at college atm not meant to be doing anything not work related so i'll chck my email when i get home! If at first you dont suceed, skydiving is not for you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thourb 0 #10 March 14, 2006 Haha... Sounds like me! I'm at work at the moment, not meant to be doing anything not work related. Thats what happens to you when you catch the skydiving bug Its pretty much all I ever think about now lol! Talk sooooon.... Blue skies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skysmurf2 0 #11 March 17, 2006 hi! Bristol uni skydives at Nethers, UWE skydive at Nethers and other DZs. Even though South Cerney is closer. If you would like some info on skydiving while at Uni feel free to PM me or visit us (Bristol Uni. Skydiving) in the White Hart on Tuesdays and feel free to ask away. We are all lovely friendly ppl! hee! good luck with it all Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites rickyf430 0 #12 March 18, 2006 hey thanks for that. was a really usefull post If at first you dont suceed, skydiving is not for you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Mike111 0 #13 March 19, 2006 hello mate. i statrted whn i was 16 and am a fulltime college student. If youve got the money and permission fucking go for it!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites krazykate 0 #14 March 20, 2006 i'm also saving up for the aff course - briefly looked at the UK but now i think i'm going to do it abroad because of the weather! have a great time, this forums are great, loads of inforomation Kate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites rickyf430 0 #15 March 21, 2006 Yeh ive also found a course at the freefall university in spain where everything is inclusive and its aroung £400 cheaper that to do it here in the u.k. its a dropzone in madrid so im assuming the weather is better than here all year round! Blue Skies... If at first you dont suceed, skydiving is not for you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RopeJunkie 0 #16 March 27, 2006 Think is common for several Unis to cluster 'round a DZ. Peterlee regularly has students from Durham, Newcastle and Teesside. Not enough DZs though so some of you're in for a long drive. :-) If you are itching to jump, and can't wait to save for AFF, then consider the PAYJ system (Pay As You Jump, aka RAPS!) ;-) I'm lovin' RAPS. Not in a hurry to get licensed, and can't afford AFF. Had a really nice jump on saturday at Peterlee. Wasn't interested in progression, was just bustin' to jump out of a plane. I so couldn't wait to do AFF. Haven't got that sorta self discipline. :-) G. :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites thourb 0 #17 March 28, 2006 Not talking from experience here, but i've also heard that the RAPS course can be extremely frustrating.. Especially with British weather! I will briefly list advantages and disadvantages of AFF/RAPS below for your reading pleasure. Advantages of AFF: - Quick qualification time (can be done in as little as 3 days) - Freefall on jump 1 - Likely to get much more personal coaching (1 to 1 or 1 to 2) - Likely to get video briefings of each jump to help you progress Disadvantages: - Initial cost is quite expensive - Having to repeat a level can be expensive (depending on what level) Advantages of RAPS: - Cheaper than AFF initially (but in the end, they work out about the same cost, as RAPS requires more jumps) - Training is very flexible and can fit around your schedule and obviously your free time - Potentially may be able to jump when there is a low cloud base when AFF students may not be able to jump (as you will be exiting lower) Disadvantages: - Progression is much slower - No freefall for several jumps - As you are doing all the jumps on your own, no video debriefs. - British weather can be a pain. High winds will often keep you on the ground, making the progression even slower and more frustrating. Do a google search for more advantages and disadvantages. Not sure if i speak for the majority, but if you can afford it - and you want to progress quickly, definately go for AFF. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Malkie 0 #18 March 28, 2006 Thourb's got a good point. Tried static line and managed to get in three jumps over the summer and autumn. Think its a great way to find out if you want to get into the sport. Really loved the exerperience and wanted to carry on, but due to work comitments and the great British weather my 3months soon elapsed and was faced with starting again. At that point I decided AFF was probably the way forward. Looked at DZ's over here but finally ended up in Spain. Best choice I ever made. Had one of the most intense weeks of my life. Been back for 3weeks and already convinced work to give me time to go back over easter. Really apreciated the benifit of the static line jumps as had the experience of being under canopy. Apparently getting time in a wind tunnel can also help if you decide to go for AFF. Whichever you decide I think you'll have a fantastic time and probably want to carry on. Good luck to you. Blue skies. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RopeJunkie 0 #19 March 30, 2006 All true of course, RAPS can be very frustrating, especially repeating jumps. Ask most RAPS students how many DPs they've done and they'll probably cry. :-) I have now been convinced by several people that AFF is the way ahead, and I hope to start AFF soon, weather permitting. Still, RAPS was mega good fun, and although freefall progression may be elusive, you can still develop better canopy control and landing skills each jump, so not wasted time. Also a great way for Uni. clubs to learn to jump together in large social groups. Going up on a load with a couple of friends and watching them exit on their first couple of jumps from 3500ft is all good fun. :-) Perhaps the most obvious thing about RAPS is that you're on your own from day 1, so you need to be well up for it and confident too. I am feeling a bit more flush now, so I've decided to go for AFF and hope to get jumping propper by the time the nice summer weather arrives. Hopefully be doing consols in warm and gentle breases, but hey, this is the UK, so who knows. :-) Preparing to join the "my car should keep going 'till it's next MOT" club. :-) G. :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RopeJunkie 0 #20 April 6, 2006 Woohoo! Cat 8!! Thanks to the PAC 750 XL and some dedicated and highly professional AFF instructors down at Brid. Thanks guys. Looking forward to my consols. :-) AFF is the way ahead!!! This time last week I was still cocking up 5 second freefalls on RAPS! G. :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites caspar 0 #21 April 18, 2006 hey dude, im from skydive UWE. if you come to uwe and join our club you could get your license on our annual AFF trips to the states. we just got back from perris where we had 20 ish students learn. (we get group discounts and is cheaper than learning in the UK by a mile. our meetings are at the rising sun on thursdays 8pm onwards. caspar"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RopeJunkie 0 #22 May 8, 2006 Sounds awesome. I've just been over to Florida a few weeks back (not jumping, just chilling). Very nice part of the World. Definately want to go back there to do some skydiving this time. G. :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites rorgan 0 #23 May 9, 2006 No video de-briefs for RAPS? I trained at South Cerney through the Raps progression and had a video de-brief of EVERY exit. Also had video when I got to free-falling from 13k. Not sure if this is exclusive to South Cerney, but I shouldnt think so! Sorry to butt in! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites RopeJunkie 0 #24 May 9, 2006 I've got one of my SL DP jumps on video. Just depended on who was dispatching that day and whether they had their helmet cam with them. It is very useful to see what your exit looks like though. Always feels different to how it looks. :-) Got all my AFF on video. Video is indispensible on AFF for a proper debrief methinks. G. :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mikewdiggler 0 #25 May 9, 2006 Analysing video in a breif after a jump is certainly one of the best ways to see the areas that you are going wrong. I passed my AFF in Florida, Zephyrhills in January 2006. I must say that on my first jumps my body position was absolutely awful, legs were bent, hardly any arch and i was basically all over the place. After sitting down with my instructor after these jumps he showed me the body position i was in. It clearly helped as i once i noticed how my body looked in freefall and i could see me rocking back and forth a quick straightening of my legs produced a smooth, stable and on heading skydive. Now i am a confident skydiver, can execute stable exits from all manner of aircraft (have jumped a skyvan, beech, CASA, Caravan and an otter...many more to come!) Sorry to waffle on but from my perspective its always worth paying the extra to do AFF. One thing you may gain from doing RAPS rather than AFF is that you seem to be able to grasp your canopy skills a lot better due to the number of jumps on a static line. Both ways would suit different people but dont beat around the bush, get up there and have some fun, whichever way you go about it P.S Langar airfield is my local DZ, if your looking at Nottigham Uni then Langar is the place to go, the advice is friendly, they have a large lift capacity, its open all day all year and a REALLY REALLY REALLY student friendly landing area as it is absolutely massive Blue Skies! MikeSanta Claus cum down my chimney and emptied his sack on my tree! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 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. 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. 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rickyf430 0 #12 March 18, 2006 hey thanks for that. was a really usefull post If at first you dont suceed, skydiving is not for you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike111 0 #13 March 19, 2006 hello mate. i statrted whn i was 16 and am a fulltime college student. If youve got the money and permission fucking go for it!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krazykate 0 #14 March 20, 2006 i'm also saving up for the aff course - briefly looked at the UK but now i think i'm going to do it abroad because of the weather! have a great time, this forums are great, loads of inforomation Kate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rickyf430 0 #15 March 21, 2006 Yeh ive also found a course at the freefall university in spain where everything is inclusive and its aroung £400 cheaper that to do it here in the u.k. its a dropzone in madrid so im assuming the weather is better than here all year round! Blue Skies... If at first you dont suceed, skydiving is not for you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RopeJunkie 0 #16 March 27, 2006 Think is common for several Unis to cluster 'round a DZ. Peterlee regularly has students from Durham, Newcastle and Teesside. Not enough DZs though so some of you're in for a long drive. :-) If you are itching to jump, and can't wait to save for AFF, then consider the PAYJ system (Pay As You Jump, aka RAPS!) ;-) I'm lovin' RAPS. Not in a hurry to get licensed, and can't afford AFF. Had a really nice jump on saturday at Peterlee. Wasn't interested in progression, was just bustin' to jump out of a plane. I so couldn't wait to do AFF. Haven't got that sorta self discipline. :-) G. :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thourb 0 #17 March 28, 2006 Not talking from experience here, but i've also heard that the RAPS course can be extremely frustrating.. Especially with British weather! I will briefly list advantages and disadvantages of AFF/RAPS below for your reading pleasure. Advantages of AFF: - Quick qualification time (can be done in as little as 3 days) - Freefall on jump 1 - Likely to get much more personal coaching (1 to 1 or 1 to 2) - Likely to get video briefings of each jump to help you progress Disadvantages: - Initial cost is quite expensive - Having to repeat a level can be expensive (depending on what level) Advantages of RAPS: - Cheaper than AFF initially (but in the end, they work out about the same cost, as RAPS requires more jumps) - Training is very flexible and can fit around your schedule and obviously your free time - Potentially may be able to jump when there is a low cloud base when AFF students may not be able to jump (as you will be exiting lower) Disadvantages: - Progression is much slower - No freefall for several jumps - As you are doing all the jumps on your own, no video debriefs. - British weather can be a pain. High winds will often keep you on the ground, making the progression even slower and more frustrating. Do a google search for more advantages and disadvantages. Not sure if i speak for the majority, but if you can afford it - and you want to progress quickly, definately go for AFF. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Malkie 0 #18 March 28, 2006 Thourb's got a good point. Tried static line and managed to get in three jumps over the summer and autumn. Think its a great way to find out if you want to get into the sport. Really loved the exerperience and wanted to carry on, but due to work comitments and the great British weather my 3months soon elapsed and was faced with starting again. At that point I decided AFF was probably the way forward. Looked at DZ's over here but finally ended up in Spain. Best choice I ever made. Had one of the most intense weeks of my life. Been back for 3weeks and already convinced work to give me time to go back over easter. Really apreciated the benifit of the static line jumps as had the experience of being under canopy. Apparently getting time in a wind tunnel can also help if you decide to go for AFF. Whichever you decide I think you'll have a fantastic time and probably want to carry on. Good luck to you. Blue skies. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RopeJunkie 0 #19 March 30, 2006 All true of course, RAPS can be very frustrating, especially repeating jumps. Ask most RAPS students how many DPs they've done and they'll probably cry. :-) I have now been convinced by several people that AFF is the way ahead, and I hope to start AFF soon, weather permitting. Still, RAPS was mega good fun, and although freefall progression may be elusive, you can still develop better canopy control and landing skills each jump, so not wasted time. Also a great way for Uni. clubs to learn to jump together in large social groups. Going up on a load with a couple of friends and watching them exit on their first couple of jumps from 3500ft is all good fun. :-) Perhaps the most obvious thing about RAPS is that you're on your own from day 1, so you need to be well up for it and confident too. I am feeling a bit more flush now, so I've decided to go for AFF and hope to get jumping propper by the time the nice summer weather arrives. Hopefully be doing consols in warm and gentle breases, but hey, this is the UK, so who knows. :-) Preparing to join the "my car should keep going 'till it's next MOT" club. :-) G. :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RopeJunkie 0 #20 April 6, 2006 Woohoo! Cat 8!! Thanks to the PAC 750 XL and some dedicated and highly professional AFF instructors down at Brid. Thanks guys. Looking forward to my consols. :-) AFF is the way ahead!!! This time last week I was still cocking up 5 second freefalls on RAPS! G. :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
caspar 0 #21 April 18, 2006 hey dude, im from skydive UWE. if you come to uwe and join our club you could get your license on our annual AFF trips to the states. we just got back from perris where we had 20 ish students learn. (we get group discounts and is cheaper than learning in the UK by a mile. our meetings are at the rising sun on thursdays 8pm onwards. caspar"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RopeJunkie 0 #22 May 8, 2006 Sounds awesome. I've just been over to Florida a few weeks back (not jumping, just chilling). Very nice part of the World. Definately want to go back there to do some skydiving this time. G. :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rorgan 0 #23 May 9, 2006 No video de-briefs for RAPS? I trained at South Cerney through the Raps progression and had a video de-brief of EVERY exit. Also had video when I got to free-falling from 13k. Not sure if this is exclusive to South Cerney, but I shouldnt think so! Sorry to butt in! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RopeJunkie 0 #24 May 9, 2006 I've got one of my SL DP jumps on video. Just depended on who was dispatching that day and whether they had their helmet cam with them. It is very useful to see what your exit looks like though. Always feels different to how it looks. :-) Got all my AFF on video. Video is indispensible on AFF for a proper debrief methinks. G. :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikewdiggler 0 #25 May 9, 2006 Analysing video in a breif after a jump is certainly one of the best ways to see the areas that you are going wrong. I passed my AFF in Florida, Zephyrhills in January 2006. I must say that on my first jumps my body position was absolutely awful, legs were bent, hardly any arch and i was basically all over the place. After sitting down with my instructor after these jumps he showed me the body position i was in. It clearly helped as i once i noticed how my body looked in freefall and i could see me rocking back and forth a quick straightening of my legs produced a smooth, stable and on heading skydive. Now i am a confident skydiver, can execute stable exits from all manner of aircraft (have jumped a skyvan, beech, CASA, Caravan and an otter...many more to come!) Sorry to waffle on but from my perspective its always worth paying the extra to do AFF. One thing you may gain from doing RAPS rather than AFF is that you seem to be able to grasp your canopy skills a lot better due to the number of jumps on a static line. Both ways would suit different people but dont beat around the bush, get up there and have some fun, whichever way you go about it P.S Langar airfield is my local DZ, if your looking at Nottigham Uni then Langar is the place to go, the advice is friendly, they have a large lift capacity, its open all day all year and a REALLY REALLY REALLY student friendly landing area as it is absolutely massive Blue Skies! MikeSanta Claus cum down my chimney and emptied his sack on my tree! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
