How expencive is Skydiving?

[jduebi 0]

Hi all together

First I'll introduce my selve, as the other new forum members did.

I'm a software developer from switzerland just at the beginning of my twentys :-).
My AFF will start in 25 days and like most of the others I did a tandem and couldn't forget the feeling. But Skydiving was a dream of mine, since I was about 12 years old. The last year I was thinking about skydiving all the time, but I didn't found any earlier training, and of course I had to save some extra money.

I was reading within this forum for the last weeks and there where some posts from Beginners, which just finished the training, but don't have enough money to continue.

Even if I'v got the luck, that I'v got a nice job, I'm not shure anymore how much it will cost.
(In switzerland nobody would talk about payment, and I think it's the same here)

For the whole training I calculated 3600 $ including:
- 10 days on a Italian DZ with german instructors
(just 4 students - It's like private training i think)
- 10 days hotel and the travel
- AFF
- about 20-30 jumps after AFF and perhaps 1-2 rejumps
- All the Licence costs (USPA and swiss...)

What do you think, could this work out, is it to much, or do I need more?

What does the whole gear cost? I calculated with the same as for the training, about 3500 $. Is that enough?

Does it make sence to wait the first 100 jumps until I buy my own gear? How much do I need to pay to rent one?

I don't wanna buy gear until I'm a little better, because I read that I'll need a stundent gear at the beginning. I think it doesn't make sence to buy such a gear, if it gets boring after a year.
What Do you think?

After all, when I'll have a gear, and the licence, what's next...
How much money do you use for skydiving every month? I already know how much a jump ticket cost. But what's about all the other things, what else do I need to calculate with?

Blue Skies
Jonas

-> Don't forget, a skydive student should ask every question he has in mind. (That's written at the end of my AFF stunden book...)
;-)

[skymama 35]

Welcome to the forums!
Also remember that you will need to buy goggles, a helmet, altimeter and jumpsuit. It's a good thing to have an audible altimeter too if you can afford it. Other costs are repacks for your reserve (about $40 in the US ever 120 days, I don't know what it is there), AAD batteries every 2 years if you choose to jump with one of those and if you have even more time and money, tunnel and boogie fees. Once you have all that, you can spend your money just on jumps unless you're the type of person who likes to get newer and better things.

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

[MrBounce 0]

Welcome matey,

I dunno what the prices are in your part of the world, but the one thing I would say is "talk to people"
FYI - I went second hand for my rig at 50 jumps after kit rental was eating into my jump money too much. I then bought a new container after 6 months and transferred my canopies and cypres. Having a harness that is made to fit your body will make the canpoy ride feel like you're lounging on the beach

Lastly - please don't get gungho and try and buy a canopy that's too small for you.

blues
Gavin

Gavin

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. If you don't take it out and use it, its going to rust.

[Eule 0]

Quote

Even if I'v got the luck, that I'v got a nice job, I'm not shure anymore how much it will cost.

It costs about US$200 to get started and then half of your salary for the rest of your life.

:)

Quote

(In switzerland nobody would talk about payment, and I think it's the same here)

Most places will tell you what the various jumps cost (tandem, static line, AFF with 2 instructors,
AFF with 1 instructor) but in my limited experience they won't add up the whole cost as the number
is big and scary to people. (I just started jumping in June 2005.)

Quote

- 10 days hotel and the travel

I don't know what it's like in Europe but many US DZs have a bunk room or bunk house where you
can stay for free or for cheap (like US$10/night, compare to an inexpensive hotel at US$40/night.)
If there is one at the DZ you will be at, it might save you some money.

Quote

- AFF

I have talked to some people that went through AFF with no rejumps, but I have talked to many more
that have rejumped at least one level. So plan on a couple of AFF rejumps; if you don't need them then
you have extra money for other things.

Quote

- All the Licence costs (USPA and swiss...)

Why do you need a USPA license? Do enough European dropzones accept it that it is worth having,
or do you plan to visit the USA?

Quote

What do you think, could this work out, is it to much, or do I need more?

Going from what prices are like _in the US_, that figure sounds reasonable. I figure it like this, for
just the jumps:

3 AFF jumps with two instructors @ $200-$250: $600-$750
6 AFF jumps with one instructor @ $150-$200: $900-$1200
5 coach jumps @ $75-$100: $375-$500
15 solo jumps @ $20-$25: $300-$375
Total $2175-$2825

Note that this does NOT include any gear rental, food, travel, hotel, etc.

Quote

I don't wanna buy gear until I'm a little better, because I read that I'll need a stundent gear at the
beginning.

You probably don't want to buy the "big" gear before your very first jump - at least in the US, the gear
rental is included in the price of AFF jumps. The advice I have been given is that the right time to buy
one's own container and canopies is somewhere around 50 jumps, but this number can vary a lot. I am
told that if you are careful when you pick out a container, you can usually go through two sizes of main
canopy before you need another container. You definitely should check with your instructors before
buying a container or a canopy - their advice is better than anything you read in a book or on the
Internet.

Skymama mentioned some "small" gear that would be good to buy, like goggles, gloves, helmet, and
altimeter. This stuff is relatively cheap and you can use it for a long time. I bought some goggles when
I wanted to use one of the DZ's pair of goggles one day but they were all sweaty and nasty.

On the altimeter, you may want to check with your instructors. Some of them don't allow students to
use audible or even digital altimeters at first - they want you to learn on an analog (clock face) altimeter.

VERY IMPORTANT! Your plan must include money for buying beer! It'll be hard to get your
license without buying at least a couple of cases of beer. :)

Suggestion: if you speak German or French, you might visit the Stammtisch or En Français forums;
you will probably be able to find some European jumpers who can give you better numbers for the
costs in Europe.

I hope this helps!

Eule

PLF does not stand for Please Land on Face.

[jduebi 0]

Thank you for all the great information!

Even if the costs are a little to high, it will motivate me, to make mor money... And that's great about my job, it's a matter of knowledge, working hours and of corse the right connections...

Blue Skies

[krazykate 0]

hello!
I guess you don't want to learn to skydive in Switzerland because of the weather?
I'm saving to do my AFF course as well and the weather in England is not very good for a week of continuous skydiving
I did look at going to the US because the prices are good, but the airfare costs are expensive
So now I'm looking at learning to skydive in France or Spain because the flights are cheaper and it is a shorter journey time

Have a great time wherever you decide to learn to skydive.
i think i have researched at least 10 different locations so if you want more information then PM me!

Kate

[jduebi 0]

Hi

I'll go to gorizia in italy with the team of the german 'EXIT' Skydive group...

For me it's realy important, that my instructor speaks german as a mothertoung, even if my english is not too bad. I made a bad expiriance with not understanding a jumpmaster.

For you it's a little easier, because there are a lot of instructor, which speak realy good english.

I found some DZs in Germany and Switzerland which go to warmer regions for 1 or 2 weeks in the winter. I also found one which goes to the USA, but that's a little far, and not my favorite country :-)

Greetings from switzerland...