How scared/nervous were you before your first jump...

[Bip 0]

Hi there Ladydyver, me and ray2506 plan to spend the first 2 weeks of december at lake wales.
If you are around then, please say hello. We will be easy to spot. we look like Laurel & hardy.
Ray will be doing AFF while I get recertified

[ray2506 0]

Hey Ladydyver..
thanks for the reply. We'll be there from 3rd December to 15th December, hopefully see you there and you can give me some stories of encouragement.. plus some more fab quotes!

"All things are difficult before they are easy" (John Norley)

"Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort" (Franklin Roosevelt)

"Accept the challenges, so that you ma feel the exhilieration of victory" (General George S Patton)

"The miracle, or the power, that elevates the few is to be found in their perseverance under the promptings of a brave, determined spirit" (Mark Twain)

[ray2506 0]

Yeah...!! So which of us is Laurel and which is Hardy?? Neither of us has any hair left .... but I guess if push came to shove, you'd be Hardy and I'm Laurel.... so thats another fine mess I got you into!!

[Empyrean8 0]

I'm scheduled to do my AFF Level 3 tomorrow. I've done 2 tandems, and Level 2 on Aug. 12th. My first tandem was on June 11th, and I was, and still terrified. I closed my eyes upon the exit on my first tandem. Took until the following Thurs. to say to myself "I need to jump." Somehow that experience made me realize all the petty shit of life is just that, petty. Let it go, and live! I saw a saying "skydiving has been known to change your life" is true for me.

The fear is what keeps me going back. The challenge for me is to conquer my fear, however, not to the point that I get careless. I like a good challenge anyway.

I have fear of the door. I'm suppose to exit on my own....Help!!!!

[DanDanInc 5]

I wish I could help you out with that fear. During my first AFF jump I kept saying to myself on the way to the door " I don't want to do this they aren't going to let me not do this" Then on my second AFF (which I failed) on the way to the door I was so excited and couldn't wait to jump out and arch. I think that's why I failed I was so happy that I wasn't scared that I completly lost my concentration and I wasn't relaxed. Either way it will hit you one of these jumps and they won't be able to stop you from running to the door at 13,500!! Good luck and BLUE SKIES!

Sincerely, Daniel (not as fat as he thinks he is) Adams
http://www.skyjump.com
http://www.vimeo.com/dandaninc
http://www.youtube.com/dandaninc

[chris_uk 0]

For me, the door was open from take off. Best solution - no door fear
On a slightly different note, I have gone back to jump the past 2 weekends and have done no jumping due to wind/rain. I HATE the crap UK weather.

[az_wolf_lover 0]

***The only downside to any of it is that you may lose sleep, lose focus at work and annoy your friends because you're always thinking or talking about skydiving.

[sartre 0]

I'm not allowed to talk about it much at home....so people at work are stuck hearing all about everything!!!

[az_wolf_lover 0]

The people I work with have NO choice in the matter- I don't give them one ! GOD!!! This day is dragging on to long! need thursday to get here SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON ! AFF 1 & 2 -- HERE I COME!!

[chris_uk 0]

1 more vote and we can get good averages :)

Blue Skies!

Chris

[bwnco 0]

Well if doesnt scare ya, there is no sense doing it, thats where the rush comes from, Right?! I rode bulls for 15 years, last one I climbed on, my tummy was in a knot, not near as bad as first, but it was still a rush, why I want to dive...... I think it will be the same........ maybe worse!!

"Anything I've ever done that ultimately was worthwhile initially scared me to death."

[squarecanopy 0]

Hey Sandy,
Keep jumping, it is training that overcomes your instinct that danger lurks out there in the open air. It won't take long before you lose your door fear, but you won't get complacent either. I flew in small airplanes for years, and was extremely scared about jumping out of them because my experience told me that the safe place was in the plane. Now I get nervous when I can't get out of the airplane soon enough because my experience after 50 jumps tells me the challenge, fun, freedom, and rush are outside the airplane. Have fun, train hard, don't forget to pull...

Just burning a hole in the sky.....

[Jewels 0]

Quote

Hey Sandy,
Keep jumping, it is training that overcomes your instinct that danger lurks out there in the open air. It won't take long before you lose your door fear, but you won't get complacent either. I flew in small airplanes for years, and was extremely scared about jumping out of them because my experience told me that the safe place was in the plane. Now I get nervous when I can't get out of the airplane soon enough because my experience after 50 jumps tells me the challenge, fun, freedom, and rush are outside the airplane. Have fun, train hard, don't forget to pull...

There you go again, encouraging those of us who have a hard time gettin' out the door! But, Sandy, I would listen to him.

TPM Sister #102

[chris_uk 0]

Made my second jump today - I was more terrified than my first! I LOVE SKYDIVING!

Peace

[Cwibster 0]

I voted 5, the terrifying bit being hanging outside of the door

[hell_ya 0]

Not sure why, but I was never scared through out the entire flight up or the jump. i mean this isn't normal to jump out of a plane but it was one hell of a trip. now i have to wait for spring to cert for solo jumping. Oh how I manage to pick expensive hobbies.

[chris_uk 0]

I wasnt on my first jump either - but on your next jump you dont have the 6 hours training - u turn up and jump (with some quick refresher training - 10-15mins)...

I wasn't really terrified. I also loved every sec.

Chris

[DanDanInc 5]

Quote

don't forget to pull...

EVER!!! Otherwise you get cat scans and surgery and then you get to sit around with a tube sticking out of your leg unable to have sex, move, or have sex. Oh and then they tell you that you can't jump again until next year! So all in all PULL YOUR OWN PARACHUTE!!!

http://www.deadmandan.com/hematoma.html

Sincerely, Daniel (not as fat as he thinks he is) Adams
http://www.skyjump.com
http://www.vimeo.com/dandaninc
http://www.youtube.com/dandaninc

[johnsw71 0]

I was a bit nervous on the first jump, but scared shitless on jumps 2 through 25 or so once I knew what to expect. I spent most of my time on the way to altitude during my AFF jumps wondering if I was going to piss my pants, shit myself, pass out or somehow do all three at the same time. The most amazing feeling in the world was my first jump without fear. Now I spend my rides to altitude thinking about other stuff, like how interesting it is that gas in our intestines expands in the lower air pressure at higher altitudes causing really bad cramps and nasty farting.

John

[Skittles 0]

I did my first tandem yesterday morning...
I was not afraid on ascent to 15,000 feet, or ground instruction, or even the torturous two hour drive at 4:30am to get to the Skydive Center. My brain did a really weird thing, though, as soon as my instructor said "Okay, we're gonna scoot over to the door now". I started to look out the door as we were scotting together, and with my eyes wide open, I lost complete brain function...like I was hypnotized. I didn't "freeze". I became a robot, following the EXACT verbal step by step instructions he was giving me...the same instructions we went over while on the ground. But my consciousness was seperated from my body, and I was completely numb. "1..2...3...LUNGE!". For a split second, I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, and as soon as the wind hit me, I was free. "WHAAAAAAAAA-OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". I couldn't stop smiling during free-fall for the next sixty seconds. I'll be honest...if I hadn't been tied to my tandem instructor, I think I would've definitely frozen...but I sure as heck didn't feel like trying to stop us from jumping either. It was very nice to have a pro strapped to my back, and for the first time in my life completely let go. I have to go again...SOON.

Did you know that due to the shape of the North American Elk's esophogus, that even if it COULD speak, it could not pronounce the word lasagna?

[chris_uk 0]

Hi Skittles! Glad to hear you had a good time
I know what you mean re freezing. When I jump, I do freeze and focus completely on my training. It's a 100% focus thing, so everything else ceases to exist until I land on the ground. I find I am more of a mess after jumping until "normal service" has been resumed. I would suspect this is why Skydiving is so addictive. I have only jumped solo - I am on "Dummy Pulls" now.

Blue Skies !

Edited for spelling!

[nks487 0]

Quote

Hi All.
I have wanted to skydive a long time and am competely new to skydiving. I have booked my first S/L next Sat. Although I am probably a 5/6 on my poll, I think the benefits will outweight the anxiety.

What are your ratings?

Blue Skies!

I would be a 7 before my first S/L - I was wishing for bad weather but the worst part for me was getting in the aircraft with the prop running. Getting out is not so bad :) I guess not jumping out would be a lot worse!

[rocketdog 0]

i was SO pumped the 1st time. however, i had been training a month+ for my 1st AFF & it kept getting postponed (bad weather, needed another instructor). i wonder if the lonnnnnng buildup made me less nervous?!

the 2nd time i thought i was going to have a heart attack in the plane :)

SO..... how was your first AND second jump?

~hollywood

see the world! http://gorocketdog.blogspot.com

[AnnasSkies 0]

not scared at all, but that's because my mind just refused to register the whole thing, the second jump however, I was scared!

fear is the mindkill

[firstime 0]

anxiety goes away with the first jump but comes back when you do your first 3,4,5 or 6 way etc. Fear stays with me all the time, it keeps me focused and I am not ashamed to admit it.