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chrismgtis

New Skydiver - Tandem Skydiving Next Month

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I am planning tandem skydive next month for my birthday when I turn 24. I am entirely new to skydiving and this will be my first.

I've done some research on the subject and the main question I have is how does it feel to freefall? I personally have been on a lot of rollercoasters and I'm sure the experience is entirely different, but my main fear is that I might feel that downhill rollercoaster feeling magnified largely.

I've seen two explanations of the feeling of a freefall that say it is not similiar and infact you only feel the wind hitting your face and the sound associated with this and feel almost as though you are floating on a pocket of air.

How true is this and what do you personally feel like when you are freefalling?

Also, I was wondering if on your first jump does your body panic and try to catch hold of something that is not there or does your back arch itself (could this cause any pain in the fall) trying to stop the fall?
Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

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freefalling doesn't feel like falling because you have no visualization that you are falling like you do on rides, so you won't get the butterfly feeling. As far as panicing I guess that depends on who you are. I didn't, but I have seen video of people freaking out and trying to grab onto the air. I have even heard stories of students trying to get out of the harness in freefall!! Your body will not arch naturally, this is something you must tell yourself to do. Pain?? yeah I guess it could cause pain if you freak out in the door. Don't do that though, because then you are putting your instructor in danger. Best thing to do is relax, listen to everything your TI tells you, and have fun.



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If you want to feel that butterflies in the stomach feeling, you can definitely do so. If you do not, let your TI know. He/She has no interest in getting thrown up on in mid-air and will do their best to make it an enjoyable experience for you!

Just remember to breathe and let the TI call the shots.

Let us know how it goes!!:)

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Nice decision on making the jump!! It'll be a sweet self-birthday present!!

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I've done some research on the subject and the main question I have is how does it feel to freefall?



Well, imagine going on the highway at around 100 - 120 MPH and stick your hand out the window. Now, imagine that feeling encompassing your body.

I HATE the "stomach drop" feeling. I thought I would feel it when I did my tandem, but there is really none of that feeling. Depending on how nervous you are, you may or may not feel it, but it won't be to the extreme of a roller coaster. Do a search, and some people explain it a lot better of why you really don't feel it.

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How true is this and what do you personally feel like when you are freefalling?



During freefall, it's an AMAZING feeling. Yes, it's loud. You feel almost as if you are floating. It's a little hard to describe because its such a unique experience. The first time you jump, I bet the time will fly bye and it will be done before you know it! It's just a sensory overload because your body has never experienced such an activity before.

As far as panic during freefall, on my tandem, I was pretty damn nervous in the plane--just because it was something I had never done before. It's completely natural. However, the moment we left the plane, I didn't know what to think! So much was going on!

I wouldn't really worry about too much with your body position just yet. Your tandem instructor will help you with that. But the biggest advice I can give you (and it may seem cloes to impossible) is to RELAX. Everything will be okay, and you will love it!!:)
Good luck on your jump and have fun!!! Oh man, just talking about what I feel in freefall makes me wanna go jump again!! Lol.

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Welcome to the forums! :)
Just remind yourself to relax, arch and you will be fine in freefall. Enjoy!
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

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I think I get the idea of how it's going to feel now so I feel better about jumping. I always sort of imagined a freefall as a magnified downhill rollercoaster ride, but that's apparently not the case so I think I will enjoy it. :-)

I've asked around and I may possibly have 2-3 people to go with me, but no definates yet. A guy I work with has been on one jump and looked excited about going again so he wants me to let him know something when I find out for sure when I'm going. The plan so far is the 8th or 9th of September. I'll make reservations when I find someone to go for sure.
Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

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Welcome...and I know you'll love your first jump.

Now I'm new to the sport myself, but I've been told that the reason you don't get that feeling is that you don't have a big change in velocity. You go from 100mph across the sky in the plane to 120mph straight down. However, if you watched the jump from the side, you would see a giant curve in the air as your body transitioned from forward motion to downward motion, which included a change on only 20mph.

In a rollercoaster, you're going from 2 or 3 mph, to 60 or 70...and it's certainly noticeable, but not really the case when jumping from a plane.

I suspect like skymama said, that a heli or balloon would be a littel different.

Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong in any of this.

My $0.02
What goes up, must come DOWN!!!

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From what I understand, you experience that "butterfly" feeling due to the acceleration of the roller coaster (for instance). However, when you jump out of an airplane you are already going at terminal velocity, so you don't speed up any upon exit, thus no butterflies.

hope this helps. and I think that the best way to describe the free fall feeling is floating. Imagine laying on your back in a pool not moving...just floating. That is what it feels like to me, except you are face down for most of it....hehe;).
"A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water" ~ Eleanor Roosevelt ~

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Thanks for the input. I feel a little better about stepping out that door now. :P

I see what you mean by not feeling as if you are falling.

Satre: No rollercoaster or ride whatsoever I've ever ridden has made me nauseous so the TI is safe lol. Heights don't necessarily bother me all that much, at least to a point of getting sick. :P
Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

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I just got a chuckle reading some of the posts. I did my first jump, a tandem, in July of this year. I'm sure my TI must have been laughing at me later with all of the deep breathing I was doing on the way up!

The feeling of freefall...for me, it is just the wind and almost being supported by the air. It's a bit surreal actually. I am almost done with AFF and can't wait to be able to hop out of the plane and just chill and take it all in! Tandem is great for that too, just do what your TI tells you, and you will have no worries.

You will love it, I'm sure...but do WATCH OUT!!! Skydiving is very habit forming! If your not carefull, you will find yourself working at the DZ on ALL of your weekends!

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I've asked around and I may possibly have 2-3 people to go with me, but no definates yet. [....] I'll make reservations when I find someone to go for sure.



Suggestion: Go ahead and make the reservation for yourself. If somebody comes with you, bonus, but don't count on it. :) I have been jumping for less than a year, but from talking to tandem students at the dropzone, it seems to be VERY common that they will have a party of three or four people planning to come out on Saturday, but starting about Tuesday, the others will gradually bow out with various excuses, leaving just the one person to come out. Your friend that has jumped before is more likely than most to do it again, but don't count on it. This isn't meant as a knock on your friends, just letting you know about a pattern I have seen a few times. Of course, I could be full of it, and you'll get six friends to come with you and jump. :) Either way, have fun!

Eule
PLF does not stand for Please Land on Face.

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Ain't that the truth!

On my tandem jump we were lucky to have a group. But after that, noooobody wanted to jump. Well, they would be all for it on Monday, but by wednesday, "oh, I think I have to mow the lawn. Yea, the lawn."

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Okay, okay, okay, already! :D You've convinced me. I'm back in line to do MY tandem this weekend, whether MY friends come along or not. (Chris, this is exactly what happened to me. People started bailing out on me and then I panicked and didn't go.) Saturday is tandem day. Chris, make your reservation and we'll compare tandem notes next weekend.

Julie
TPM Sister #102

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I will not bail out on you Julie!!

I've spent the last few months just doing the things that my friends keep saying they'll do with me. I've become too impatient to wait on others, I guess!

I know how it feels, everyone says they'd love to do at least a tandem, or fly in the tunnel, but when it comes to actually committing to it, everyone's got an excuse.

That's why I've been so happy to start making friends who are equally consumed by these things as I am!:)

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I will not bail out on you Julie!!

I know how it feels, everyone says they'd love to do at least a tandem, or fly in the tunnel, but when it comes to actually committing to it, everyone's got an excuse.



YOU are never a bailer--no worries! I didn't mean that at all. You're a very large part of the reason that I'm able to put my head on straight and get myself up to the dz this weekend!!

As I recall, I'M the one who bailed on YOU and tunnel time this weekend. . . . (Again, what's that thing about money? Why, oh WHY, can't it be free after you've spent your first $3,000 at the tunnel??? Okay, I'd still have a way to go, but at least I could get all the expenses out of the way and just have fun!!)
TPM Sister #102

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Nice!! Ur gonna love it!!



I know! Deep Breath. No grip-of-death on the TI. Just jump!

You gonna be up there this weekend? Where's Chris? You need to jump from Mile Hi. Never mind that you probably live in Greenland or something. . . .
TPM Sister #102

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Haha, well good thing you are in front of your TI...thus, no G.O.D. (grip of death).

Lol, and yea, I'll be at Mile High this wkend. However, I dunno who you are cause I've never met ya! If my jumpsuit comes in I'll be in a all black suit (oo, heat is a killer) or if it doesn't, I'll be jumping in some tan/white/brown camo pants.

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camo pants...should be easy to spot!!



Oh, that's what they all think. In fact. I'm half invisible when I wear them. They are kinda like the harry potter blanket. Cept, it just makes my legs invisble. I get pretty strange looks, lemme tell ya.

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LoL. Well if you guys are actually going to the Chester, South Carolina DZ around September 9th let me know. :P

My brother bailed on me because he is going on a honeymoon (late honeymoon) that week and won't be back in time. The other guy that was going, I talked to at work today and his girlfriend saw a Fresh Prince of Bel Air episode where Will Smith jumps and lands on his face or something so she is a bit against him going. He said he will let me know something for sure tomorrow because I'm reserving my spot THIS week regardless of who goes.

I will most likely have a few there to watch me jump from the ground but that may be it.

I'm doing it regardless of who goes with me or watches. No way I'm bailing on this. I've not second guessed my decision since the initial "I should skydive" thought. If I enjoy this I'm already seriously considering at least going through the AAF.
Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

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Reserved my spot this morning for Sept 9th at 10am. ;)



HOW GREAT!!!!!! Glad you're on the manifest and ready to go! I'm still planning for Saturday morning, but might have to go up earlier in the morning than expected as it appears that we're supposed to get rain. I hear that rain at 12,000' is ice and it's NOT fun to fly in--B|--but we usually have decent mornings so I will try to jump before the weather has a chance to move in. You might as well download the SIM now. . . .
TPM Sister #102

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