hottubbz 0 #1 October 12, 2008 Hey All, Ok, so 4 tandems under my belt and 3 or 4 more already planned. I talked to the owner of the dz in Acampo. Really nice guy. He gave me some advice and I have more questions. I live in Reno and Acampo is 2.5 hrs away. I REALLY want to get certified now, but am taking his advice and waiting until spring. He says at first I will need to be making 7-8 jumps a month to stay safe. Driving over the summit could hinder me from doing that. So, spring it is. Why so many jumps, does it have to do with finding my survival instinct? Or something else. I love Acampo, and trust them, should I visit a different dz, or stick to the one I know. I have rubbed off on friends and family, they all want to jump soon, so I will be making 3-4 more trips down there this fall and winter. It is hard for me to spend the $$$ on a tandem knowing I could do it for sooo much cheaper if I just got certified. It is great to hear so many other people who are as hooked as I am... and feel as crazy as I do. Who knew this sport would grab on to me the way it has. He also told me that it would change my life, I would loose all of my friends and I would end up moving much closer to a dz. Ring true?... I could be ready for a change! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr_music11 0 #2 October 12, 2008 Ok.. so, you've been to Acampo.. Lodi.. whatever you want to call it. I took my training there as well(thanks again Mikey! ) Took 3 days over a 3 week period to complete the AFF class. After completing my AFF class, I did not have the $$ to jump THAT many times every month.But went to Lodi as often as I could. Soooo... to say that you will NEED that many jumps is not necessarily the case. Currency may be an issue, however, I wouldnt hesitate to go thru your AFF or Static Line class, which ever you choose. This sport IS as life changing as they say that it is. You will NEVER be the same whether you continue to jump or even stop at the jump number that you are at! right? There is a new drop zone in Lincoln (off of Hwy 65, so.. a little closer than Lodi, havn't been there yet, but hope to get there soon) Davis/Skydance.net is another GREAT! place where I have also taken to going to on a regular basis as possible. Lots of friendly folks to go around! If you have any other questions about my experiences @ Lodi or Davis, drop me a line/PM, will be happy to share! Blue skies where ever you go!If flying is piloting a plane.. then swimming is driving a boat. I know why birds sing.. I skydive. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jamiem 1 #3 October 12, 2008 I took AFF in the summer at Lodi last year and I think that was the bets time for me. I had about two months to basically jump as much as I financially could. I got about 50 jumps under my belt in three months. I didn't jump much over the winter and started again in the spring. Aside from the drive you have, it is very cold in the winter and the dz is a lot slower than in the summer. Personally I would wait until you could jump more often, but tandems are definitely a way to pass the time until AFF! Lodi is my home dz so of course I'm partial to it, and although Bill is tough sometimes, he knows a ton and can teach you so much as long as you're willing to listen and learn! Let me know if you have any other questions and hopefully I'll see you out there one day!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chubba 0 #4 October 13, 2008 Quote He also told me that it would change my life, I would loose all of my friends and I would end up moving much closer to a dz. Ring true?... I could be ready for a change! The DZO/CI told me the same thing before he even met me, over the phone when I enquired about AFF1. He was right Don't keep going with the tandems though, just start your training, I did AFF1 my first jump. I did my AFF spread over a long period of time (grabs logbook). Stage 1 was completed in Feburary, Stage 9 was completed in July. It definitely is counter productive having large gaps between your jumps for safety reasons and possibly financial (more chance of failing perhaps?). Doing the entire course in a month would be nice, but it's definitely not the only way to do it. I managed to stay safe and progress (without any failures) doing a jump every 2 - 3 weeks, it's how the majority of students progress at our small 182 dropzone. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #5 October 13, 2008 Welcome to the forums! really cold at altitude! If you have other dz's that are closer to you, go ahead and check them out. I think you'll find that most dropzones have pretty friendly people at them. Read the reviews of the dz's in the Dropzone section here on this site to find out more about them. 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
jephprospect 0 #6 October 30, 2008 You live in RENO you can go snowboarding every weekend instead. I use to get excited about winters for snowboarding until I found something new this Summer. Still I can't wait to hit the snow again this year. I jump at Lodi too it kicks ass you will love it. What ever you do DON"T DO ANYMORE TANDEMS! That's 6 jumps at Lodi :-p Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbrown 26 #7 November 4, 2008 Quote Welcome to the forums! really cold at altitude! If you have other dz's that are closer to you, go ahead and check them out. I think you'll find that most dropzones have pretty friendly people at them. Read the reviews of the dz's in the Dropzone section here on this site to find out more about them. The guy who runs the operation at Acampo has over 30,000 jumps, or so I am told, which something like the world record. I agree with Skymama that you should NOT waste any more time or money on tandems. If you're already in love with the sport, then you should start a training program. Lodi is central CA, which might not be as warm as SoCal, but is still warmer than most parts of the US. There's no reason why a good fleece shirt and some thin light gloves shouldn't see you through 60 seconds of rreefall in the winter up there. AFF can be spendy and I'm not going to criticize the program. It CAN teach you to be a skydiver in as little as 8 jumps. On the other hand though, don't sell the static line program short, especially if you're on a tight budget. Static line starts you off at lower altitudes, but builds you up higher as you gain control. It's the way ALL of us "old timers" learned, and you shouldn't be shy OR embarrassed about opting for it, if it suits you, and if it's available. The bottom line though is that you sound like you're hooked. And YES, it will most definitely change your life, inside out. And that's a GOOD thing ! You just need to decide what the best way is for you to get in as fast as possible. Best of luck !! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TEXX56 0 #8 November 4, 2008 Quote I agree with Skymama that you should NOT waste any more time or money on tandems. If you're already in love with the sport, then you should start a training program. Lodi is central CA, which might not be as warm as SoCal, but is still warmer than most parts of the US. There's no reason why a good fleece shirt and some thin light gloves shouldn't see you through 60 seconds of freefall in the winter up there. haha yeah especially up here in washington but yeah aff is pretty spendy and i wouldn't go with any more tandems try to start aff or static line as soon as you can. but my first jump was aff and ever since then i was hooked and best of luck to you Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyjunkySean 0 #9 November 4, 2008 Welcome to your new addiction, cheaper??? thats funny, at first yeah, but once your hooked, your hooked. Kinda like sayin there is such a thing as cheap racing. Anyway it's well worth it. I have been to Lodi a few times, finished my A card there, and have quite a few friends who are regular video guys there. Lodi has a lot of talent, you can, and will learn lots, Also Bill does still do static there. Good luck with your training. Also , the reason it takes so many jumps, IT AINT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS. Plus you are riskin yer life for thrills. Be safe n have a blast !!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 259 #10 November 6, 2008 Quoteshould I visit a different dz, or stick to the one I know. Definitely visit other dz's. There's one just a bit south of you in Minden, NV (not sure if they will be operational through the winter or not). There are two more in the Sacramento area (one in Davis, the other in Lincoln). You'd be welcomed at any of them, even if you weren't planning to jump that day. Bill's right, currency is very important, especially when you are a novice. That said, once you're off student status it's not hard at all to do 8 jumps in a weekend (or even in a day). Depending on your cash flow/credit limits, you could easily bang out your supervised jumps in a couple of November weekends, then you could make one trip a month over the hill to stay current until road conditions improve in the spring. I'd also suggest not spending any more money on tandems. If they've been treating you as a student and not as a passenger on the ones you've done, you've already learned pretty much all you're going to. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfriverjoe 1,340 #11 November 8, 2008 Quote It is hard for me to spend the $$$ on a tandem knowing I could do it for sooo much cheaper if I just got certified. It is great to hear so many other people who are as hooked as I am... and feel as crazy as I do. Who knew this sport would grab on to me the way it has. He also told me that it would change my life, I would loose all of my friends and I would end up moving much closer to a dz. Ring true?... I could be ready for a change! Cheaper...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA$2000 for a used rig $ 150 for a used jumpsuit $ 150 for a decent helmet $ 125 for an altimiter $ 200 for a protrack (not necessary, but real nice) $ 30 gloves and goggles Cheaper? You are soooo screwed.Just like the rest of usSeriously, you won't get that much from any more tandems. It is a good idea to jump fairly often to stay current. It saves you from having to go back and repeat jumps, and makes you a good deal safer (read the SIM for the currency recommendations)"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyjunkySean 0 #12 November 8, 2008 you forgot to add 1wife n house a gazillion dollars n counting Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfriverjoe 1,340 #13 November 8, 2008 Quote you forgot to add 1wife n house a gazillion dollars n counting No, I forgot to add that it is the most incredible thing I have ever done, I am surrounded by the greatest group of people I have ever met, and my only regret it that I waited so long to start."There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
