SkyIsLove83 0 #1 June 5, 2009 Hello, my name is Lauren and I, too, am obsessed with skydiving. My first jump (tandem) was April 5th, 2009. I absolutely loved it. Didn't consider AFF though because I have a 5 year old, didn't think I had the time, nor the money. Well, I thought, one more tandem, then I may make it a yearly thing. Well, that 2nd tandem (May 31st, yes, 1 week ago) turned into, "I don't care, I am using my savings, take AFF and becoming a skydiver." So, here I am. Start AFF tomorrow morning, 8am. I read through a lot of the posts on this site and I now have a place to come to where people understand me. I talk to my fiance, my friends, relatives. They think its totally awesome...but just don't get it. So, I am anxiously awaiting the day I can attend a boogie, the day I can just go on over to the DZ and jump a few times, stop at the bar for a beer on the way home. My head is completely in the sky and I have totally fallen in love. The only thing I love more than the sky, is my daughter. I already have her lined up to go on her 18th birthday, haha! Nice to meet you all and look forward to making some great friends here. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyIsLove83 0 #2 June 5, 2009 One question...how the hell do I get my pic to display under my name? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sapphire 0 #3 June 5, 2009 Hiya! Welcome! It certainly is addictive, eh? Good luck tomorrow... can't wait for you to post back and let us know how it went! As far as the pic... under your profile, on the upper left is an upload pic button - click it and then upload whatever file you have saved. (Size may matter, not sure on that) Anyway... have fun tomorrow! If you thought the tandems were fun (I surely did)... just wait until your first AFF. "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" ~ Helen Keller Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mellow 0 #4 June 5, 2009 hi lauren! so nice to here from another obsessed newbie! it's nice to know i'm not alone in my all-consuming, totally irrational, life-altering new found love of the sky... i can't wait to hear how aff goes for you! definitely post back and tell us. i have one more tandem next week, and then aff starts for me on the 26th. that's great you're planning ahead to jump with your daughter! only 13 more years to go..... i'm so lucky my son is 24 and we get to jump together now! how fun will that be!?!? good luck with aff, and tell us how it went! Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyIsLove83 0 #5 June 5, 2009 Thank you. I was looking all over that damn page. Even did the FAQ's and how to add it. Didn't think to look in the upper left corner. Haha. Thanks again. I will definitely post after my first AFF. I won't be back online until Monday but this is the first place I will come to. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyIsLove83 0 #6 June 5, 2009 Thanks Jennifer. I added you as a friend because I read some of your posts and saw you are new and as obsessed as I am. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lenzo 0 #7 June 5, 2009 Welcome...Let us know how the aff training goes. Smile,pull,land Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #8 June 5, 2009 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
SkyIsLove83 0 #9 June 8, 2009 Well, level 1 didn't go horrible but it wasn't great either. Class was LONG. My instructor had to jump quite a few times so we got interrupted a lot but I was okay with that. It gave me time to take everything in and practice myself. So, time for the jump. Go up in the plane, get all ready to go. Go over exactly what I am supposed to do (which was fine). Then it came my turn to exit. Took position at the door, checked in, checked out...checked out again....I was frickin scared...froze for like 10 seconds probably, I don't know why. Anyway, so after I checked out, AGAIN, I exited. The exit was good. Arch was good. Freefalling, I was pretty calm. I did my circle of awareness, when I looked at my instructor on my right, he gave me a sign to straighten my legs a bit. Tried...must not have been good. I keep seeing "legs out" and I guess I just wasn't concentrating enough. By the time I had realized I needed to check my alimeter, we were already at 6,000. Instead of "legs out" I was seeing "Deploy". Went to grab for my pilot chute and my hand must have touched my cutaway line because he thought that's what I went for. Well, I couldn't get to the chute in time so my instructor had to pull for me. Automatic fail. Dammit. So, I need to repeat level 1. I got really down after that, of course. I was kind of beating myself up a bit. However...after talking to everyone and hearing some stories, I started feeling a bit better. I didn't panic..that's a great thing. Arms and legs werent flying all around or anything, so I kept my cool at least. I just need to practice and try again. I ended up hanging out afterwards and had a little gathering, gave me a chance to talk to a lot of people, some with more experience than I will ever get a chance to have and some just beginning too. It made me feel a lot better and that I can't give up. I didn't get home until 3am (can you tell I had A LOT of fun) and I actually still haven't slept much. Quite a few people thought it was awesome that I stuck around, hung out, especially since I failed level 1. I don't know how I am even functioning without sleep! Everytime I lay down in bed I have, "Drop Zone," "Holding Area," "Circle of Awareness," "Check Altimeter," "Practice pulls," "Check Altimeter," etc, etc running through my mind and I have my canopy ride stuck in my mind too. Cannot sleep!!! Oh, canopy went pretty well. It took my instructor on the radio to tell me where to look to find where I needed to go but once I did, with his wonderful help, I got on the ground safely, landing was good, control was pretty good. Man - as soon as I saw that parachute open and looking great, I felt great. Like I said, I was quite disappointed in myself for my freefall but I will DEFINITELY not make those same mistakes next time. Plan on repeating on Saturday and hopefully pass to Level 2...maybe the same day if I have time. If you read through all this, thanks! I know I tend to babble. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sapphire 0 #10 June 8, 2009 Congrats! You jumped from a plane for the first time... don't beat yourself up! Don't look at it as failing a level... look at it as having another opportunity to build the skills required to make you a better and safer skydiver in the future. Reflect on the positive things you did on that dive and take the suggestions on what you need to work on your instructors gave you so that next time you can be more aware of what you need to focus on. This shit ain't easy... but it's so friggin worth it! If you ever want to read my 'opportunities to try again' pm me... hehe! Congrats again chica... you did something most people can't even imagine doing and lived to write about it! Now that's something! "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" ~ Helen Keller Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mellow 0 #11 June 9, 2009 great job! you landed safely!! isn't that the true indicator of a good skydive??? and as far as level 1 goes, it's not a fail, it's a "i need to master this before i go onto that..." sort of a thing. i bet next time you jump you'll pull no problem. i loved reading your post, and i can't wait to read chapter 2 when you go up again! definitely keep us posted. 2 1/2 weeks and i start aff. 5 more days for my next tandem.....i can't wait!Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyIsLove83 0 #13 June 9, 2009 Quote Beer!!! Ha! Love it! Yes, I did in fact need a beer and I got about 4, so it ended up being a good night. I am still conflicted a little and some part of me wants to give in but I don't think I will. If I fail again...then I think I will take that as a sign. I am going again Saturday...if Level 1 would go right, probably do Level 2 right away. We will see how it goes. Thanks for all the encouraging words guys, I needed it for sure. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RainbowSmurf 0 #14 June 9, 2009 Quote Took position at the door, checked in, checked out...checked out again....I was frickin scared...froze for like 10 seconds probably, I don't know why. Anyway, so after I checked out, AGAIN, I exited. I did that too! Got out in the end though. Don't beat yourself up about failing level 1. I failed several levels several times!I am my inner child. It's my outer adult I have trouble connecting with. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OlympiaStoica 0 #15 June 15, 2009 QuoteQuote Took position at the door, checked in, checked out...checked out again....I was frickin scared...froze for like 10 seconds probably, I don't know why. Anyway, so after I checked out, AGAIN, I exited. I did that too! Got out in the end though. Don't beat yourself up about failing level 1. I failed several levels several times! I didn't get the count right during my entire AFF, not even once. The exit was the culmination of my anxiety and as it turns out, that's quite normal for a student ... so keep that in mind and don't beat yourself up :) O Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sapphire 0 #16 June 15, 2009 Quote I am going again Saturday...if Level 1 would go right, probably do Level 2 right away. We will see how it goes. Thanks for all the encouraging words guys, I needed it for sure. Well, how'd it go? Please don't let one repeat make you think it's a sign this sport isn't for you... hell, I've had to repeat levels - and so have MANY others who now have thousands of jumps! Do a search - you'll be surprised to see it's more of a norm then those who sailed through on first try! So, the suspense is killing me... "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" ~ Helen Keller Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gregpso 1 #17 June 16, 2009 Welcome the addiction is always there for life. 28 years ago I completed 40 solo jumps. retired (so I thought) Last year my 21 yr old son wanted to do a tandem yeah I thought it would be good to do just one more jump. Yeah right!! next week doing my 7th and 8th tandem and AFF later on. Even if you think your over it it just takes one thing and the obsession surfaces. I am now obsessed (again) research everthing to do with jumping. Welcolme to addictionI tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baksteen 84 #18 June 16, 2009 Quote can you tell I had A LOT of fun Of course I read it all. And I quoted the most important sentence of your entire post. So what you have to redo level one? You just went and did something that is some people's worst nightmare - for entertainment no less. Skydiving is never about completing tasks, it's about FUN.If you are enjoying yourself, completing the tasks will follow on its own."That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyIsLove83 0 #19 June 17, 2009 Well, how'd it go? Please don't let one repeat make you think it's a sign this sport isn't for you... hell, I've had to repeat levels - and so have MANY others who now have thousands of jumps! Do a search - you'll be surprised to see it's more of a norm then those who sailed through on first try! So, the suspense is killing me... Sorry it took me so long to get back on here. I've had some personal troubles and have had to put skydiving on hold. I am not happy about it at all but this sport has not seen the last of me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sapphire 0 #20 June 17, 2009 Well, I'm sorry to hear that... good luck with whatever is going on... hope thing's get better soon! As they say, the sky will always be there! "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" ~ Helen Keller Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheLackey 0 #21 June 19, 2009 I did the same thing on my first AFF jump. Had the same thoughts even. Then I realized that nobody (even myself) could take the whole experience away from me. And I plan for it to be a long one. Speeding on the way home and trying to explain the whole thing to those that don't understand it are part of it, but hopefully not for long I repeated and all was great. Did level two the same day. Passed level three with no problems really, and then was given the choice to repeat level four or go on. I chose to repeat. And that is this weekend. No race here, and no reason to give it up for not progressing at the scheduled rate. I am not a natural at this by any means, but do figure that I will get there eventually. Comfort is key, and it takes longer for some. Me included I am finding out. The relax part in freefall it is completely foreign to me, but I will keep at it until it is possible and I can understand what everyone at the DZ talks about. So, two repeats before level five and I have convinced myself that that is fine, just not as cheaply done as some. What the Hell. They have all been great experiences, and worth the time and money. And it gets cheaper. The progression is a lot to handle every time. Stick with it and REALLY prove something to yourself. That's my plan. Good luck to us all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #22 June 25, 2009 Lauren, Lauren, Lauren....somebody has mislead you. There really is no pass/fail...it's all about developing skills. You're practicing skills until you can do them and you can then put those skills into your skydiving toolbox. Then you'll move on to the next skill set. It doesn't matter if you can put that tool in the box with one jump or 10 jumps...it is what it is. Please don't be so hard on yourself about pass/fail...let's think more positive than that.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
