What the Fuck am i Doing

[oldesch 0]

is what i keep asking myself sometimes. ive gone 2x so far and have 1 more tandem before i take ground school and start the actual school. I went the first time because i always wanted to but didnt plan on going thru the school. Never got nervous really and i loved my first jump. afterwards i figured why not give it a shot. Never thought of myself as an adrenaline junkie, quite the opposite, but i actually thought it was the most relaxing experience ever. i was pretty stressed at the time and it felt like all the stress stayed in 13k while i fell down away from it. my only problem the first time was i found myself "swallowing" the air and not able to breathe really. i thought the parachuting down was quite a peacefull ending.
Well now that ive gone twice and am actually planning on going through school im starting to get scared. Now i know the people i jump with do it all the time and there is a very slight chance of an accident so i felt safe. Being in charge of my own life scares the shit out of me kinda. not in a suicidal way just thinking one small mistake can kill me.
Iim going thru Freefall Adventure in NJ (USA), who claim to be the best on the east coast, so i feel confident in the trainers. I think ill be fine during free fall, and pulling the parachutte. i think my biggest fear is canopy control. i dont know if i quite get the logistics, and havent been in control of the landing yet.
With only 1 more tandem and ground school left before the chutes on my back, i keep asking myself if i should really be doing this. I REALLY want to. I love it and its unlike anything ive ever done. Its honstly the biggest challenge ive ever given myself. I dont even think ill end up jumping more than 2x a month or so after graduating, unless i really st myself to get the licence as well.
Im really excited to start this adventure. please offer any advice, esp on landing. links to good vids would be nice.

[skycamefalling 0]

Should u be doing this......yes. Why?? Because it is probably the most fun you will ever have in your life. As for the breathing part during freefall, you most likely felt like that due to holding your breath. Those first jumps can give u sensory overload and you can end up forgetting to do one of the most easiest parts of the jump.....breath. As for canopy control, it is not really all that hard. But at the same time is not all that easy. In time, you will feel more comfortable under canopy. Relax, arch, breath and most of all, have fun. Oh yeah, dont forget to flare on landing

Speedracer~I predict that Michael Jackson will rise from the dead.
And that a giant radioactive duck will emerge from the ocean and eat Baltimore.

[skymama 35]

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

[TriGirl 277]

I was with a group that did a lot of tandems for newbies. The advice I gave to them before going up about breathing was this: when you feel like you can't catch your breath, force air out. It seems to make all the difference in the world. Not sure if it's the relaxation that comes with the exhale, or they're just hyperventilating, but when they came down, every single tandem passenger told me that technique worked. Hope it is the same for you!

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[bluetwo 0]

I can tell you that before I did my first static line I was worried that I wouldn't have good depth perception or know what to do once I got close to the ground. It only took one solo jump to get over that though because it wasn't hard at all.

Pay attention in instructional part and if you're like me you might have fun with answering questions (presumably the instructor should ask you some to check on learning) and that'll make it that much better. Enjoy flying the canopy because that'll probably be the thing calling your name during the work week.

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[oldesch 0]

thanks for all the encouragement from everyone. i actually need it. The thing that makes me want to do it is that i do fear it now thinking about going on my own, and once i do it will be quite the accomplishment for me.
So can anyone point me to any good websites that i can watch videos before ground training, so that i pretty much know most of it before hand? Im a better visual learner than by reading. Cant wait to continue my journey

[egloskerry 0]

Once you finish your Cat A, you'll wonder why you were so worried.

As for dying, think about it this way: if you do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, ie. pass out on exit, you'll still live. You may end up in the middle of nowhere with some cuts and bruises, but you'll be in better condition than pretty much anyone in a car accident. Either your instructors will pull for you, or your AAD will fire.

So, to reiterate: you will be fine. You'll surprise yourself by what you're able to do.

[bluetwo 0]

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So can anyone point me to any good websites that i can watch videos before ground training, so that i pretty much know most of it before hand? Im a better visual learner than by reading.

Check out this site to learn something about landing patterns and approach. I like it but of course I'm a total newbie too so take it for what its worth:

http://staticlineinteractive.com/index.php

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[skycamefalling 0]

Do a search on youtube. I watched a ton of videos on there before my AFF. I watched everything from tandem videos, AFF videos, FF videos, coached jumps and malfunctions. But dont watch malfunction videos yet if you are worried about being on your own. You will see them in ground school.

Speedracer~I predict that Michael Jackson will rise from the dead.
And that a giant radioactive duck will emerge from the ocean and eat Baltimore.

[oldesch 0]

passing out is one of my fears because its hard to breathe so far, and i smoke too much so m lungs are shot, dont know if there is hope. why is it bad for beginners to wear full face helmets? And can someone explain the danger of low turns, since that seems to be a common cause for accidents

[timinthesky 0]

been lurking for a while but this post made me think about my aff/taff days. many times during my 56 mile drive to the DZ i had the same thought. WTF!!
now about 1 year after that same 56 miles are pure joy. i remember in the plane watching other skydivers cracking jokes and thought how the fuck could they do that????? well now i know. all i can say is stick in there... i did, and after aff, I'm hooked.

now its just FUN!!!!!!!

when life gives you lemons, just say fuck the lemons and bail.

[bluetwo 0]

I think the senseory overload is what got you thinking you couldn't breath and I'm sure that'll go away. 10,000 feet is a lot different than 3500 which is where I suspect you'll make your first jump from.

I'm a total beginner myself as I said before so I'm not trying to be like - this is how it is or anything - but I know I still kind of have that seconds hesitation right after I get the thumbs up to let go of the wing strut and start my skydive. But I just look up at the wing take a deep breath and let go on the back swing like they've taught me to do and within seconds my canopy is open and I'm looking out at everything having an incredible time.

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[wolfriverjoe 1,351]

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passing out is one of my fears because its hard to breathe so far, and i smoke too much so m lungs are shot, dont know if there is hope. why is it bad for beginners to wear full face helmets? And can someone explain the danger of low turns, since that seems to be a common cause for accidents

Part of the "Hard to Breathe" thing is the lower oxygen content at higher altitudes. Normally we aren't up there long enough (or high enough) for it to be a problem, but for a long time smoker, it may be more apparent. You'll get used to it. If you didn't pass out on your tandem there shouldn't be a problem. In freefall, it's partly the force of the wind on your face, but mostly mental. It seems like a lot of people rmemeber to breate in, but forget to breathe out. They fill their lungs to capacity, and then "can't breathe". Forcing yourself to breathe out or screaming (don't worry, nobody can hear you in freefall) work well.

A lot of places don't like students to wear full face because they hinder communication and can block your view downward, often obscuring your cutaway and reserve handles.

Low turns are dangerous because when the canopy turns it also dives (If you are looking on YouTube you will be able to see this). A sudden turn close to the ground (to avoid an obstacle or another canopy, or to turn into the wind at the last second) can put you into a dive too close to the ground to return to normal flight.

And I've been thinking about saying this since you started this thread:

WTF are you doing?

You are embarking on the most amazing journey of your life. Doing things most other people only dream about. If you let it, it will take you places you couldn't imagine and introduce you to some of the most incredible people in the world.
At least that's what it did for me

"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

[oldesch 0]

sensory over load (i actually came up with it myself a while before i read it here, and have never heard it anywhere else) is one of my favorite terms, and its cool to see it used so often to describe skydiving. i think that is part of my prob w/ breathing, but not all of it. i do think i just need to learn to control it better. as long as i stay at 15k i should be fine since ive already done it twice. i think im gonna go to ground training before my third tandem so i actually know whats going on on my tandem before i jump alone. my only days off this week are wed and sun and of course those are the only 2 days rain is expected.
my bday is july 10 and im taking a bunch of 1st timers. i really want to jump alone oon my bday so i really need to go soon. thanks again

[bluetwo 0]

I started to explain this in my last post but got on a different track. Assuming your first solo jump will be a static line jump and assuming they do your static line the way the DZ I go to does, it's pretty safe to say you don't really do your first solo jump "alone" or at least not like you may think.

You don't pull your own rip cord in static line obviously, but you don't do a lot of the other stuff the tandem instructor does when you do a tandem jump, like freefall or do any fast turns on the way down. It's fairly likely your student rig wont even do as aggressive a trun as the tandem rig (which might have a high wing loading compared to a student rig). Assuming your DZ gives you a radio and puts someone on the ground with a radio who can talk you down you basically don't even have to make decisions about where to fly your canopy or make your landing pattern because they'll talk you down nice and smooth.

After you do 2nd and 3rd static line jumps you'll see a lot of what you missed the first time and probably pay a lot more attention to what's going on. Maybe the landing pattern will just click for you like it did for me and it's not that I didn't get the concepts in the instructional part but it was more that I learn well by doing. I learned a lot more about how to grab up the chute the 3rd time around too so it just goes to show that you learn more and more as you go. Just keep it fun!!

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[oldesch 0]

no sttic line at my dz.

[bluetwo 0]

Well as long as I didn't write all of that for nothing! Ha ha, just kidding.

The main point is it all gets easier and more fun as you go . The no static line thing might make you a better skydiver in the future, speculation of course. If you go right into advanced freefall after your tandems that could be good. I'm doing practice ripcord pulls before I go any further which is freefalls at Walterboro.

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[oldesch 0]

all good. im taking ground school tomorrow. if its nice ill take my final tandem, and hopefully have the balls to go on my own after that

[hofstar 0]

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and hopefully have the balls to go on my own after that

You will. It might shake you up a bit, and really test your confidence, but you'll soon enough find yourself in that door, and you'll follow through and be so glad you did.

Welcome to the skies

[oldesch 0]

oh i know i will, but it will be the first time ill actually be scared shitless. i was not nervous at ALLL my first jump because i knew it was safe. Thats why im taking ground school before my last tandem. Thanks

[jim_32766 0]

You are no different than most other students. If you didn't have some apprehension about jumping out of the plane you would be very abnormal. Just listen to your instructors, visualize and practice what they tell you about the jump, relax and follow the plan. You will be fine and feel very good about yourself after that first jump. It's not as difficult as you are imagining. Dang, if it were most of use would not have made it!

The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

[Bramble 0]

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is what i keep asking myself sometimes. ... Never got nervous really and i loved my first jump. afterwards i figured why not give it a shot. Never thought of myself as an adrenaline junkie, quite the opposite, but i actually thought it was the most relaxing experience ever. ... i thought the parachuting down was quite a peacefull ending.
... im starting to get scared. ...Being in charge of my own life scares the shit out of me kinda. not in a suicidal way just thinking one small mistake can kill me.
... i keep asking myself if i should really be doing this. I REALLY want to. I love it and its unlike anything ive ever done. Its honstly the biggest challenge ive ever given myself....
Im really excited to start this adventure. please offer any advice, esp on landing. links to good vids would be nice.

Haha- you've taken the words right out of my mouth. I keep asking myself, "Am I crazy?" I'm definitely NOT an adrenaline junkie but I am the type of person to hurl themselves at what they fear most. I don't think I've ever been as scared as I was during the first 5 seconds of the tandem free fall, or my first 5 seconds of my static line jump. I *DO* hope it gets easier, but the grin on my face and the euphoria afterwards is such a rush.

BTW, I got to fly the parachute solo during my static line jumps (2) yesterday, and it really is easy. You get to relax and enjoy the views. The landing was easy and the PLF that they made us do was super fun.