Generic Skydive Noob Rant

[Marinus 0]

Hello, I'm Marinus, 34 years old, and I'm here to bore you all with yet another story from a skydive noob. But don't worry, I'll try to keep it short.

It all started when I booked a tandem-jump last Wednesday. The main reason was curiosity, and it was supposed to be only this one jump. Make the jump, check it off on my bucket list, and continue with life. It seems to turn out a bit different.

Before the jump I was nervous like hell. I think you're supposed to be nervous, but this was a whole new level of nervousness. Dry mouth, sweaty hands, weak feeling in my legs, nausea etc. etc. From the time I came out of bed till the time I arrived at the skydive-centre. When the whole happening started, my nerves calmed down a good lot, but I was far from calm. I never was actually afraid of the jump, and there was only one moment I wanted to call it off. That was around the time we started falling, so too little and too late.

In retrospect the exit was the best part. It was pure horror, but I happen to like horror. It only took 10 seconds or so, but I remember the whole thing in slow-motion. The short crawl to the door, sitting on the edge, the utterly insincere thumbs up I made to the Cameraman, the tandem master rocking back and forth to start the exit, me thinking "OK, I want to go home now", the feeling of loosing balance. It felt like it went on for minutes, instead of seconds.

And then we went over the edge. I'm not sure what went trough me during the first couple off seconds of free-fall. I know I screamed, I know my brain wasn't able to compute what was happening, and there even might have been a short instance of panic. But after that I loved every second of it. It was possibly the best rush I ever had and it was over far too soon. As a bonus, I didn't mess up the things I had to do during the jump. Well, not in any spectacular way that is.

And that should have been it, but it wasn't. Even before we had landed the thought popped in my head that I wanted to learn it myself. Which doesn't really makes sense because I'm not into extreme sports at all. I would have laughed if someone had said to me I would be seriously considering taking the AFF a week ago, but that's exactly what I'm doing right now. Actually, "obsessing about it" would be the better phrase.

The problem is that it just doesn't fit my personality. I've some affinity with thrill-seeking, but never beyond the realm of theme-parks etc. I'm generally not a risk taker, and my hobbies include things like reading, gardening, gaming and walking. Go figure.

And then there's more practical problems. If it's a sport I generally suck at it. It doesn't seem to be to complicated, but it seems like something that takes some time to figure out. I can afford the AFF course, but I can't afford repeating every jump 3 times. And lastly, I'm not sure how I will react to falling out of a plane when I'm not safely attached to some skydive-veteran with 29 years experience.

I've waited for days now but I don't think this new obsession will go away. I've been obsessed with things before, but this time it's particularly severe. As in, the only thing that might help here is a lobotomy. Or giving in to the obsession.

Well, the rant turned out to be a little longer then I had in mind, and there's slight undertones of madness I'm afraid, but I had to get it off my chest.

Greetz, Marinus

PS. my English isn't bad, but it isn't great ether, so please bear with me if it is a bit off, now and then.

[Namowal 0]

Hi there.
I'm in noob territory myself just passed AFF level 3 (on my second attempt) yesterday. I can identify with so much of this.

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It all started when I booked a tandem-jump last Wednesday. The main reason was curiosity, and it was supposed to be only this one jump. Make the jump, check it off on my bucket list, and continue with life. It seems to turn out a bit different.

Same here. Ha!

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but this was a whole new level of nervousness. Dry mouth, sweaty hands, weak feeling in my legs, etc. etc.

I know that nervousness well!

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The short crawl to the door, sitting on the edge, the utterly insincere thumbs up I made to the Cameraman, the tandem master rocking back and forth to start the exit, me thinking "OK, I want to go home now"...

My first tandem was from a Cessna at a small drop zone and that's pretty much how it went for me too. What had I gotten myself into?

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I'm not into extreme sports at all. I would have laughed if someone had said to me I would be seriously considering taking the AFF a week ago... ...I'm generally not a risk taker, and my hobbies include things like reading, gardening, gaming and walking. Go figure.

I'm no natural risk taker either. My idea of a good time is drawing pictures, listening to opera, watching cartoons or making cookies. While it's true the sport attracts and appeals to the daredevil crowd, I suspect there's plenty of "wimps" like me who think, Gee, this scares me, but it's %#@ awesome too!

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And lastly, I'm not sure how I will react to falling out of a plane when I'm not safely attached to some skydive-veteran with 29 years experience.

I wondered about that too. I was worried I'd panic or kick, but I did neither. The fact that I had a list of things to do (the dive plan) gave me something to focus on so there was no time to for "Oh noes! I'm falling really fast" thoughts.

Lastly I'm sure more experienced skydivers will answer your questions better than I could, but I wanted you to know that you're not alone.

My blog with the skydiving duck cartoons.

[crashtested 0]

Welcome to the world of skydiving.....
You are not alone in being afraid, still to this day, I ride up in the plane thinking why am i doing this as a job, 1000's of jumps per year, and then your out of door, and the smile works it's way onto your face...

I started jumping due to my fear of planes, 4 and a bit years later, i jump for a job.

I love it, i enjoy the madness, and the fact that it scares me every once in a while...

Every skydiver is in the sport for a different reasons, from postmen to scientists, to Adrenalin junkies, people with mental illnesses, to the most boring people on the planet, its a great melting pot of life, all in one world wide jar...

Welcome aboard.... enjoy the ride..

[Marinus 0]

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I'm in noob territory myself just passed AFF level 3 (on my second attempt) yesterday.

Congratulations with that! Winter is coming so I'll probably start the AFF next spring. I don't think it's even possible to jump in the late autumn/winter here, and since I really hate winter anyway, I'm waiting for a better season to embark on this adventure.

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While it's true the sport attracts and appeals to the daredevil crowd, I suspect there's plenty of "wimps" like me who think, Gee, this scares me, but it's %#@ awesome too!

Glad I'm not the only one. I felt a bit like a freak when I was back home manically googling on all things skydive related. I should have been relaxing with a cup of tea or even a beer, not trying to find a out how I could throw myself from a plane more often.

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I wondered about that too. I was worried I'd panic or kick, but I did neither. The fact that I had a list of things to do (the dive plan) gave me something to focus on so there was no time to for "Oh noes! I'm falling really fast" thoughts.

Except for the first seconds, I was able to think more or less coherent during the whole thing. So that's kind of reassuring. The only thing that I had a little trouble figuring out is why I couldn't breath: it turned out I simply forgot to exhale. But since I knew the freefall would only last about 30 seconds it was only uncomfortable, not scary. Strangely enough I wasn't scared about the height: of course it's different because the brain doesn't seem to process that kind of altitude well, but only the thought of being up really high should have done me in.

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Lastly I'm sure more experienced skydivers will answer your questions better than I could, but I wanted you to know that you're not alone.

I really appreciate it

[Marinus 0]

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and the smile works it's way onto your face...

That part worked all right, during most of the ride (and until approximately 3 days later LOL) I had a silly wide grin on my face. Reportedly even during sleep.

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postmen to scientists, to Adrenalin junkies, people with mental illnesses, to the most boring people on the planet, its a great melting pot of life, all in one world wide jar...

With a bit of luck I'll add a geriatric nurse to the mix in the near future.

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Welcome aboard.... enjoy the ride..

Thank you!

[adagen 0]

If you're waiting till spring, you could try a few winter visits to a wind tunnel to learn the stability and control for freefall. Your nearest tunnel is probably Bottrop in Germany. Or come to the UK, 3 tunnels to choose from - I recommend the Bodyflight one

Anne

[Marinus 0]

Hi Anne,

I've been thinking about that, and I might do it. However, I'll probably opt for a much more conservative approach. For now I only know that I really like skydiving (or even more precise: tandem-skydiving) I've no clue if I'm any good at it, so I'll probably try AFF level 1 first. If I'm not a total failure and/or danger to society whilst falling out of a plane I'll think about the next step.

Edit, I asked Google about it, and it turns out that indoor skydiving is much cheaper then I remembered it was, even better I won't have to go abroad to do it. So now it's becoming a much more viable option....

[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

[Marinus 0]

@ skymama, thanks for the welcome! And you can bet I'll continue, I thought it all true, and I'll most probably start in spring 2012. I've thought about doing it now, but I'll change jobs next Monday, so things are a bit hectic for me now.

If I start now, there's also a good chance that my AFF would be halted by winter too. I'm not an expert, but I reckon it isn't a good idea to have a pause of 4 or 5 months between AFF jumps. Also it has become autumn this week, so the weather kinda sucks, and usually it stays more or less suck-ish untill March or so.

On the bright side of things: this way I can safe loads of extra cash which always comes in hand with the less cheap activities.

But I'm way ahead of myself, now. Which is btw a promising sign.

[airtwardo 6]

Welcome to the jungle Marinus, you can check out any time you like...but you can NEVER leave!



I would second the comment that there is no specific 'type' of skydiver personality, ~we have rocket surgeons, mud-pie makers, pilots, peasants and an Indian Chief or two.

This is more than a 'sport', it's a passion, you're feeling the addiction and you have only been exposed to a few moments of it, get some training and you WILL be hooked big-time.

As you progress you will become aware that the term 'extreme sport' is not an adequate title...Skydiving is both art & science, challenging & rewarding, simple & difficult.

There are many things to learn but plenty of time to do it. Study everything you can, get some tunnel time, hang out at the DZ even before your 'official' training...you've opened a new chapter~enjoy every second!

See ya in the clouds!!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Marinus 0]

I've must have missed this post.....

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you're feeling the addiction and you have only been exposed to a few moments of it,

True that, It's almost a month ago now, and I'm rather sure I'm one of those people that got addicted after just one fix of skydiving. I can't stop thinking about it, I dream about it at night and I'm constantly thinking of new ways to liberate more money to go skydiving.

I also spend way too much time lurking on DZ.com; people who think I spend most of my time posting in BF & SC should think again, I occasionally post there, 95% of my time I'm lurking in the skydiving related topics. I'm also watching tons of skydive vids on you-tube.

Another point of interest is the fact that I try to hide it for my surroundings. I hardly talk about skydiving and when I'm (for example) browsing the web about skydiving at home, and the S.O. enters the room I've always another (more whuffo-ish) page ready to switch to. I'm not sure why I do that, I think part of me is still expecting me to snap out of it and doesn't want to look stupid when I finally realize that skydiving isn't my cup of tea. I'm still a bit in denial about it I think.

Did I mention the fact that I rant a lot about skydiving on the interwebz lately?

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hang out at the DZ even before your 'official' training

I'm not anti-social, but I'm rather shy and reclusive. I'm one of those people that doesn't simply walk in to their local DZ. But I did the 7th next best thing, I sent them an email this morning.

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See ya in the clouds!!

I'll do my best to get there!

[rach72 0]

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@ skymama, thanks for the welcome! And you can bet I'll continue, I thought it all true, and I'll most probably start in spring 2012. I've thought about doing it now, but I'll change jobs next Monday, so things are a bit hectic for me now.

If I start now, there's also a good chance that my AFF would be halted by winter too. I'm not an expert, but I reckon it isn't a good idea to have a pause of 4 or 5 months between AFF jumps. Also it has become autumn this week, so the weather kinda sucks, and usually it stays more or less suck-ish untill March or so.

On the bright side of things: this way I can safe loads of extra cash which always comes in hand with the less cheap activities.

But I'm way ahead of myself, now. Which is btw a promising sign.

I'm in the same boat as you. I did 3 tandems this summer just to make sure I liked it. 1st was from 13k ft 2nd 18k and 3rd 13k and talked my oldest daughter into joining me. I am also going to wait until spring to start aff and plan to do some tunnel time over the winter. The weather is not all that great in the PNW.

[Marinus 0]

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Good luck! It is truly the most amazing thing I have ever done.

Good luck to you too! And yes, it is awesome in the old-fashioned sense of the word, I think.

[Marinus 0]

Well that was kind of embarrassing.

I've been thinking "I'm going to make a tandem skydive next month" for 15 months before I actually picked up the damn phone and called the DZ. So I figured it wouldn't hurt to call the DZ and book AFF level 1 now and commit a bit more to it. I had a few questions anyway, so what the hell, I thought.

So I dialled the number, and the moment the call was answered this little voice started: WHAT!!! THE!! *BEEP*!!! ARE!!! YOU!!! DOING!!! YOU!!! *BEEPING*!!! IDIOT!!! SAY!!! THAT!!! YOU!!! *BEEPING*!!! DIALLED!!! THE!!! WRONG!!! NUMBER!!! AND!!! GET!!! THE *BEEP* OUT!!! OF!!! THIS!!! *BEEPING*!!! CONVERSATION!!! AND!!! I!!! WANT!!! A!!! *BEEPING* CIGARETTE!!! NOW!!!

Well, I decided to ask my questions, got my answers, stuttered a lot I think, and this woman called M. is probably laughing her a$$ off right now. I imagine that I didn't really sounded all that committed Anyway, it was a bit early to book AFF 1 for next year, So I've to call again in a few weeks. It might be a good idea to take some Xanax to make it through that conversation without getting a heart attack.

Anyway, twas a great boost for my selfconfidence. I called the DZ and I didn't even faint

[ArizonaStone 0]

Marinus,

I have an idea. Come to Arizona for two weeks and stay at the DZ. This is for committing you to the task of obtaining your license. It would be an awful waste of money to do so and then not get your A license. It would also provide you with a fishbowl in which to expose yourself to some of the best skydiving in the world and immerse yourself in the learning process. People here are always willing to help a noob. Last but not least, it will be a great experience, even if you were to not finish your AFF/A license.

I know jetting off to a foreign country to do something you are not sure you can do is a risky and expensive venture. Some things in life are best done balls-to-the-wall. I live here in Arizona and am fortunate enough to live an hour and a half from the DZ. I, like you, was nervous before I started. I took two weeks off from work and lived at the DZ for those two weeks. I jumped everyday that the school was open and got my A license. I HAVE NO REGRETS.

Believe me, in my mind; I make EVERYTHING more than what it is in real life. I went out there and did it. It really is easier than you think. To be proficient, well that takes time. Get past the fear and be confident. You can do it too.

"Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see."

-Benjamin Franklin

[Marinus 0]

Thanks for the idea, and while it's probably a good idea (it sounds like one) it isn't feasible for me. First there's of course the extra costs, language might be an issue too and above all try to explain that one to the special other. "I'm going to skydive" wasn't received all that well, "I'm going to skydive in AZ for two weeks" would probably be a large step towards a divorce. But hanging out at a bit at a (Dutch) DZ might be a good idea anyway.

As for doing the AFF, there's no way that I won't try it. If it turns out I'm not able to finish the AFF for whatever reason, that would suck, but there's only one way to find out. It'll cost me a good lot of money, but I'm fully prepared to make that offer, whatever the outcome will be.

The nervousness is a b****, but it has a good side too. I tend to get nervous quite easily, but it often helps me to achieve things too. Anyway: I've to wait till at least April to start AFF. That's a lot of time to sort things out and prepare myself.

[dthames 0]

Marinus,

I am 54 and just did my first 2 AFF jumps. Don't put off skydiving for 30 years like I did. Visit the DZ and learn how things operate. You will get a lot of encouragement from others if you let them know you plan to join them in the sky.

Watch videos like these (below) and learn more about what you will be doing. Read the Skydiver Information Manual while you wait for winter to pass.

When the time comes, you take your position for exit, and it just happens. It will be drilled into you, very well.

http://www.skydivegreensburg.com/trainingvideos.html

Dan

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[Marinus 0]

I watched loads of AFF vids, but that was in the first phase of this newly found obsession with skydiving. Now I'm a bit worried about picking up the wrong "habits" from watching vids. I know the AFF in NL is slightly different from (most of?) the ones used in the USA, and that the AFF varies with plane types etc. So I'm a bit hesitant to watch them for educational purposes (still watch them now and then though, but only for their entertainment value [;P] ) I've a (legally downloaded) pdf of the SIM on my desktop, that goes without saying.

I know I'll hesitate to do the AFF. That's why I intend to book and pay for AFF 1 asap. I'll only book the first jump at first because I've no idea if I'm any good at skydiving, but if the first goes well enough, I'll purchase the whole course. But anyway, AFF 1 will be purchased before 2011 ends. I know for a fact that there were 15 months between me thinking "I want to make a tandem skydive next month" and me actually taking the plunge, and I don't want to repeat that mistake with the AFF.

[adagen 0]

Think I said it before, but if you are anywhere near a windtunnel, book yourself some time and tell them you're planning AFF. Then you can start to pick up the basic freefall skills so they feel natural when you actually jump. You'll find tunnel staff will be very helpful, and ten minutes tunnel time will give you about the same freefall time as 12 jumps, plus the opportunity to debrief in detail from the tunnel video. In AFF you need to learn freefall and canopy skills, and if you have done the initial freefall learning in a windtunnel, it takes a bit of the pressure off.

Anne

[Krip 2]

Hi M

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I'm one of those people that got addicted after just one fix of skydiving. I can't stop thinking about it, I dream about it at night and I'm constantly thinking of new ways to liberate more money to go skydiving.

C8H11O3N (adrenalian) is highly addictive

Beware your starting to "chase the dragon".Your next fix won't be as good as your first shot of C8H11O3N.

Relaxe, there's no rush, enjoy the journey.
When do we get to see the video of your tandem

K-RIP

[Marinus 0]

I've already looked into the wind tunnel thing, and it'll be very likely that I'm going to take a course. I think it's 350 Euro for instruction + 15 minutes of tunnel time. Or whatever it's called. I'm usually somewhat slow in picking up physical skills, so it makes sense to get a head start that way.

[Marinus 0]

My next shot of adrenalin might well be administered to me when I don't have decades of skydiving experience strapped between me and my parachute. To some this might be a small detail, to others (me for instance) this could result in a higher yield of adrenaline. Anyhow, I'm sure I'll probably produce enough adrenaline to get 3 loads their fix or so.

As for the tandemvid: well it's rather boring, and I've to upload and edit it first, but I'll get to that eventually.

Edit: included a link to a still for people who can't wait to see what it looked like when I lost my whuffinity:

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/2919/marinus042.jpg

Interestingly it's image 42 in the series

[ShcShc11 0]

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I watched loads of AFF vids, but that was in the first phase of this newly found obsession with skydiving. Now I'm a bit worried about picking up the wrong "habits" from watching vids. I know the AFF in NL is slightly different from (most of?) the ones used in the USA, and that the AFF varies with plane types etc. So I'm a bit hesitant to watch them for educational purposes (still watch them now and then though, but only for their entertainment value [;P] ) I've a (legally downloaded) pdf of the SIM on my desktop, that goes without saying.

I know I'll hesitate to do the AFF. That's why I intend to book and pay for AFF 1 asap. I'll only book the first jump at first because I've no idea if I'm any good at skydiving, but if the first goes well enough, I'll purchase the whole course. But anyway, AFF 1 will be purchased before 2011 ends. I know for a fact that there were 15 months between me thinking "I want to make a tandem skydive next month" and me actually taking the plunge, and I don't want to repeat that mistake with the AFF.

Why don't you try going in the wind tunnels before going AFF level 1? It will help you develop your muscle-memory and find that "ah-ha I'm stable in the air" feeling.

I passed AFF level 1 pretty well (my 2 instructors let me go at one point leaving me "alone") and it was most definitely because of the wind tunnels.

Cheers and good luck!

Edit: oops. looks like wind tunnel was already mentioned haha.

[Marinus 0]

I'll quote myself:

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I've already looked into the wind tunnel thing, and it'll be very likely that I'm going to take a course. I think it's 350 Euro for instruction + 15 minutes of tunnel time. Or whatever it's called. I'm usually somewhat slow in picking up physical skills, so it makes sense to get a head start that way.

[marco-ripcord 0]

Well Marinus, just to add to what more experienced skydivers have already said.... welcome!

You've got the bug, no question about it. The bad news is its a nasty one to get rid of. I have yet to meet someone who got rid of it, but then again I am barely at the 2 years mark. And I don't know anyone who TRULLY WANTED to.

Everything about it is in such a higher level ... the adrenaline rush, the feel, the view. Your consciousness level goes way over anything you have ever experienced. Long story short, its the best thing you'll ever do with your pants on.


Blue skies!