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malooper

Is Skydiving for ME?

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Hi all,

Last weekend I went on my first tandem skydiving jump for a birthday present. I was super anxious and scared, basically doing it because it was a present. When I was younger I wanted to do it but as I've gotten older my reservations grew. The whole process seemed to happen in a blur but after we left the plane it was a blast! I got a video and pics done so for the past week I've watched and looked at them who knows how many times now. I was actually kind of depressed for two days after..Kind of weird. But after, I knew I needed to do it again to see if I really love it enough to spend the money and accept the risks involved and get licensed. So, this is an introduction but also a request for advice. I'm not your typical adrenaline junkie (or my perception of them). I'm a typical cautious female who doesn't want to surf for fear of sharks and I have no desire to drive a motorcycle, although I wouldn't mind racing a car. ;) But seriously, I'm a scaredy cat and overanalyze things so I just don't know if I have what it takes to not end up killing myself if I proceed with skydiving...? I'm hoping to go back tomorrow morning and go up once again tandem style without the videos and pics and see how it goes. :) Any feedback/input would be appreciated!

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Welcome to the forums! :)

When you go back, tell them you want to make this tandem a learning jump. Your instructor might let you control the canopy a little. (But, don't be upset if he or she doesn't, it is totally their call). Have fun!

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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Hi Malooper,

I'm just going through the same process myself. Did my first ever tandem last weekend and am not at all sure if I want to continue, though watching the video and looking through all the pictures gives me a very different perspective on the whole thing. I was very calm and relaxed throughout, then watching the video gave me goosebumps and butterflies, lol.

I'm doing my ground training and hopefully my AFF jump 1 next weekend to see if I really like it. My DZ have said I can pay for each jump as I go and since I get a big discount for AFF1 having just done a skydive, the cost doesn't work out much different.

Good luck with your next tandem if you jump today :)

A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

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I pursue things that I am interested in and interested in learning. I don't get thrilled by jumping. I have had a handful of jumps that I really truly had fun and enjoyed. But I do it because I want to.

Early, as I struggled with several things, some told me maybe skydiving was not for me. Some told me for sure skydiving was not for me.

Does anyone know better than yourself what you want? (clearly not) So if you want to skydive, then skydive. It is really about that simple. Skydiving is not that simple, but the decision can be. If you decide to do it, then take the bull by the horns and start wearing him down.
Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

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Go to the Women's Forum.

Read "Starting At 57!" by dkvkb

Read "Contemplating AFF...how to be sure?" by frogerina.

You are not alone in wondering if this sport is for you, while at the same time obsessing over your first jump.

Maybe "obsessing" seems a bit strong, but how many times did you watch the video of the jump?
How many times did you replay it in your head?

I said it in one of those threads: We simply find a love for the sky. And are willing to pursue it.

Go read the threads.

There's a link in both threads to the "Skydiving Duck." Its a cartoon blog describing the adventures of a 40 something woman who did a tandem...

And just a little bit more. ;)

Welcome to the sky.

It's a wonderful place. And there's a lot of wonderful people up there too. (not all of them, but many if not most)

"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

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Thanks all of you for the words of advice/input! I did end up going today and boy oh boy will you be surprised to know I just loved it even more than the first time! I was able to talk to an AFF Instructor there who was great and really helpful. Met some current students and hung out. Felt kind of nerdy with my list of questions but hey, that's how I roll! On the jump itself, most of the fear was gone except for a brief moment in the plane but my instructor was awesome and showed me how to turn in freefall and let me do a few! :o He also let me maneuver the canopy a bit which was sooo fun! B| He said he thinks I'll make a great AFF student so that was very encouraging! I'm definitely hooked and want to go back next weekend but my sister and nephew are coming into town so I may have to wait another week. :( We'll see though! I need to save up some money, too! Thanks again! I'll go and read those threads now! Appreciate all the responses!

Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.
-Raymond Lindquist

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It's great to hear you had such a good jump! Don't apologize for asking questions, that's probably why the instructor thought you'd make a good student. You were there to learn and not just have a thrill ride. I hope you are able to jump again soon.
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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Eheh!
I'm exactly the same (except, I'm a male), overly-cautious, always over thinking stuff and stressing for no reason. I could blame it on a too protective mother, but hey, my fault ultimately.

And yet.

I'm doing my AFF and loving every moment of it!
It's weird. If anything, I can say that being that scared might stop us from enjoying it at the beginning but should not affect our safety as skydivers. Actually, most people (including my instructors) will tell you that not being scared is much more dangerous.

If you're that type of person that over-thinks everything, you might find your first AFF jump totally different from you tandem and find asking yourself so many more questions, and also doubting yourself if you have "the right stuff" (at least, I did) but they way you talk: you already decided.
Listen to your instructors, they've seen hundreds of students, if they say that you can proceed, than you can.
It took me probably 8 jumps before I started trusting myself and at the beginning my instructors had to sit there and talk to me almost psychoanalyzing me because I was (and here I quote) "scared shitless" LOL. I was so blocked that I had to repeat AFF2 four times (I'm not kidding). There was nothing wrong with me, I was simply getting very scared everytime the instructors let me go and I would not perform tasks like turns and so on, or going unstable... well, I would still pull on time, so at least that means you can keep trying if you want to. I was over analyzing everything to the point that I kept psyching myself.

At some point, one of my instructors had to take me to his place and started showing me videos of pros doing stuff, preparation and everything, just to get over my fears.
It's part of their job, anyway. But my 2 instructors had to go over and beyond with me.

But I wanted to do it no matter how long it would have taken. Hell, I only know how much I wanted to do it. So I sticked with it.

This weekend on my first totally released dive (AFF IV, I think, something like that, basically for the first time the instructor never had any contact with me during the dive nor the exit) I went down with the dumbest and biggest smile on my face (I got stuck in that smile at about 9000ft and I still can't take it out of my face) and the best feeling I had in my life was when I looked over at my instructor, gave him the "peace" sign with both hands after I was done with the workflow for my dive, and he couldn't control the the exact same stupid smile stamped across his face.

Do it.
It's the best thing I've done in my life. Actually, it's the best thing I've done FOR my life.
By far.
I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

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Skydiving can be for you if you want it to be. I did two tandems too before I took the solo class. I'm doing IAD, which is different from AFF. Basically, you jump out alone at 3,000 ft and your pilot chute is already out. You have to arch and show a good one before you can do more then 2-3 seconds of freefall before your canopy opens. You just go up higher and higher and get to do the more cool and fun stuff as you make your way up.

For me, IAD with that 3,000 ft was the most frustrating. All the other students were progressing and I was still trying to get my arch right...some say I still am not arching right!BUT I finally am doing more free fall time now. I have absolutely no regrets with sticking with it. I always thought to myself, about a month and a half ago, "Is this really for me? Maybe I should just quit now and not do this anymore." But about 3 jumps after that, I was finally pulling my own cord!

I think if you keep thinking about it, go for it! I know I always think about it and I get nervous thinking about the next time I will jump, but when I actually do it, I look back and laugh at my nervousness because I had such an awesome time in the sky!

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Thanks again everyone for the continual encouragement! I went ahead and signed up for the first AFF course!! I printed off the packet already and started to look at it, but wondering if I shouldn't have because now I'm thinking "Am I going to be in over my head on this?" I had a "security blanket" doing tandems, but now it's going to be just me. [:/] Part of me is really pumped but there is still that little question of "Do I really have what it takes?" I'm going to try and not think about it too much and just have fun and be smart about it and see how it goes! One step/jump at a time right? :)
I'm still getting used to this forum style so bear with me as I try to respond to posts! I'm in Texas, they fly a Grand Caravan which I'm not familiar with aircraft so I don't know what that means…I live just under 2 hours away so it's a bit of a drive but worth it since I feel really comfortable there and think they genuinely care. Thanks again!!

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malooper

Thanks again everyone for the continual encouragement! I went ahead and signed up for the first AFF course!! I printed off the packet already and started to look at it, but wondering if I shouldn't have because now I'm thinking "Am I going to be in over my head on this?" I had a "security blanket" doing tandems, but now it's going to be just me. [:/] Part of me is really pumped but there is still that little question of "Do I really have what it takes?" I'm going to try and not think about it too much and just have fun and be smart about it and see how it goes! One step/jump at a time right? :)
I'm still getting used to this forum style so bear with me as I try to respond to posts! I'm in Texas, they fly a Grand Caravan which I'm not familiar with aircraft so I don't know what that means…I live just under 2 hours away so it's a bit of a drive but worth it since I feel really comfortable there and think they genuinely care. Thanks again!!



*Face Palm*
Stop second guessing yourself...god forbid you second guess your dive flow when it comes down to the real thing or if you have to second guess about your EP.

or you can keep doing tandems because it's you tandems that pay for our DZs to remain in operation for us real jumpsers.

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Relax. A little bit of fear is good. It keeps you focused. The key is to not let it have too much power over you. I think its a good sign that you have some doubts. It shows that you understand that there are risks and that you respect those risks.
"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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malooper

now I'm thinking "Am I going to be in over my head on this?" I had a "security blanket" doing tandems, but now it's going to be just me. [:/]



Yep, know that feeling, lol. I've got ground school and maybe AFF jump 1 this weekend (dependent on the weather forecast improving!) and having just seen videos of people jumping from the back of a plane, I had a sudden thought "seriously?! am I going to do that??". The simple answer is No, of course not, I'm not nearly ready yet. As you say, one jump at a time! And you're not going to be on your own, you're going to have two extremely experienced instructors holding onto you until your parachute has deployed properly.

I may do AFF1 and terrify myself and never jump again; conversely I may get the adrenaline rush I missed out on doing a tandem and be high as a kite for days. Absolutely no way of telling right now this minute so absolutely no point in fretting over it either way :P

Enjoy the anticipation of experiencing something new and leave it at that :)
A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

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good deal..
May you be graced with GOOD instructors, gear, and weather.... I can SEE that you already have a Super.... airplane.
Grand Caravan will do just fine...:):)
get good sleep on any night before you head to the DZ. Stay hydrated and don't forget to eat...(lightly usually works )
Stake out an area where you can leave a gear bag which is prepared with anything you might need during the day.
Relax and enjoy the view when you're climbing to altitude and exit with a smile and sense of CONFIDENCE.....That can go a long way towards a successful skydive...;)....
Debrief.:)log it B|
prepare for the next jump.......B| and then Get ON the Manifest !!!
some words in your post....."just have fun & be Smart about it " are solid,,, and should carry you nicely Forward, into " a most amazing hobby " .B|


jmy

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I'm new also, and getting a late start. What I am starting to understand, thanks to a poem secondround posted, is the call of the sky is similar to the call of the sea. You really can't explain it logically. There is just a pull towards it and a joy that is greater than any other activity you have ever done. I second guess myself all the time, but I realized recently, I just have to take it step by step. I'm going to a wind tunnel this week, which I think will help tremendously. Gather as much information as possible and get going. You were obviously hooked from your first jump!

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malooper

:)



Sadly it didn't happen - it was too windy for fledglings, lol. But there's always next weekend, and then we have a 3 day weekend after that so hopefully I'll get some jumps in soon. And my other half had an absolute ball - lots of new friends to jump with B|
A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

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