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AggieDave

Taking a break

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Last month I had a long conversation with a friend of mine who got out of jumping, he had sold his gear and was happy for it. Especially now with their first child on the way. That got me thinking about my position in this world. Since my first jump on May 21, 2000 I have made over 3000 jumps, have been an instructor (tandem/coach/canopy flight), had 6 reserve rides, one reserve malfunction, one plane crash, a Pro-Swoop Card (when those were still around) and a handful of medals from swoop competitions.

However, my biggest adventure started a few years ago with our first child. It continues with our second child and will hopefully continue with a couple of more kids in the future. With the closest DZ a bit more than 2 hours away from where I live and two kids under the age of 3, I realized last year that 2012 would be practically written off for skydiving for me.

After the conversation with my friend I realized that I was probably going to make some seriously bad choices if I continued to hang onto my current gear. My main is loaded around 2.75 and my reserve around 1.7 and I haven't jumped since last summer. This would not be suitable for me to jump now and it would definitely not be suitable for me to jump next year. So the painful decision was made to sell my gear.

This has taken me weeks to come to grips with. I am a skydiver, it has held an exceptionally important part in my life, in that I wouldn't be where I am now, doing what I do now, nor married to my beautiful wife since skydiving was responsible for those connections to make my life what it is now. My closest friends are skydivers and my heart longs to be in the door of a 182 checking the spot. I've been there to bring new jumpers into the sport and watch them grow and achieve more than I can ever have dreamed and I've been there to bury too many friends who gave their life to this wonderful life of skydiving.

If I'm lucky over the next couple of years I'll be able to sneak out to a DZ to score a few jumps on a borrowed or rented rig that will have a much more appropriate wingloading for my currency. If we move closer to a DZ or if another one opens up closer, then maybe I'll be able to rejoin the active skydiver ranks sooner than I think.

Overall it is painful because I'm looking at this journey and I feel like a tourist, that I'm leaving too soon and didn't accomplish nearly everything I wanted to. So to all of you jumpers out there right now and future jumpers coming up the ranks: don't fuck this up! I want to come back to the sport I love.

To all you wanna-be swoopers out there: quit fucking this up. I want to be able to drag my toe across the pond for a sunset load again when I come back!

I'll still be around this lousy place though, jealous of those who are logging jumps and making swoops!:D
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

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Children have been my greatest adventure, thus far, as well. I refuse to swoop - seen too many of my friends get killed doing that. IMO, factor out swooping, and you've got yourself a sport that is less dangerous than a lot of other "normal" activities. I want my children to know that I'm not afraid to live my life, and I don't want them to be afraid to live theirs. I also want them to know you can study and analyze something like skydiving, and be able to choose your own level of risk. In my case, I want to be around as long as possible for my children (and maybe grand-children), so I keep my gear in good shape, don't swoop, keep a light wing-loading and try to make good choices at the DZ. Now, I just need to learn how to land B|

It's awesome that you are putting your family first. It's awesome that you are already planning your return :)

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

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To me, there's no greater joy then spending time with one's children (well, most of the time. Those teen years were stressful!). So many people whizzed by me in jump numbers while they were going to the dz and I was at soccer games. I don't regret putting my kids first for a minute and I don't think you will either with yours.

Enjoy these years with your kids, it'll go by so fast. Hope to see you in the sky someday!
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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You're taking a break from skydiving for a wife and two kids?!?!??! :o

While I'm sure the decision was hard; I'm also sure it was relatively easy.

Get up around Tulsa, give me a ping.

See you on here until then.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

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nice post AggieDave

LIFE sure IS interesting and requires constant re-assessment.. which is a GOOd thing....

the dives which you have logged IN your heart, and in your minds eye will be there FOREVER.... Nothing can take them away....B|;):)
and when the Allure of the sky grabs hold of us...chances are good that SOME time in the future, the timing and circumstances MAY once again,,,, lead back to the DropZone...

BUt being a DAD,, is also a TRUE JOY!!! and seeing the smiles of the kids, and enjoying their Hugs and laughter, day to day... is another JOY... which must not be short-changed.....

The wisdom that you have shared here,,, in your posts and contributions to many, MANY a discussion, on a great variety of topics, really does show that you are a Good Man, with a Big heart ... Perfect make-up ..... for being a Daddy !!!!!

in the dozen years or so, between when our first child arrived and when our second hit the age of 10... i only made 120 jumps.... enough to stay current, yet no so many that i failed to be HERE... when the kids were little.....
smart move to part with your gear, as it has a value today.... which could easily diminish, if it sat in a closet for a number of years... You WILL very likely find time in the future to return to that place in the door..... where your grin... will be HUGE!!!!!! and your Joy, reinvigorated...B|

Stay safe...enjoy your children, and DO continue to share your samrts.... with everyone HERE..

jimmytavino

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Congrats Dave.

Tough decision. But, its far better than the alternative of staying in and breaking/killing yourself.


Now, Um, are you still riding? You know if you fall off your bike YOU ARE FKD. If you fall of the plane YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO.


:D:D


Rubber side down, Dave. See ya around.

My photos

My Videos

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Just chill on the donuts Mr. 2.75 WL. :P

Make a goal to get the WL down to when you bought that canopy. Skydiving saved and made your life what it is. Take a break. Lose some weight. Hit the gates of the pond instead of the gates of heaven or hell.:)>:(

Oh and the sky will not always be there. That big blue thing is falling fast.[:/]



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The sky will always be there right?
Well when you are ok to get back it will be there!

And odds are when you do come back the gear will be better? That's what I keep reading and hearing from all the guys who have stepped away for a few years and come back.

So who knows maybe when you come back in a few years DZ's will have V-22's and we will be landing wing suits....and helmets will have built in music and GPS?
Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

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Right on Dave. You've got your priorities in the proper order. I'm in the same boat as you. Well, I'm not as big as you are nor am I a swooper. :D

But as a father of two young girls, I've left skydiving on the back burner the last few years. Fuck, I haven't jumped since September 2010 when my Cypres expired for good. I planned to keep making a jump here or there at the local DZ but just never got around to it. Just too much going on and it didn't really make fiscal sense to repack my reserve every 3 or 4 jumps made on the rig.

I can't really believe it, but I forgot to renew my USPA membership, which expired at the end of July. :S 19 years.... I suppose I'll renew a bit late.... just so I can get that 20 year certificate next year. :D

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

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There is much more to life than skydiving. Spending time with your family is more important. You will lose the urge for air after awhile and other things will become more important. You will always still love the sport and the people you met while doing it.


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Enjoy the break Dave, and good on ya for recognizing how it should and shouldn't be done. Skydiving is fun, but so are other things, and some of those other things are also far more important. See ya when you get back.

Blues,
Dave
"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

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Look around for a good deal on used student gear from time to time. It's what I did. I only make anywhere from 1-10 jumps a year these days. I got an old Javelin with a 250/260 canopy combination for about $2k.
"No cookies for you"- GFD
"I don't think I like the sound of that" ~ MB65
Don't be a "Racer Hater"

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I commend you for selling your gear and not letting it rot in a closet. Can you imagine how much jumpable gear is sitting around waiting for jumpers to "get back into jumping"?
Peace,
-Dawson.
http://www.SansSuit.com
The Society for the Advancement of Naked Skydiving

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Great reasoning for the right decision for you. How'd an Aggie get so smart :P:P:P

Enjoy

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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However, my biggest adventure started a few years ago with our first child. It continues with our second child and will hopefully continue with a couple of more kids in the future. With the closest DZ a bit more than 2 hours away from where I live and two kids under the age of 3, I realized last year that 2012 would be practically written off for skydiving for me.

After the conversation with my friend I realized that I was probably going to make some seriously bad choices if I continued to hang on...



Good on you...It absolutely made my day that one time you posted that pic with your little one in their Halloween costume...how much more for you!:)
It doesn't get better than that bro...and trust me, I've tried.
Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...

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Go play with your VW and kids ,go to the VW shows and show it, with your kids and wife, have fun! enjoy those young years as we all know how fast it flies by... Oh and don't get any speeding tickets.... I hear those cops down there can be dicks about those supped up VW's speeding by...LOL:P

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

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If I'm lucky over the next couple of years I'll be able to sneak out to a DZ to score a few jumps on a borrowed or rented rig that will have a much more appropriate wingloading for my currency.

Very smart move. I even advise people to consider selling their gear. Here's some of the reasons.
1- it may be a museum piece by the time you come back.
2- your AAD ain't getting any newer:P
3- it may be very inappropriate gear for you when you come back.


Quote

To all you wanna-be swoopers out there: quit fucking this up. I want to be able to drag my toe across the pond for a sunset load again when I come back!

I'm sure you'll tone down your approaches during your dormant years.

Dave, as a guy who raised 4 kids in a skydiving marriage, don't be afraid of you and your wife having your own life together and doing some of the things YOU like to do. The best thing kids can have is happy parents that love each other very much. The family doesn't have to always revolve around the kids. :)

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Good Choice for you Dave and respect for taking it mate. Life is a evolutionary track and if you have to make adjustments to have a smile on your face along the way so be it .

My kids have always been there and i have been hillwalking for over 20 years but its been random bit like my jumping it happens when it does not all the time.

Next year i will loose my Daughter probably as she goes off to University which is the end of her child hood. Prior to that she is off to Ethiopia to teach English by the looks of it and well its her choice and i support her but being a parent my heart is unsettled and i worry. I haven't told her that as i don't want to upset her plans.

You get once chance with your kids to experience them growing up other parents will know what i am talking about. Its something you don't want to miss and would regret Some times a slight step back is a good thing:)
I am Sure some young hotshot will be more than happy to run you through reserve drills and help you put you gear on the right way when you can jump :D:P just don't laugh to loud in their face and enjoy family life mate B|


Billy-Sonic Haggis Flickr-Fun


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Bummer.

I lurk and almost never post. Over the years I've watched you transform into a solid voice of good advice, and I can only assume your home dz will be worse off for this. I feel like I 've watched you go from, "Oh let me see what this arrogant know it all said this time." to, "Sweet, Dave's posting on the topic, I gotta read this." I think having you around and active only makes the sport better for people like me, and I'm a selfish bastard, so I'm not happy to hear it. ;)

In all seriousness, best of luck in the stage of your life, and thanks for being a source of wisdom.


Methane Freefly - got stink?

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