Coach Rating.

[lauraliscious 0]

I think Gary said it very well, and I agree with what he said 100%. Maybe that's because he was my instructor for my coach rating.

I got my coach rating when i felt ready for it, after 2 of my skydiving mentors died at Dublin. I felt that both of them were not only great skydivers, they were fantastic instructors, paying it forward. I felt like the coach rating is the 1st step to becoming a decent instructor, and I wanted to pay it forward. I also wanted to work on my teaching skills and further my own knowledge. I wanted to be able to jump with students when the opportunity arose.

That being said, there is a marked difference between taking a student up on a fun jump when they are just off AFF and going on a "working dive" - where you do an involved brief/debrief, and sign off stuff on their A check card. To me, a working coach jump doesn't just involve the jump, it involves going over the SIM, doing the Category test, and a variety of other factors. If I'm going to spend that much time and energy with a student, and it helps them progress that much more quickly to getting their license then I do like to have my slot covered. I don't charge or expect anything extra besides the slot. I usually wear my video camera on these jumps too, to help with the debrief, and will give them a copy of the video or post it on YouTube.

When I was a student I had 2 vastly different experiences with the coach program. One guy, he was a 100 jump wonder coach and I never saw him in freefall due fall rate issues. No briefing or debriefing. I didn't learn anything, and I felt ripped off by paying the DZ $60 or whatever it was for a "coach jump". Another girl, she took the time to go over the SIM with me before the jump, did a very nice brief/debrief, and told me to just go put her on the load and cover her slot, and if I felt like she did a good job I could give her extra but she usually got $10 from the DZ if I went through them. I had no problem paying her slot, and I think I even gave her $20 because i was so happy with her teaching.

So I voted, it depends on the situation. I will jump with students for free. But if they want me to sign off a bunch of stuff I like to have my slot covered.

Don, are you a coach? How do you feel about it?

Enemiga Rodriguez, PMS #369, OrFun #25, Team Dirty Sanchez #116, Pelt Head #29, Muff #4091

[DanG 1]

I get paid for coaching students at my DZ. I jump with new licensed jumpers for free. To me there is a big difference.

There is also a big difference in what I bring to each jump. With licensed jumpers I'll maybe spend five minutes coming up with a dive plan, hit one or two points for the person to focus on, and then we jump. I try to come up with jumps that are fun for both of us. After the jump I'll have a quick chat and maybe mention a couple things they did well and things they could improve. That's it. If that's what you consider a coached jump, then I agree that people should do that for free, and pay their own slot. To me, that's not a coached jump, and certainly not a Coach jump.

With students I spend a LOT more time before and after the jump. I go through the lesson plan in the SIM, cover canopy and gear topics, do physical practice drills, and walk through the dive plan multiple times until I'm sure the student gets it. I give very thorough gear checks, and have the student do the same on his gear and mine. I go over spotting and the landing pattern. I also generally do nothing on the jump itself but sit still, watch, give some hand signals as reminders, and act as an back-up altimeter. I don't get to fly myself at all. The debriefs are structured and detailed. I make sure the students knows what he did well, and give him three things to improve for the next jump. Then, if applicable, I'll do some retraining to work on those three things, and fill out his logbook and card. That's what a Coach jump entails if you are doing it properly. A single Coach jump with me will usually take a couple hours between when I first say, "Hi, I'm Dan," and finally say, "Thanks, see you later." I personally think I should get paid for that. I think a lot of people who disagree are talking about the first type of jump, not a Coach jump.

- Dan G

[The_Don 0]

No. I don't have the rating.

If someone wants to jump & I think they're safe, I'll jump with them.

I'll help them all I can. I just don't feel I have the training
to charge them for the slot.

I put a two way base out there & let them have a target many times. I get my kick out of the dive when they finally get a great dock and you see that big huge smile!

I am NOT being loud.
I'm being enthusiastic!

[pilotdave 0]

So are you talking about jumps with students or jumps with licensed skydivers? Once they're licensed, the coach rating doesn't really matter. But that's entirely different from a coach jump under the ISP. And I'd agree, the "coach" shouldn't be getting paid unless they are providing some really special training.

Dave

[Deisel 35]

There is also the window between having all of your Coach jumps done and then still needing 8-9 more to get your liscense. Only someone with a D or instructor rating can jump with you. Typically, guys and gals in that position are fired up about jumping and I love jumping with them. Thats not a coach jump, I pay my slot, and it keeps them from having to do solos and getting bored.

The brave may not live forever, but the timid never live at all.