packing help please beginner got lucky(i think)

[DARK 0]

right so as you can see from my numbers im a complete beginner. i would have maybe ten jumps if the weather in ireland was not so shit but here we are all the same. one thing the waiting has allowed me to do is learn to pack. now i still havnt done "the test" to allow me to pack rigs to be jumped but the instructors intend on myself and a few other to be ready to pack sport and tandem rigs for them by the end of march/april.

so here is my question. i decided id chance my arm and look for packing work in the states for the summer(i can get a working visa no problem) and i got quite a positive responce and one almost guarantee of work from a dz.

what i want to know is what level of knowledge will i be expected to have and how efficient will i be expected to be on a busy dropzone? do i need to learn some/all the different packing techniques we have only been shown one(for sport packing anyway)? might i have to re-learn tandems from the start when i get there if they use a different manufacturer? will i be expected to do ten an hour(or some other high number)?

I have no problem working my ass off and i am a fast learner I just want to make sure im not getting myself completely(and expensively) out of my depth.

thanks

[mnskydiver688 0]

As far as tandems are concerned I believe that at most larger dropzones they like for the tandem packers to be riggers. If not they probably would want you to get sufficient at packing student and experienced jumpers rigs, and then learn how to pack tandems with good supervision. As far as the time is considered how fast you go is a matter of how much money you want to make and how long you want to be a packer. When I started packing I was not very fast, but over time I developed faster techniques and SAFE shortcuts. Also if you are packing experienced jumpers rigs it is good to figure out tips and tricks for different canopies. If you don't feel you are getting paid for a nice opening then just throw it in the bag. I would pack a sabre1 differently than say a pilot or a velocity. After a while you will be going fast and hopefully your openings encourage returning business. Good luck!

Sky Canyon Wingsuiters

[DARK 0]

thanks man i doubt ill be thinking of shortcuts safe or not for quite a while. I didnt know that about tandems and riggers, I assumed they wanted me to be packing tandems as they askedme how many id packed already.

I understand speed = money but i understand im going to be slow to begin with also(especially with models iv never packed before) but if the dz dosnt mind me being a bit slow thats all that matters for the moment.

i just want to be in an enviroment were i can learn as much as i can, have fun and then jump as much as i can and i cant see that happening in ireland this summer.


btw if anyone thinks this is a really bad idea feel free to chime in im not sensitive. better now than after iv spent a grand on flights etc

[labrys 0]

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over time I developed faster techniques and SAFE shortcuts.

Are you willing to describe what you mean by "safe shortcut"?

Owned by Remi #?

[bigway 4]

You dont have to be a rigger to pack tandems. You should try going to Taupo, NZ for the summers there. Good money to be earned, over 100 tandems a day to pack

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
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[bigway 4]

You also want to be able to pack at LEAST 4 tandems an hour, more like 6.

You need to be efficent and very fit, very fit.. Packing can be one of the hardest most physical jobs in the skydiving industry.

Good luck though, being a packer usually means you have a decent foot in the door and it is a good way to move up through the ranks, like camera-tandem and aff.

Just be prepared. If you are on of the packers that a dropzone fully relies on you make sure you can pack!

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[DARK 0]

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Just be prepared. If you are on of the packers that a dropzone fully relies on you make sure you can pack!

ye thats one thing im worried about. i want to contribute without being relied upon i suppose.

Iv been very clear about my inexperience so i hope its as clear to them what they are hiring as it is to me what im "selling"(which is a hardworking "sponge" who wants to soak up as much info as possible) im not trying to pull the wool over anyones eyes.

[bigway 4]

It'll be all good if you are on to it mate and dont 'try' to hard. Will be good place to start, however with the amount of skydivers and experienced packers in the states i would suggest getting hold of taupo tandems in NZ. If you get a foot in the door there you can have a very healthy living.
Good money to be made there.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[DARK 0]

cheers man i sent an email off to taupo tandems so well see if they get back to me they are looking for workers from their site alright but i can get to boston for 350euro return were as ireland to new zealand would be close to 1000euro for flights alone but i do really want to go to new zealand in general so i might push the boat out if they can give me work

any other advice greatly appreciated

[livnbored 0]

While skill is very important when it comes to packing, most dropzones realize that packers have to start somewhere. You probably wouldn't get a job at a very busy place that relies on their packing mat to crank out the pack jobs, but a so-so busy dropzone may take you on.
Getting fast at packing takes repetition and usually pressure. but if you have the desire to learn you'll get fast.
There seems to be quite a shortage of packers in the past few years, or maybe it's just the area and dropzones I've been working at.
Best bet is to check the classifieds in the American skydiving mags.

[mnskydiver688 0]

Knowing which parts of the pack job don't need to be perfect. Also not being redundant when you don't have to be.

Sky Canyon Wingsuiters

[Halfpastniner 0]

Quote

Quote

over time I developed faster techniques and SAFE shortcuts.

Are you willing to describe what you mean by "safe shortcut"?

"Safe Shortcuts" Are all the ones you get when I Pack your rig...Once you wander too far you see th other kinds

BASE 1384

[DARK 0]

well it looks like its going to happen anyway have got even more replies and two more guarantees of work. one even said they would train me so dont worry if i cant pack when i get there.

hmmmmm now i gotta keep my end of the bargain i suppose and get practicing.

states on my own = daunting

[bigway 4]

Nah, you will fit right in and be made welcome. send me a pm letting me know where you have job offers.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[labrys 0]

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"Safe Shortcuts" Are all the ones you get when I Pack your rig...Once you wander too far you see th other kinds

I'll remember that. Don't forget now that you're wearing a rig... and rigs have reserve handles... and well... accidents happen. Next time you pack me a reserve repack, you're getting one too.

Owned by Remi #?

[Halfpastniner 0]

BASE 1384

[MagicGuy 0]

It's great that you want to pack man, and that you want to contribute. You are kind of in the situation I was in this year.

I started jumping last July and did a crapload of jumps in my first year. Our rigger, realizing that one, I could pack well and two, with all of my jumps, it would be nice to have some income on the side to try to balance things out.. asked me if I would like to help packing. Of course, i said yes.

I started out, which I think was awesome, by learning everything I could about our student rigs and canopies, and by teaching students how to pack parachutes. It is a lot of fun, extremely rewarding but challenging at the same time, and great practice. Those canopies are large, they have to be packed precisely but efficiently, and the students have to have confidence in their gear. Teaching students how to pack is one of the hardest but most rewarding things I have ever done.

From there, I started committing to one or two days a weekend to really bust ass and pack all day. I never learned tandems, mainly because of the size and me being a fairly small dude. But I packed experienced and student rigs all day for 1-2 days a week, depending on how busy it is. I'll tell you this..

Packing is a tough job!!!

It starts taking it's toll on you from the very first parachute of the day. Constant bending over, lots of brutal stress on your knees, callouses and pain on your hands.. it is not fun, or easy. But if you get good at it, you can make some serious cash, and people really do have more respect for you (in my opinion).

If you are serious about it, all I can say is practice, practice and practice some more. Familiarize yourself with as many different rigs as you can. A lot of rigs close in the same order, but the occasional Racer can throw off your whole routine. Same thing goes for canopies. Learn which canopies have 7 cells and which have 9. If someone has an original Sabre, recognize that they are known for slammer openings and that some people may want theirs packed differently. Definitely get as much practice and experience as you can. Ask questions, LISTEN to people, and you'll be fine. Every little detail like this can help you be a safer, and more efficient packer.

Good luck and have fun man.

[popsjumper 2]

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I...
If you are serious about it, all I can say is practice, practice and practice some more. Familiarize yourself with as many different rigs as you can. A lot of rigs close in the same order, but the occasional Racer can throw off your whole routine. Same thing goes for canopies. Learn which canopies have 7 cells and which have 9. If someone has an original Sabre, recognize that they are known for slammer openings and that some people may want theirs packed differently. Definitely get as much practice and experience as you can. Ask questions, LISTEN to people, and you'll be fine. Every little detail like this can help you be a safer, and more efficient packer.

Good luck and have fun man.

Good stuff, dude! Worth repeating.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239