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aykay

When do you become a "Skydiver"?

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You need an "other" options. To me it doesn't matter how many jumps you have, it think it's all about the dedication.

I know some guys who I consider skydivers but only have a few jumps for one reason or another. They are active in the community etc, so I still think they should be considerred skydivers
<--- See look, pink dolphins DO exist!

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I became a "skydiver" the day I did my first freefall - ie the day I saved my own life by deploying a parachute that was on my back



I have to agree with Lisa on this one.. I hung under a modified PC called a Parasail and was towed to 700 ft over Biscayne Bay as part of Water Survival Training that was 1972..so my first two parachute landings after releasing from the tow cable were turn into the wind and land in the water.. woo hoo I still like water landings.
It was not a skydive

I went to jump school and graduated and made about 25 jumps or so when I finally made it to the Dropzone and took the FJC.. on the 5th jump I had a cutaway...I consider that my first skydive. When I cutaway I had to deploy my own parachute for the first time without a static line assisting.

THAT was a skydive. I landed the C-9 bellywart reserve canopy without incident.. other than an overdose of adrenaline:)

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You need an "other" options. To me it doesn't matter how many jumps you have, it think it's all about the dedication.

I know some guys who I consider skydivers but only have a few jumps for one reason or another. They are active in the community etc, so I still think they should be considerred skydivers



I REALLY agree with that one! If you jump, and then intend on continuing and do your best to follow through, then I'd call that person a skydiver. :)
~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

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I talked to one guy who said you aren't a skydiver until you are pied for your 100th jump. Not agreeing or disagreeing, just a thought.
Also, a few years before I was around there was a quadraplegic guy who made over 100 tandem jumps... and got pied for it. :)Whats with the website answer on the poll? I know a guy who has 6000 jumps and is pretty much never online... he's the best example of a skydiver I know!

I don't know when you become a skydiver. I don't know if I consider myself one, even though I work at the DZ and spend every possibile weekend out there... I guess I know in five years or so, with the amazing turnaround rate this sport has. I wonder how many of the 90% + people who quit before they have been in it five years considered themselves skydivers.

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I became a "skydiver" the day I did my first freefall - ie the day I saved my own life by deploying a parachute that was on my back.

I don't expect anyone else to agree with my definition though.



I do! :PB|
***************

Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.

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Also, a few years before I was around there was a quadraplegic guy who made over 100 tandem jumps... and got pied for it. So even though he's just a passenger...



I have an old 4-way team mate that, during a night jump, broke his neck and is now a paraplegic. He still comes out to the drop zone every once in awhile and makes a tandem skydive. He knows the risks as well as anyone and still decides to do what he does.

Is he current? No.
Does he own a rig any more? No

Is he a skydiver? You bet your ass he is.
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

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I became a "skydiver" the day I did my first freefall - ie the day I saved my own life by deploying a parachute that was on my back.

I don't expect anyone else to agree with my definition though.



I agree with you Lisa
Bottomless Beers and Blue Skies!

* Brother_Brian *
D.S.W.F.S.B. #2

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...and is now a paraplegic.



Keith is a quadraplegic. I'm sure he'd LOVE to have his arms and hands restored, though.

And you bet, he -is- a skydiver still. Even if he didn't come for jumps anymore.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

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I will only truley feel like I can call myself a skydiver when I start doing it on a regular basis after the AFF course. Doing one jump shouldn't give you that label. You've skydived, yes, but your not a skydiver.

You wouldn't consider yourself a driver until you've passed your driving test would you ?

You wouldn't consider yourself a golfer after playing just one Hole would you ?
Gerb

I stir feelings in others they themselves don't understand. KA'CHOW !

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I became a skydiver when I did my first skydive - i.e. my RAPS 3-second delay. Surely only a skydiver can perform a skydive?
I wouldn't count people who have only done tandems as skydivers - they are merely passengers on someone else's skydive.

I have stayed a skydiver because I have kept jumping. Even someone with 25,000 jumps won't stay a skydiver if they don't keep current.

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wow, that's kinda funny... according to 7 people, even with 400+ skydives, 2 base jumps, and a coach rating, I'm still not a "skydiver." ha ha ha.

i say... as soon as you graduate your student progression and are A "qualified" you are a skydiver... but I guess that's just my opinion. ha ha ha.

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wow, that's kinda funny... according to 7 people, even with 400+ skydives, 2 base jumps, and a coach rating, I'm still not a "skydiver." ha ha ha



Everybody likes to feel "elite." Some people are just plain silly about it. The way I look at it, if you have a license that identifies you as a "pilot," you're a pilot, and if you have a license that identifies you as a "skydiver," you're a skydiver. I'm not saying the license is what makes you a skydiver, but it's hard to argue that somebody with a license is not a "skydiver."

--Douva
I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

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I have this feeling I became a Skydiver when I was 4 years old, and became obsessed with throwing my Ghostbusters figures off the roof with string and a cut-up trashbag to land them safely. Hmm, I'd bet there are a lot of people out there who are jumpers now who were obsessed with this in their childhood.... Sounds like a good idea for a new thread!
=========Shaun ==========


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