A problem with tandem rides

[vonSanta 0]

I had a recent conversation with a fellow who did one.

He basically stated that he couldn't see the whole point of skydiving. Sure, it was a little scary, but no biggie. And then he fell for a while, which was unusual and kind of nice, but nothing much happened. The canopy ride was nice but nothing exceptional. He doesn't understand why I spend all the money on it and all my weekends when the weather cooperates. The money would be better invested in racing cars.

I tried telling him that a tandem ride is sort of like sitting in the passenger seat of a car on a race track. You don't get to brake, setup the race line, apply throttle, shift gears and stuff. Plus, his ride was more of a race down a runway than on a cool race track. Tried explaining the challenge of flying in a sit near others, or just flying with others. Or of a max toggle turn on, say, a 149 ZP canopy. Or of a zero wind landing where you go surfing over the ground. Tried with all the milestones there are and all the accomplishments you feel you go through.

Nothing. He had tried freefall and what I described was basically ok he gathered, but it was just variations on what he tried. And it'd get boring within 100 jumps.

Admittedly, skydiving isn't for everyone and some will find it boring etc. But this dude is basing it on faulty information! A tandem is just a wee taste of a very big cake!

It'll work for most, I'll admit that. And it brings in more people into skydiving than it puts off by a very large degree. But what if the guy who's put off is the very dude you want to start in the sport?

"The cool stuff comes later" isn't a very convincing argument.

I've basically agreed with him that it's not an exciting sport for some. I disagree with the grounds he made that conclusion on however - far too inadequate.

Is it a problem that tandems only give a small taste of what's to come, or is it a "feature"? As in "if you like that, you're gonna *love* this...?

Santa Von GrossenArsch
I only come in one flavour
ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

[sdgregory 0]

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A tandem is just a wee taste of a very big cake!

Not much to offer here with my LIMITED LIMITED experience in the sport but I think a tandem is not even a wee taste of the big cake. It is more like liking the beater before cooking the cake. Taste good but nowhere near the experince of the cake with it's layers and icing and a nice cold glass of milk.

[Faber 0]

that guys can have 2 choises to why saying as he does:

1. he´s a smartass that use all his time on his "2extreme"mashine of a Ford 1,1 and cant let any see that that tandem ride made him do in his pants

or

2. its simply just not him to jump out of planes,and he actualy feels way better racing and playing whith cars.

Nomatter what his reasson is(it dossent matter really),he just were in a way honest by telling you that it aint him jumping out of planens...
Most tandems i see smiles as they lands and talk about now they just need to start skydive.but i really dont see much of them again.

Did you try to sit in his car under a race,and if so what did you feel?and did you start your self(probaly not as it would be too expencive to have thouse 2 hobbyes)...

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[vonSanta 0]

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that guys can have 2 choises to why saying as he does:

1. he´s a smartass that use all his time on his "2extreme"mashine of a Ford 1,1 and cant let any see that that tandem ride made him do in his pants

Hahahah! He actually OWNS a Ford. With tilted windows and extra wide tires. Dude, you've nailed it!

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or

2. its simply just not him to jump out of planes,and he actualy feels way better racing and playing whith cars.

Very true and I am open to this as well.

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Nomatter what his reasson is(it dossent matter really),he just were in a way honest by telling you that it aint him jumping out of planens...

Yes, but he is saying this based on a *tandem jump* which is like sdgregory says "...like licking the...". I got the impression he was semi-dissing the sport as a whole and those who participate in it. Well, that's his opinion and it doesn't particularly matter to me. I'm just annoyed by the fact that it's based on so little experience...

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Most tandems i see smiles as they lands and talk about now they just need to start skydive.but i really dont see much of them again.

Yeah, same here. Same with first time students (meet a lot of those when I pack at Q). But that's a whole different discussion, no? I also get some who say "it was sorta boring" - but there again, it was a SL jump, it's nothing like what comes later.

Up to everyone to form their opinions. I just wish it was done on a more solid base.

[Faber 0]

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Yes, but he is saying this based on a *tandem jump* which is like sdgregory says "...like licking the...". I got the impression he was semi-dissing the sport as a whole and those who participate in it. Well, that's his opinion and it doesn't particularly matter to me. I'm just annoyed by the fact that it's based on so little experience...

i can tell you after just standed in the site of the road of a streetrace(are there places in dk they can drive besides public),and it anything for me,i havent even been a passenger..

my passion is to jump from somthing,fall towards the earth and pull when i deside de to stop,but again thats just me

by the way the video you talked about(year vid)i never saw it you have it?

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[falxori 0]

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The canopy ride was nice but nothing exceptional

are you saying that a total mal, would get him to join the sport ?

O

"Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero."

[vonSanta 0]

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are you saying that a total mal, would get him to join the sport ?

Well, he'd have a very short career, but maybe

Santa Von GrossenArsch
I only come in one flavour
ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

[slotperfect 7]

I am hearing you say that your friend's personality type is that of a controller. His love for driving race cars is evidence of that.

We get many people like that at our DZ, and they choose to take the first jump course and do an AFF jump - even if they only want to make one jump just for the experience of it.

Perhaps we as skydivers - friends, instructors, etc - can ask the right questions about why an interested party wants to skydive, and recommend AFF for those who we feel would not enjoy the limited control of a tandem.

Arrive Safely

John

[riggerrob 558]

Different strokes for different folks.
Sounds like your friend has a high thresh hold for excitement.
Either that, or he has far too much invested in his Ford racing car to take on another expensive sport.
Oh, the vast majority of people who do a tandem jump only ever plan to do one jump in their lifetime. Just like - back in the days when static-line was fashionable - the majority of static-line students only planned to do one jump in their lifetime.

[beej 0]

On the otherhand, the tandem jump may have scared the shit out of him...and he was purposly acting over-cool about the experience so you didnt know the true reason why he wasnt interested. To some people street cred' is the 'be and end all'.

----------------------------------------------------
If the shit fits - wear it (blues brothers)--

[slug 1]

If the driver is a real action type guy, and he had confidence in his tandem driver. Then the tandem is like glorified roller coaster.

If the guy races and he's driving inch's from the wall at 100 whatever MPH then he can see the speed.

It's hard to get ground rush opening at whatever alti tandems open at, in reguler free fall if theirs is a video person they are falling at the same rate so other than the wind blowing in your face IMO it is a amusement ride for the rider.

I don't watch many tandems land but I don't think they usually do high performance landings so there's really no rush there either "for a action guy" So IMO his conclusions are based on the info he recieved

Hows a action guy going to get pumped when 90 year olds do tandems?

Seeing someone swoop a pond in a rocket ship and drag a toe for a nice rooster tail maybe that could get the action guy's attention.

Off course it would take him a long time to get to the point where he could drag a toe if he didn't hurt himself first. If he got hurt then he couldn't drive his go fast car for while.

Just my opinion
R.I.P.

[Blahr 0]

All I can say is "Too bad for that guy. He will never know"

[jessd 0]

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Is it a problem that tandems only give a small taste of what's to come, or is it a "feature"? As in "if you like that, you're gonna *love* this...?

I think it varies from person to person. The only reason I even did my first tandem was because my Dad wanted someone to go with - he basically talked me into it. He loved every minute of it. I actually was far too scared on that first jump to even enjoy anything except the soft landing. If I had to base my opinion of skydiving on my first experience (had I never gone again after that) I would have said I hated it. But, I went back for 2 more tandems and loved every minute of it. I loved the feeling I had on my 3 AFF levels too. But, due to nerves and lack of money I have not been able to jump since April.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away..."

[vonSanta 0]

jessd, I was scared shitless when I started out. Just ask my sister (DrAvalanche). She basically had to pep talk me once every two days just to get me comfortable enough to go to the DZ for the first 6 AFF levels

And when I was there I'd be "oooh clouds, mebbe they cancel the jump" only to feel a ton of bricks fall down when my instructor came by with a smile and said "let's do the briefing". Ugh. I loved the actual skydive but absolutely hated the waiting on the ground and the ride to altitude.

Thought the fear would never go away. It did. Turned into a big woohoo love-fest instead and I like the person I am when I'm out jumping.

If only the %/( weather would clear up. 3 jumps since October

Santa Von GrossenArsch
I only come in one flavour
ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

[jessd 0]

Oh - I know that being scared/nervous is totally normal. I do need to get back in the air soon and finish AFF because I do love it.

Back to the question about tandems the few people who I know who have only done a tandem either loved it or hated it. Like I said, I did not even enjoy the feeling at all until my 2nd and 3rd tandems. If I had not been curious about trying it again I never would have gone again.

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And when I was there I'd be "oooh clouds, mebbe they cancel the jump" only to feel a ton of bricks fall down when my instructor came by with a smile and said "let's do the briefing".

HAHA - I felt the exact same way for my first 3 levels of AFF. More so when I was to do my level 4 jump. I was so nervous - I ended up riding the plane down on that one and I have not jumped since. I went up there one time after that and just couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away..."

[cindee 0]

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Oh - I know that being scared/nervous is totally normal. I do need to get back in the air soon and finish AFF because I do love it.

I'm thinking that being scared/nervous, and then overcoming it, is part of the attraction. The thing that would really scare me is the sound the other jumpers made when leaving the plane before me. I also can't wait to get back to it.

__________________________________________________
"If happy little bluebirds fly above the rainbow, why oh why can't I?"

[jessd 0]

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The thing that would really scare me is the sound the other jumpers made when leaving the plane before me.

Funny you say that. That's one of the things that really freaked me out on what was to be my level 4 jump. I never saw others leaving the plane that close to me before (I was usually pretty far from the door). Just seeing them "disappear" so quickly freaked me out, but, was way cool at the same time.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away..."

[cindee 0]

Exactly! Even when I wouldn't look at them leaving, I could still hear that whooshing sound as their bodies passed through the door. It was cool, but still freaked me out.

__________________________________________________
"If happy little bluebirds fly above the rainbow, why oh why can't I?"

[Pick 0]

Racing is a funny thing.....ill-handling cars TRYING to go fast on the edge can be more of an adrenaline pump than well set-up cars going twice as fast yet nowhere near "the edge".

I was buzzing ALLOT more after my first short-track race than I was after driving around Nashville Speedway at 155 in a pseudo-Indy car the first time......even though my first lap at Nashville was faster than I'd ever driven anything, anywhere.....it felt "too easy" after being used to hustling a car sideways through every turn, every lap.

I picture a tandem being much the same way....it doesn't feel like you're anywhere near the edge (except when you are in the door, I guess....) .....yes, I LOVED my tandem jump just like I loved driving 101 at Nashville........but I can also see how he might not have been as blown away by his tandem jump as most folks.

My TM gave me as much control of the jump as he possibly could, so that helped me feel some level pressure that added to the rush........if it was JUST a ride, I might not have been too thrilled either. I didn't figure he'd let me scare him, but I figured he'd let me get into enough trouble to scare ME if I didn't do it right......the added pressure added to the experience for me.......I WANT to see what AFF feels like.......maybe I'm hoping it is more like short-track racing?

I dunno if that helps.....it's just me.

[hmatousek 0]

I feel the only way to evaluate that situation would be to see the look on your friends face when he:

a) jumped out and...
b) when he landed

I love watching tandems not because of thier fear getting on the plane (like some sick people I know, not mentioning any names ) but for the incredible look on thier face when they are back on the ground. In this sport you cannot hide your true feelings once at the door, they always seem to pop out on your face.

In your friends case I am assuming he was scared but everyone knows what assuming does. Maybe he wasen't but he would be an exception (or extremly narrow minded) to think skydiving was anything close to boring.

Heather

Life doesn't have to be perfect in order to be beautiful!