Skydiving in Costa Rica...got a lead.

[GrumpySmurf 0]

Noticed I wasn't the only person who asked about this on the forum.
G/f managed to track down the group for me tonight in San Jose, CR and found the following:
Seems there is a group operating out of somewhere near Esterillos on the Pacific Coast, flies a C-206, 8 core divers (ages running between 35 and 50, jump numbers hovering around 300 to 500), they teach S/L progression - trying to bring the sport to the region. Lift tickets are astronomically high (around $40 US) due to high plane costs (anything that has a internal combustion engine is going to cost you an arm and a leg in Costa Rica - you don't want to the know the automotive taxes on car purchases - like 60 to 80%!!!). Seems they follow the norm of students first priority on loads. Landings are normally on the beach. Not an FAI affliate member DZ. They normally run loads once every two weeks to a month. They seemed cool with me showing up. So I will be swinging down to the country the week after next with woman to visit her family and will try heading out to the coast to track these folk down, follow up and (hopefully pics) to follow.

[ojf1982 0]

I occassionally go to Costa Rica at least twice a year for business. Do you have a contact number you can give me so next time im there ill give them a call?
Omar B-24801

[GrumpySmurf 0]

Hmm, I posted a reply this morning and it never showed up - odd. Oh well.
Chi-Li (g/f) has all the contact info, she has pretty much taken care of everything thus far...
It seems the 'manifest chick' they have has only done 3 S/L jumps in her life so the concepts of 'have own gear' and 'fun jumper' seemed a bit beyond her - I guess they don't many, if any, non-Ticos. I want to have a little tete-a-tete with the DZO(s) on thier opinion on fun jumpers to make sure they are kosher with me posting the contact info - just in case they have a Skydive Las Vegas opinion of outsiders - never can be too sure - though I don't see how publicity could hurt them.
I was thinking if you could pull together a 182, a pilot, and 2 Tandem instructors, you could make a relative mint in the interior country next to the zip-line tours, the bungee jumping bridges, and white water rafting from all the Canuck and Yank tourists - zip through the trees, jump off a bridge, run a river, and launch out of a plane, all in one weekend. On the off days, you could offer flying sight seeing tours or something?
Will be back on the 18th, will post results then.

[SkyDekker 1,150]

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zip through the trees, jump off a bridge, run a river, and launch out of a plane, all in one weekend

Now there is a business idea..... Maybe I should move to Costa Rica........
SkyDekker
"We cannot do great things, only small things with great love" Mother Theresa

[freeflir29 0]

"Maybe I should move to Costa Rica........"
I'm there dude! How much do we need to start up?
"It's the cans..they're defective. Stay away from the cans"-Steve Martin
Clay

[ojf1982 0]

2 years ago I went white water rafting and bungee jumped 3 times off the bridge at La Naranja outside of San Jose, Alajuela. That was an awesome weekend.
Omar B-24801

[GrumpySmurf 0]

I'm guessing the white water trip involved running the Pacuare from Tres Equis? G/f and I did it last spring (she can't swim - I realized when someone says, "I can't swim" - it really means, "I'm scared to death of water, and no matter how big the life vest, I am going to panic the moment I hit said water." Opps. ).
I know there is a 16 mile or so Class V river section (during the dry season of all times??) that one company runs, but can't seem to find it - though woman said I will be doing this one alone - she is more willing to jump off a bridge than run another river. I can arrange that - if it doesn't involve a waiver, it ain't fun.
La Naranja huh?
Would you recommend them?

[SkyDekker 1,150]

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How much do we need to start up?

Can't be that much....Couple of rubber bands for the bungee jumping....a plane and some chutes.....
On a serious note, what a place to start and all out adventure company...skydiving, sight seeing tours, bungee jumping, white water rafting, cables through the jungle...all from the same spot. This could be interesting.......
SkyDekker
"We cannot do great things, only small things with great love" Mother Theresa

[freeflir29 0]

and probably a fair bit of security contracting for me in that area....."It's the cans..they're defective. Stay away from the cans"-Steve Martin
Clay

[GrumpySmurf 0]

It's exactly what g/f wants to do - start an Adventure Tourism Company there - sort of her life longer dream - with all the contacts she has in the travel industry in Costa Rica (she works for United Airlines and seems to know everybody even remotely related to travel in the country) - I honestly think she could pull it off. Either that - or partner with the other adrenelin junkie places and have an arrangement to promote each other to customers - much like hotels and sighseeing tours do there.
The biggest costs are going to be a jun(k/p)ship - looking at about 50 to 60K on a 1960 to 1970 era 182 (to run 2 tandems per load - or if you get real adventurous, introduce an AFP like program with 1 j/m AFF after a pair of tandems - that way you can put out 2 students per load as well), you're gonna need a pilot, 2 tandem/(AFF instructors - you could get away with SL/IAD folk if you really wanted to attract the local population into the sport) who can speak both English and Spanish, and who don't mind working for peanuts (cause there won't be much return on investment for a LONG time) - need 4 tandem rigs for quick turnaround, assume 4 to 6K per tandem rig (I'm guessing here) - if you want to do real student training, factor in all the rigs for students as well at 3 to 4 K each - have one packer, who is gonna need S/R rigger ticket as well, since ya don't wanna be shipping rigs to another country to get reserves repacked. And one cute chick for manifest - and if she can be qualified to teach the tandem class (and FJC, if needed), that owuld be best - you are set. Then you need land - somewhere near where your partner operations are gonna be (the bungee jumping, the rafting, etc) - then you need to clear cut it to place down a field - land costs in Costa Rica are about the same as the US it seems, and you will probably need to pring a pretty big cash 'present' to the local gov't to allow you to tear apart part of the rainforest. With all this said and done I think the real killer is gonna be fuel - since fuel costs in Costa Rica are relative murder.
Just thoughts.

[freeflir29 0]

So....we just need to become International Drug smugglers/Central American Warlords and we're in!!! Piece a Cake!!! Seems to have worked for several people in the Skydiving business.
"Houston? That place is full of Crack heads and debutantes."- Hank Hill
Clay

[SkyDekker 1,150]

hey clay,

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International Drug smugglers/Central American Warlords

Anyway you can still get in touch with Spectre (whatever his name was) I am sure he can help us out here, He seemed to know everything relating to this kind of stuff......
Bwwaahahahhahahha SkyDekker
"We cannot do great things, only small things with great love" Mother Theresa

[GrumpySmurf 0]

Sounds like a plan for when things slow down in the rainy season ;)
Seems anything is legal in that country, if you have enough money.

[freeflir29 0]

"Sounds like a plan for when things slow down in the rainy season"
"We must defeat the rebels before the rainy season and a shiny new donkey for the man that brings me the head of the rebel commander."-Mr Burns/Simpsons
"Umm...Sir...Your at the power plant"-Smithers
"Ohhhh"-Mr Burns
"Houston? That place is full of Crack heads and debutantes."- Hank Hill
Clay

[ojf1982 0]

If my memory serves me right, the name of the bridge is El Puente Viejo de Colorado in La Naranja (i think i am not 100% for sure. YEs i recommend them. Youll llike if u have bunejee jumped yet.
Omar B-24801