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Does your DZ have load organizers?

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My home DZ has highly qualified and experienced load organizers available almost every day of the week. I recently got my A license and plan to take advantage of this opportunity and start jumping with them. The LOs say their service is free. Is it really? I don't see how. All my training up to this point has cost me quite a bit of money. AFF and coaches got tips. Don't the LOs? If so, what is customary per jump? The LOs are crucial for me to be able to jump with other people and actually learn something instead of doing solos by myself. The last thing I want to do is start off on the wrong foot and piss them off by not tipping if I should out of newbie ignorance.

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Every dz I've been to which has LOs (which is basically all of the big ones) offers the service free-of-charge to the jumpers. It's a good thing for the dzs, because it promotes retention. Sometimes the LOs are competition team members doing give-back in return for sponsorship; sometimes they are just older, more experienced jumpers mentoring in a give-back of their own (because people did it for them when THEY were starting out), and often it's a service provided directly by the dz and the LOs are paid by the dz to jump with anyone and everyone who doesn't have a jump-buddy (or who does, but wants to be on something bigger than a 2-way with the same friend all the time). Nowhere I've been so far (including your home dz, which has a heck of an awesome load organizing crew) have the LOs expected any kind of monetary tip. HOWEVER - a case of water or Gatorade or a bucket of snacks to add to the stash in the LO team room is ALWAYS welcome at Perris, and thank-yous are always appreciated. In my early days, I also spent a summer keeping the beer freezer in the manifest hangar at my home dz filled with Otter Pops, and I also bought beer a couple times for the organizers/coaches who had to put up with something particularly outrageous from me. Welcome to the sport!

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RockSkyGirl

Every dz I've been to which has LOs (which is basically all of the big ones) offers the service free-of-charge to the jumpers. It's a good thing for the dzs, because it promotes retention. Sometimes the LOs are competition team members doing give-back in return for sponsorship; sometimes they are just older, more experienced jumpers mentoring in a give-back of their own (because people did it for them when THEY were starting out), and often it's a service provided directly by the dz and the LOs are paid by the dz to jump with anyone and everyone who doesn't have a jump-buddy (or who does, but wants to be on something bigger than a 2-way with the same friend all the time). Nowhere I've been so far (including your home dz, which has a heck of an awesome load organizing crew) have the LOs expected any kind of monetary tip. HOWEVER - a case of water or Gatorade or a bucket of snacks to add to the stash in the LO team room is ALWAYS welcome at Perris, and thank-yous are always appreciated. In my early days, I also spent a summer keeping the beer freezer in the manifest hangar at my home dz filled with Otter Pops, and I also bought beer a couple times for the organizers/coaches who had to put up with something particularly outrageous from me. Welcome to the sport!



Great information - thank you!

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LOs at large DZs are typically getting free jumps and maybe some compensation. I've never tipped one personally.

Our DZ offers organizing on Saturdays to low time jumpers learning to belly fly. We used to have a belly organizer for the experienced people, but a car wreck claimed his life a couple of years ago, so we've been self-organizing since. It hasn't been quite as good. [:/]

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