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LionsGrip

Wisdom for new jumpers

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Hey everyone,

One of the hardest things I find when ever I start anything new is asking the right questions.

I'm a couple weeks away before I start my AFF (waiting on funds) and I was hoping to get some tips from the pro's, but I don't know what to ask.

I figured It would be helpful if the experts could give some guidance on the things they wish they knew/asked when they started.

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They do a pretty good job of feeding you the information you need as you need it. Don't try to look beyond the current jump. I tried that a couple times, though there was no way I'd be ready to accomplish the later jump's objectives in just a couple of jumps, and then found I was able to when I got there.

The one thing I REALLY wish I'd done was get video of my first jump. Would have added another $100 to the jump, but I think it would have been worth it.
I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

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Learn the beer rules. Skydivers are thirsty.

And any advice offered here is worth what you paid for it.

And have your paycheck direct deposited to the dz. This saves you time since all your money will be going there anyway.
50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

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Just listen to your instructors for your first jumps. The following advice is more for when you start having some freedom to make your own choices:

1. Don't try to free-fly all the time. Make sure you take the time to build a solid foundation and master flying on your belly first.

2. Don't buy new gear for a while - buy used. Your first couple of setups won't last you that long, and the money is better spent on jumps anyway.

3. You have an ego and your ego wants to kill you. Don't let it.

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If something doesn't look right, ask your instructor! Even if you're wrong, you'll at least learn WHY you were wrong.

"So many fatalities and injuries are caused by decisions jumpers make before even getting into the aircraft. Skydiving can be safe AND fun at the same time...Honest." - Bill Booth

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Be a student of your gear. Learn it inside and out. Learn how to pack as soon as possible.

Remember that learning also takes place on bad weather days. Listen more than you speak, learn more from instructors and experienced jumpers than you do from your peers that don't do the same.
"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

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If you have any choice in what time of day your jump(s) are scheduled, ask around if there are reliably bad times of the day to jump and avoid those.

I would book a 9AM student jump and get fogged out a few weeks in a row before I figured out that it's always foggy in the morning so it was one of the worst student slots of the day.

Other DZs sometimes have reliably windy conditions in the afternoon or whatever. Find out if anything like that exists at your DZ and plan accordingly.

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Thanks a bunch everyone.

- One thing that saved me a bunch of money already was the "buy used gear first" tip. That along with Highradwarrior informing me that I can't use a full face helmet for AFF stopped me from making a couple big mistakes. I planned on getting some gear first, but it would have been wasted money.

- +1 on the video. I went all out my first jump. Paid for a video and helicopter. It was a blast. It was funny because 1: I felt like an idiot doing the pre jump interview and 2: I was nervous and my one foot would not move. I actually had to pull it out on to the skid. lol.

- I definitely plan on buying a case of brew for everyone when I finish my AFF. I'll be sure to ask who knows the rigger before hand:)

- Freeflying tip is great. I will admit I think about trying the helicopter (if that's what it's called) all the time. You're right about learning the foundation first.

- I'll be sure to ask a tons of questions. Also, be sure to learn and love my gear.

Thanks again everyone. Hopefully this thread will help other new guys and maybe in the future I will be proficient enough to add to the wisdom:)

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my advice is too have a good amount of money set aside to get your a license all your own gear and then some left over for a good amount of jumping. there is other ways to do it but it sucks to be limited on what you can do right after getting your license because you cant afford it. And all the fun really starts once your licensed

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My advice is to relax sometimes let stuff happen, don't try to anticipate everything and prepare. You'll figure some things out differently based on experiences that you have.

Wendy P.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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LionsGrip

Thanks a bunch everyone.

- One thing that saved me a bunch of money already was the "buy used gear first" tip. That along with Highradwarrior informing me that I can't use a full face helmet for AFF stopped me from making a couple big mistakes. I planned on getting some gear first, but it would have been wasted money.

- +1 on the video. I went all out my first jump. Paid for a video and helicopter. It was a blast. It was funny because 1: I felt like an idiot doing the pre jump interview and 2: I was nervous and my one foot would not move. I actually had to pull it out on to the skid. lol.

- I definitely plan on buying a case of brew for everyone when I finish my AFF. I'll be sure to ask who knows the rigger before hand:)

- Freeflying tip is great. I will admit I think about trying the helicopter (if that's what it's called) all the time. You're right about learning the foundation first.

- I'll be sure to ask a tons of questions. Also, be sure to learn and love my gear.

Thanks again everyone. Hopefully this thread will help other new guys and maybe in the future I will be proficient enough to add to the wisdom:)



Leave your Go-Pro in your gear bag for at least a couple hundred jumps.. you do NOT need the distraction( "I hope the camera is on and getting this")...... then acquire very good editing software... and use it to cut out all the extraneous stuff that does not matter. :D

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Skyjumpenfool - No problems there buddy. My first tandem was terror on the way up and nothing but smiles on the way down:)

Tred - I got a good amount saved up for gear. I'm hoping 8k will cover the AFF, A license, Rig, jumpsuit, helmet and altimeter. Anything beyond that and I'm going to have to go Point Break style.

Wendy - Thanks. I'm going to try to not get too caught up with my first solo. I'm fine with tandems I just don't know if that will translate over to solo diving.

Amazon:

Amazon

Leave your Go-Pro in your gear bag for at least a couple hundred jumps.. you do NOT need the distraction( "I hope the camera is on and getting this")...... then acquire very good editing software... and use it to cut out all the extraneous stuff that does not matter. :D



You cheeky bugger:) I'll have you know sir that I use Final Cut Pro X and all the footage I left in my last video was too "prove" I didn't break any traffic laws. Some people were going pretty fast and running red lights. Not saying that was me. It's a work in progress though. I'm getting better little by little:)

Dthames: Will do. I got the hyperlink on my desktop and I'm going through it little by little.

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LionsGrip

Thanks Hillson I will remember that.

Amazon: Heck I'll go to that in a heartbeat. I'm not sure how long it usually takes to get an A license, but can I jump here if I get it in time? I saw a 16 or 32 way jump. Do I need a D license for that?



There are some student jumps done every year at the boogie but if you have your A license completed by then, it'll be easier to be at the boogie. As for how long it takes, well, it takes a minimum of 25 jumps, sometimes more depending on how many it takes you to demonstrate and get signed off on all of the skills on the A license card. With good weather and good health both weekend days jumping every weekend, it wouldn't be that hard to knock it out in a month if you've got the time and funds. If you've got the time there are dropzones that do "A license in a week" programs ("in a week" is of course highly dependent on weather as is everything in this sport). So the answer is ... it depends!

For the 16 to 32 way jumps scheduled for the boogie, I think those are intended for more highly-experienced folks. In general, though you wouldn't need a D license for jumps of that size, they're also not usually recommended till you have quite a bit of post-license experience jumping in smaller groups and gradually building up your skills.

One step at a time! Get the A. If you come to Lost Prairie there's always jumpers with lots of different experience levels and it shouldn't be too hard at all to find people to jump with you wherever you happen to be in your experience at that time.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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Amazon

***Looks like I got a grand left over for the beer monkycndo was suggesting:)


Sean will be there and ready to accept bitch beer (aka-princess pop).

FIFY

On thing about LP, it is at 3500' and can be a bit warm. It can feel like downsizing one size of canopy. If you go, please think about what size gear you will be jumping.
50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

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Do NOT let politics muck up your enjoyment of the sport. I've seen too many people leave the sport because of politics or personality clashes. There are quite a few Type A's in skydiving and occasionally the butting of heads will take place. People are convinced that their's is the only correct way. Remember, it's all about the skydive.

Oh yeah, and MINE is the only correct way. ;-)
Peace,
-Dawson.
http://www.SansSuit.com
The Society for the Advancement of Naked Skydiving

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