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aguila

skydivers voluntarily quitting the sport?

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Never met a runner with a femur fracture from running...



I agree with your points Doc, just made me think of Krista DuChene who placed third in the Canadian Half Marathon finishing with a broken femur.

[url]http://www.cbc.ca/asithappens/features/2014/04/29/brantford-runner/***

That is one tough lady!

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Pretty cool read, looks like things haven't changed much in 7 years. Im in my 11th year and I get the, " I don't feel like jumping today" thing mid season. I think I will be a lifer because Im not full tilt all about skydiving. I get out a few times a month and get as many as I can while im out but I don't blow off the rest of my life to do it. I try not to burn myself out and if I do I take a few weekend's off. Im never going to be a 20,000 jump swoopalicious world headown record holder, but its a hobby and I still enjoy it. I do about 100-125 jumps a season and take the winter to miss the sport and look forward to the beginning of the season. 99.9% of my jumps a fun jumps and don't need to work at the DZ to pay for jumps so its still a hobby and not a job. Its an expensive sport and not everyone can do it, im lucky I can do it for fun.
HELLFISH 429
POPS 11113

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Over the long haul, Few stay.
Family: Jumpers depart when family commitments dictate. Dead jumpers don't make good parents.
Work: some professions forbid risk sports such as football, baseball.... I was fired by Hunt Wesson Foods for skydiving
Money: In college I could afford to either a) eat; b) jump; c) Party.
Health: major illness like MS or polio; injury
Fun: There isno attraction to skydiving when it quits being fun
Age: If you live long enough the aging process will degrade your strength, thinking; coordination;reactions. You are old enough to know the risks of senile skydiving and smart enough to stand down.
Pat Works nee Madden Travis Works, Jr .B1575, C1798, D1813, Star Crest Solo#1, USPA#189,

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patworks

Over the long haul, Few stay.
Family: Jumpers depart when family commitments dictate. Dead jumpers don't make good parents.
Work: some professions forbid risk sports such as football, baseball.... I was fired by Hunt Wesson Foods for skydiving
Money: In college I could afford to either a) eat; b) jump; c) Party.
Health: major illness like MS or polio; injury
Fun: There isno attraction to skydiving when it quits being fun
Age: If you live long enough the aging process will degrade your strength, thinking; coordination;reactions. You are old enough to know the risks of senile skydiving and smart enough to stand down.



patworks........after reading your post a few times to glean knowledge, I thought "yes, very clear advice and it makes perfect sense." Then while grilling salmon this eve, your last paragraph kept hauntingly bouncing around in my brain cavity. I get the first part about the human body breaking down. But the last sentence has me a little baffled, although on the surface it seems clear? I guess I've never met a senile person that expressed to me they knew they were senile. So is that jumper that I keep seeing in my "wanting to deploy zone" whom I can't shake while tracking away from a big-way and being pushed lower than I want, senile, or just having a bad day? How can you tell if said skydiver is senile? Heck, how do I know if I'm a senile jumper? How would one personally gauge such a thing?
If you didn't know you were senile, how could you be" smart enough to stand down?" Also, carrying this concept into other pursuits, how would you know it's time to quit riding motorcycles. piloting boats, hunting the high country solo, etc.?
I'm not trying to be a smart ass here, or in any way argumentative. I just would like to know your thoughts on how you could tell if another skydiver, or yourself is/or becoming senile.
Thanks for the insights.

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... thoughts on how you could tell if another skydiver, or yourself is/or becoming senile.



Senility/Dementia - brain diseases causing a decrease in the ability to think and remember

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Senility is relative and progressive. Perception of self senility and knowing where you are on a brain rot scale likely varies. However, to avoid injury or death, participants in risk sports must access multiple factors: Some environmental and others internal.

Surviving participants do a internal systems check prior to risk action. You recognize when you are too fucked up to skydive, drive a race car, or ferry passengers, etc. For example, you've probably jumped after a few beers but you won't jump really wasted. Also, friends won't let friends dive drunk. You may jump with a cold or flu but you won't go up if you are so sick you can't think straight.

Humans access situational risks prior to taking the chance. That thoughtful consideration is probably wired into your genes else your sort will be culled from the heard. I.E.,one looks before leaping else dies young.

So, awareness of senility is not required. On the other hand, Awareness of impaired function is mandatory. Of course, luck may save your dumb ass.



Pat Works has More lives than two cats

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I guess that you aren't a tourist in the sport anymore?
Haha, apologies for digging up this 8 years old comment.
Dreaming for 6 years of skydiving, and after getting my AFF, I regretted waiting for so long!
To everyone over there, stop dreaming and start doing.
Blue Skies!!!

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PhreeZone

Lots. People burn out of the sport, of the politics, of attending funerals of their friends. The average life of a jumper was about 3 years, 150 jumps accourding to the USPA a few years back. There is a second group that lasted about 6 years if I remember right. There are not many people that last more then 10 years in the sport and are still jumping.

There is a saying " Until you've been jumping 10 years you are a tourist in the sport". Most people never make it to half that time. I hope to become more then a tourist one day.




I'm chronically repulsed by the egos i come across in the sport, as well as the ego in myself that takes over from time to time. I want to stay as close to the simple freedom and joy this sport initially opened my eyes to. I've strayed from that in the last few years, and i want nothing more than to forget about the god damn fucking bullshit and get back to the freedom again.

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I can't understand why people lose enjoyment at 200-300 jumps. There is so much more to do, so much more to learn.

After 1000-2000, whole different story.
You've swooped your pond, you've done decent sized formation, flown wingsuit, turned couple points, you can fly in all axis, ect.

Progression is the funnest part imo. After that it is same shit over and over again for 25 bucks.
Bernie Sanders for President 2016

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stayhigh



Progression is the funnest part imo. After that it is same shit over and over again for 25 bucks.



If I hadn't started getting instructional ratings and working with students, I'd have quit long ago. I'm a bit of a parasite as an instructor, I feed from the excitement and enjoyment of my students. I love sharing in their fun and excitement.

It does amaze me when I meet the rare skydiver who's been in the sport for many years, has 2000 or more jumps, and has never been an instructor.

Martin
Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else.

AC DZ

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After 38 years in the sport I get tired of DZ politics and having to drive 90 minutes to make a few jumps.

But I still love flying my wingsuit in a good tight formation.

So I have been off most of this sat year while my wife recovers from a knee replacement and a new business gets launched. But I will be jumping again soon as it warms up a bit.

As for hanging it up all together ...

Would have to be something more interesting and another air sport.
Working to be the last flyer on a birdman suit. ;-)
...
Who also flies a tony suit.

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I drifted out of the sport after about 6 or 7 years.

I never considered myself a non-jumper, my rig was in the closet but moving location, family commitments, combined with small obstacles like needing a repack with no rigger (meaning a drive to the DZ would not get me the immediate satisfaction of a jump but would mean I could jump a month later), conspired to discourage me from participating.

I'd probably have drifted away sooner if it wasn't for the Load Organizers at Perris keeping it interesting before this. Unless you're doing something novel, even skydiving gets repetitive and a bit stale.

Anyway, I recently got back to jumping and there have been a few additional unanticipated obstacles, but they're getting eliminated.

Anyway, you can quit passively through simple lack of interest and activity in the sport without being pressured by anyone and without making a conscious decision to quit the sport. There are lots of choices on a weekend with what to do with your time, when Skydiving becomes stale, and crosses some threshold of crap you have to deal with to get it done it can fall well down your list of priorities.

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jumpwally

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,are you still jumpin' ?


(yeah, I know this wasn't directed at me, but after reading some other recent posts....)

My story is much like many others'. Moved for work for three years, and thought about committing to a hiatus -- but leaving my rig behind and KNOWING I wouldn't be able to jump was killing me. Got three jumps in three years, and am again not current. [:/]

However, I'm nowhere near ready to sell my rig and give it up. Just gotta get a long weekend when I can go home and get several jumps in, then I'll start skydiving closer to my current location.

How my story is different -- if you're getting bored, especially if you've been competing (or thought about it AT ALL), consider becoming a judge. There's more to this sport that just being the one departing the plane in flight! I may not have been jumping much during the past few years, but I've still been involved in the sport quite heavily by judging. It's also a great option to consider if you're recovering from a health issue, or taking a break to have/raise children.

It's probably what keeps me determined to get back in the sky!
See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

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yeah me just did not fit in. Did ok with jumps but folk took a set against me cause I happened to have an opinion. It was fun but nil interest in ever doing it again particulary at my last DZ (skydive nagambie)

For me it appears to me a single persons sport. The amount of money it cost and time it consumed I do not know how one can maintain a decent marriage (unless married to a jumper). Selfish to spend that much money when one has a wife and kids. Nothing to show for it except memories and the odd video.

What finished it off for me was I got pearl harbored from by CI (banned for asking too many questions) it was the best of times and the worst of times ) Still supporting skyhooks
I tend to be a bit different. enjoyed my time in the sport or is it an industry these days ??

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2shay

Maybe. Betting on no though, I am very stubborn on stuff like that. Have quite a bit more jumps than your guess. What I posted may have seen like a negative spin on things and that was NOT my intention there, but damn those people get under my skin and I have seen quite a few of these same people being routine safety hazards. i just believe the more you jump the more you will learn and you will become that much more safe, potentially. Whole different thread though.



License D-1 belongs to Lew Sanborn. If that's you Lew--you flew a Norseman on my first static line jump.

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