AFF Category H-e-Double Hockey Sticks...and flagging confidence

[frogerina 0]

So I am working my way through AFF, with hopes of getting to A license before it gets too cold this season. Just gave Cat H (swooping/docking/tracking) a first try last weekend...and am soooo frustrated. I fall super super slow (a planeful of instructors offered to hypnotize me to think I was an anvil! -- worth a try) and my tracking speed is not great, either. I'm a tall skinny girl. Found the smallest of the student jumpsuits, and I swear that "arch!" is becoming a new 4-letter word in my world. Add to that that I've managed to exit the plane in a variety of exit positions taught -- and done each exit type both stable...and unstable. If I tumble, I correct it quickly, but that burns altitude, and is so frustrating -- still analyzing with my coaches why sometimes the exit is gorgeous, and sometimes it's a mess.

And so now that mess is messing with my head a bit -- people who've said that skydiving is more mental than physical weren't kidding.

I'll be back up at the DZ again this weekend...but I fear the coaches are going to start running away when they see my name on the board. They are amazingly skilled, incredibly patient and positive people...but I'm starting to feel like the class dunce.

Anybody willing to share some stories from your training time? Not sure where I fall in the continuum of student here....(the guys are still willing to get in a plane with me...so that's something!) And I need to shut up the devil on my shoulder who's telling me I can't do this...maybe I should throw those naysaying thoughts out as soon as the door opens...but wow...

[Cmp0806 0]

Hi Frogerina,

My tip, find an instructor/coach who also has a small frame and have them go over ways to fall faster. People who've never really had to work to go fast aren't going to be nearly as helpful. There's much more to it than just arching!

Don't be frustrated! No one was a pro at your jump number level; your coaches don't expect you to be either. Remember to SMILE and LAUGH! Try sticking your tongue out at your coach and making funny faces at them. While it's important to remember the goals of a skydive (especially altitude awareness at all times), relaxing and having fun is a huge key as well!

[BigMikeH77 0]

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Just gave Cat H (swooping/docking/tracking) a first try last weekend...and am soooo frustrated.

Give yourself some credit. Not only are you jumping out of a plane, you are now trying to catch up with the nutcase who jumped before you, maintain your stability and altitude/situational awareness, and convince yourself that this is FUN!

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I fall super super slow (a planeful of instructors offered to hypnotize me to think I was an anvil! -- worth a try) and my tracking speed is not great, either. I'm a tall skinny girl. Found the smallest of the student jumpsuits, and I swear that "arch!" is becoming a new 4-letter word in my world.

I am on the opposite side of the spectrum, as are a few of my jumping buddies. We fall like greased safes. I wear a loose and big jumpsuit, and during my AFF and coaching my instructors/coaches were usually sure to wear tight, slick jumpsuits or no jumpsuit at all. Sometimes I would get as big as I could to slow my fall rate and it still wasn't enough.

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Add to that that I've managed to exit the plane in a variety of exit positions taught -- and done each exit type both stable...and unstable. If I tumble, I correct it quickly, but that burns altitude, and is so frustrating -- still analyzing with my coaches why sometimes the exit is gorgeous, and sometimes it's a mess.

Again, give yourself some credit. On my very first jump I managed to lose both my instructors. In my very short time in the sport I've pulled off exits that I consider to be glorious, and some that are just atrocious by anyone's standard. Hang in there and keep at it. Brian Germain always says to breathe slowly, relax your muscles, and smile. It works, honestly. You're probably still dealing with door fear and that combined with the mental drilling of the dive flow, EP's, etc., can be a lot to handle. Different body positions burn altitude at different rates - you're learning this, and that's a good thing!

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I'll be back up at the DZ again this weekend...

That's the spirit!

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but I fear the coaches are going to start running away when they see my name on the board. They are amazingly skilled, incredibly patient and positive people...but I'm starting to feel like the class dunce.

You'd be hard pressed to find ANYONE here or at any DZ who at one point or another didn't feel the same way I think that coaches and instructors are much more wary of a student that thinks they already have the mad skillz than one who knows what they need to work on and has the sense to ask for help in those areas.

I postulate that you're probably not as "bad" of a student skydiver as you think. Talk to your instructors, ask lots of questions, practice, visualize, RELAX.. AFF is a journey, not a destination.

[mrubin 0]

frogerina

Add to that that I've managed to exit the plane in a variety of exit positions taught -- and done each exit type both stable...and unstable. If I tumble, I correct it quickly, but that burns altitude, and is so frustrating -- still analyzing with my coaches why sometimes the exit is gorgeous, and sometimes it's a mess.

When you're visualizing the skydive, remember to visualize the exit as well. I usually visualize what I'm going to do in slow motion and focus on the key things I need to do to exit stable.

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And so now that mess is messing with my head a bit -- people who've said that skydiving is more mental than physical weren't kidding.

If you feel like you're getting burnt out on the swoop and docks, talk to your instructor about doing a jump with different goals. Maybe something that you've done well in previous jumps. Sometimes we just need to boost our confidence to get that next task done.

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I fear the coaches are going to start running away when they see my name on the board. They are amazingly skilled, incredibly patient and positive people...but I'm starting to feel like the class dunce.

In my very limited experience as a coach, I've found that the students who doubt themselves are a lot easier and a lot more fun to work with than the students that think they've gotten it all figured out. They are often a lot better than they think they are, are actively trying to learn and improve, and have the best reactions when they achieve their goals (seeing this is my favorite part).

So cut yourself some slack. Remember that with 14 jumps, you have less than 15 minutes of freefall time. Think how much you've learned and accomplished in that 15 minutes. Breathe, relax, have fun, and stay safe.

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

[grandmaster95 0]

I don't know how much help I will be, because I'm just a few jumps ahead of you, but here is what I did.

I worked on my swoop and dock last weekend while I was at the dropzone, talk about fun. I'm tall and skinny as well, plus I have poor flexability, so my fall rate is slower than most of the coaches I have jumped with as well.

If you can, start with a linked exit and dock. Then work with your coach on matching their freefall speed by slowly letting go and staying together. Have the coach move back, then you go forward and dock.

Once you've got that move on to a poised exit. Get to your coaches level with their help and dock. Chances are you'll be 100ft away unless you both have a perfectly timed exit.

Then on your next jump have the coach leave a split second before you (they will give the count) and you do a diving exit. Because you're lighter and fall slower, plust them exiting before you, you'll be above them. Try diving for them instead of just arching. Bring your hands/arms slightly behind you like you're going to track, but you'll be slighlty more head down.

Remember, it's most important to match the fall rate before trying to dock. Don't try do them both at once in the beginning, it will just cause you to be unstable. At this point you should be able to dock without any assitance from your coach.

Again, there are probably many 'right' ways to do it. This is just what I did last weekend and it worked great for me. Plus, if you aren't stressing about what you have to do, and you just do it. You'll realize how much fun it is and you'll stay more relaxed.

Like everyone else has said. Give yourself some credit. Everyone picks it up at a different place. With -15 minutes of freefall time you can't expect to be perfect. Just like you can't practice basketball for 15 minutes and go to the WNBA/NBA

Good luck and let us know what works for you. :)

Turn to the storm and say, "Give your worst, and I shall give my best."

[RiggerLee 61]

It can be tuff for long skinny low ballistic coeficent types to fall fast. Once you learn to fly I think you'll have more range then a lot of skydivers. It can be a great advantage. Eventually you may want to look at a weight belt to help put you more in the middle of your range and make it more comfortable for you.

I'll be the first to tell you that it shouldn't be the first solution. A tight jump suit, a decent fitting rig, and a little practice will take you a long way. You don't want to make your self dependent on a crutch to correct for body position and flight. Besides tall leggy girls look good in skin tight jump suits. It will make it much easier to get on loads. When the time comes give me a call and we'll set you up with a sweet weight belt that will help put more mid range in your fall rate.

Lee
512 772 4293

Lee
[email protected]
www.velocitysportswear.com

[wicodefly 0]

Don't listen to me. I'm a total noob!

Anyway, what I did was I told my instructors to stop talking to me on the way up and to just chill. Then I started having fun.

Before that I'd get people telling me all sorts of stuff and it would just make my brain start racing. Relaxing, and an eyes closed/deep breaths jump exercise (that a very skilled instructor did with me, where I exited the aircraft with my eyes closed and took three deep breaths before opening my eyes in free fall --- scary to say the least) helped me get it.

I'm also on the opposite side. I fall like a rock in a slick jumpsuit and everyone has trouble catching up with me. I am still working on fall rate control and trying different suits.

You'll get there!!

Blue skies!

Chance favors the prepared mind.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

I had the opposite problem -- fell like a bat out of hell all through AFF. My record with coach jumps went like this:

Me: I fall REALLY fast...
Coach: Don't worry I can keep up!

Then I'd make my exit and never see him again.

So my A checkout dive rolls around and the instructor (Who I don't think I'd met up until that point) insists I do a swoop and dock. Not having a lot of confidence I tell him "I fall REALLY Fast..." and you know somehow that guy managed to keep up! I'm sure the expression on my face when we docked up was priceless. I've seen that same expression on other fairly new skydivers when I've jumped with them.

You've got 14 jumps, there's a lot you still don't know, but you've already proved you can do this. You know you can get out of the plane, be stable, keep an eye on your altitude and deploy your parachute. That's all you ever really need to do! Everything else is just frosting. Delicious, delicious frosting. You might have to practice some things more, but you should also be better at some things, too. You WILL learn how to fall faster. I had no range at that point in my skydiving career either. I just went down real fast. Now I have a 50 mile per hour spread. I can fall in the mid 120s if I work at it. I can blow by someone at 170+ as well. That's something I had to learn -- I didn't just start out being able to do that.

Your exits will get better too. I never actually had a really stable one until after I got my A license. Coaches always wanted to do linked exits with me, so I didn't get a lot of chances to practice solo ones. Once it clicks, it's easy.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[davelepka 4]

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I fall super super slow (a planeful of instructors offered to hypnotize me to think I was an anvil! Wink -- worth a try) and my tracking speed is not great, either. I'm a tall skinny girl. Found the smallest of the student jumpsuits, and I swear that "arch!" is becoming a new 4-letter word in my world.

Speak to the DZO or head instructor about this. You will do jumps where you work on fall rate, floating and sinking to match the fall rate of the coach, but on all other jumps it's the job of the coach/instructor to match your fall rate.

For example, swooping/docking is 100% easier when the target is falling at your 'natural' fall rate, that being the speed you fall when you are in a comfortable arch. You should not be fighting to keep up with your targets fall rate as well as swooping and docking, it's just not fair to you.

Work with the staff and find someone who can match your natural fall rate, and then jump with that person as much as possible. Moving forward, being tall and skinny, you will need to take steps to better match the 'average' fall rate at your DZ so you can jump with the other fun jumpers. You can talk to other lightweights, and get some tips on falling faster. You will need a tight, nylon front jumpsuit, and you will probably have to wear weights, however, all of that comes after your primary training. During your AFF and coach jumps, your paid skydiving professional should be working to match you, not the other way around.

[fanya 3]

I am 6'3 and was 140lbs when I did aff, my instructors hated me.

Also, I have a RiggerLee weight belt and it's amazing, best I've ever tried on.

[PixieUK 0]

frogerina

Just gave Cat H (swooping/docking/tracking) a first try last weekend...and am soooo frustrated. I fall super super slow (a planeful of instructors offered to hypnotize me to think I was an anvil! -- worth a try) and my tracking speed is not great, either. I'm a tall skinny girl. Found the smallest of the student jumpsuits, and I swear that "arch!" is becoming a new 4-letter word in my world.

I haven't tried docking yet, but can relate to the tall skinny girl bit - and one of my instructors made me wear a weight belt to speed me up a bit. Being a total newbie too, the only thing I can suggest is to take big deep breaths and smile, to try and relax you. It was very noticeable in the tunnel that as soon as I tensed up, I shot up in the air (ie decreased my fall rate) and when I relaxed into my arch, I came back down (ie increased the rate again).

Maybe talk to your coaches about aerodynamics and how the wind flows past you as well - they may be able to correct your posture to help (eg knees closer together or arms in a different position).

Just a thought - do you have any female coaches at your dz? They may find it easier to match your fall rate whilst you're still learning

A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

IF YOU KEEP AT IT, IT WILL COME(apologies to "Field of Dreams")

You are a human, not a bird. None of your instincts will help you with this, you have to learn it.

And you can and will learn it, if you keep going. Really.

I was horrible at first. Really bad (not as bad as Wendy, but pretty bad nonetheless).
But I refused to give up.

I found out later that I was this close (holds thumb and forefinger a fraction of an inch apart) to getting the "Bowling speech." But I kept at it.

And I got better. Not world class, not ever "really good." But I can fly well enough to do decent 4 way fun jumps.

As long as you have a good attitude and are willing to try (and are not being a danger to yourself or others) , you will not scare off the coaches and instructors. There are more than a few out there that consider students like you a challenge.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[dthames 0]

frogerina

So I am working my way through AFF, with hopes of getting to A license before it gets too cold this season. Just gave Cat H (swooping/docking/tracking) a first try last weekend...and am soooo frustrated. I fall super super slow (a planeful of instructors offered to hypnotize me to think I was an anvil! -- worth a try) and my tracking speed is not great, either. I'm a tall skinny girl. Found the smallest of the student jumpsuits, and I swear that "arch!" is becoming a new 4-letter word in my world. Add to that that I've managed to exit the plane in a variety of exit positions taught -- and done each exit type both stable...and unstable. If I tumble, I correct it quickly, but that burns altitude, and is so frustrating -- still analyzing with my coaches why sometimes the exit is gorgeous, and sometimes it's a mess.

And so now that mess is messing with my head a bit -- people who've said that skydiving is more mental than physical weren't kidding.

I'll be back up at the DZ again this weekend...but I fear the coaches are going to start running away when they see my name on the board. They are amazingly skilled, incredibly patient and positive people...but I'm starting to feel like the class dunce.

Anybody willing to share some stories from your training time? Not sure where I fall in the continuum of student here....(the guys are still willing to get in a plane with me...so that's something!) And I need to shut up the devil on my shoulder who's telling me I can't do this...maybe I should throw those naysaying thoughts out as soon as the door opens...but wow...

I was slow but not "real slow" in my fall rate. A suit with a little drag helped me be more stable but also slowed me down. Put on a fast slick suit and my stability suffered. But I fell faster. The stability got better with practice.

Someone suggested practice with someone that is in your fall rate range, which is great. I often had the chance to practice solo or not jump at all (C-182 tandem-ish DZ). For unrelated reasons I purchased a Flysight GPS unit. One day I was planning a solo practice jump and I set the Flysight on vertical speed mode. With earbuds I could hear a tone that represented my fall rate. WOW, in 15 seconds I learned a lot about speeding myself up. Every change in body position, I could tell if it helped or not.

I know some think students don't need to have gadgets, but the Flysight has helped me in many different aspects of my skydiving.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[dkvkb 2]

There were so many encouraging posts in my "so this is why....". You might read some of them. Also, someone posted a link to a girl's log when she first started & she had a difficult time, but stayed with it & now competes. I'll try to repost that. So exciting to hear of your determination & progress!

[nigel99 143]

RiggerLee

It can be tuff for long skinny low ballistic coeficent types to fall fast. Once you learn to fly I think you'll have more range then a lot of skydivers. It can be a great advantage. Eventually you may want to look at a weight belt to help put you more in the middle of your range and make it more comfortable for you.

I'll be the first to tell you that it shouldn't be the first solution. A tight jump suit, a decent fitting rig, and a little practice will take you a long way. You don't want to make your self dependent on a crutch to correct for body position and flight. Besides tall leggy girls look good in skin tight jump suits. It will make it much easier to get on loads. When the time comes give me a call and we'll set you up with a sweet weight belt that will help put more mid range in your fall rate.

Lee
512 772 4293

I believe in the right tool for the job. So as you so first step is a suitable jumpsuit, and proper body position. I think too many people try and use the arch as the only 'fix'.

I like weightbelts, but am not entirely sure how soon they should become a tool. My gut tells me that pre A license they should only be used in exceptional circumstances. Would be interested in your thoughts?

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[DrDom 0]

Coaches do this because they enjoy teaching. Maybe some students are more difficult than others, but most people I've met that coach love a challenge because taking someone hard to train and teaching them is SO much more rewarding than just watching someone who "gets it".

Don't fret, you are doing something so incredibly abnormal for a human being that having an expectation of immediate proficiency is pretty rough on yourself.

Are there any instructors more your build size? You put on a nice fitted suit and they can baggy it up a bit and maybe make it work?

arch IS a 4-letter word, but not a bad one :) The fact that if you tumble you can regain stability is a good thing. You can always do some wind tunnel time to work on fall rate control, though it wont help with exit at all.

Remember that you are doing this for fun and learning, and frustration should make you work harder and want it more, not discourage you.

You are not the contents of your wallet.

[frogerina 0]

So I guess I get some more "thinking time." Waited hours for skies to clear yesterday after a huge soaking rain. Made it onto the plane with my coach...and the post-storm winds gusted to 25 MPH...so students rode back down. (My second round trip plane ride...first was on my Cat A jump...also for winds.) It was too late to get on another load yesterday. My coach was bummed we didn't get to jump. Me...I was okay to ride down. What's with that? (Did spend some quality time observing what 3500 feet AGL looks like, as I still need to to the low hop and pop...)

Drove up there again this morning. Again, winds were a little flaky, with some interesting gusts on the AWOS...and I realized that I really wasn't in a great place to jump today -- as I pondered in the parking lot, watching a couple off (but safe) landings, I realized I just need to take a break -- I've been so focused on MUST-get-A-license-before-end-of-season, that I'm just sort of plowing through...better to go a little slower and remember the fun aspects, to not try to cram more jumps in just in the name of getting it done, rather than thinking and learning. Also not sure how I feel about the potential for another round trip flight...as the gusts were interesting...not to mention hoping not to have to perfect shopping for an "out" if the winds were playful.

So I turned around. Not because I was scared, but because I wasn't ready to skydive. Not today. I think I need to go back up on a less busy day and maybe do a jump just focusing on the fundamentals and fun without trying to figure out all this new material and rush to pass another level. (Still need to get to my 25 jumps anyway...).

I did work with a great rigger this week on packing, and he was a sweetie and lent me one of his parachutes to practice on at home. I went from total confused mess to a pretty decent (well, at least understood and in the D-bag) pack job over a few days. So I count that as a win in my skydiving education.

I know a lot of folks just push through if they are feeling waffle-y about jumping. I think I needed to step back and take a deep breath. I hope I made the right decision today.

[DrDom 0]

frogerina

So I guess I get some more "thinking time." Waited hours for skies to clear yesterday after a huge soaking rain. Made it onto the plane with my coach...and the post-storm winds gusted to 25 MPH...so students rode back down. (My second round trip plane ride...first was on my Cat A jump...also for winds.) It was too late to get on another load yesterday. My coach was bummed we didn't get to jump. Me...I was okay to ride down. What's with that? (Did spend some quality time observing what 3500 feet AGL looks like, as I still need to to the low hop and pop...)

Drove up there again this morning. Again, winds were a little flaky, with some interesting gusts on the AWOS...and I realized that I really wasn't in a great place to jump today -- as I pondered in the parking lot, watching a couple off (but safe) landings, I realized I just need to take a break -- I've been so focused on MUST-get-A-license-before-end-of-season, that I'm just sort of plowing through...better to go a little slower and remember the fun aspects, to not try to cram more jumps in just in the name of getting it done, rather than thinking and learning.

So I turned around. Not because I was scared, but because I wasn't ready to skydive. Not today. I think I need to go back up on a less busy day and maybe do a jump just focusing on the fundamentals and fun without trying to figure out all this new material and rush to pass another level. (Still need to get to my 25 jumps anyway...).

I did work with a great rigger this week on packing, and he was a sweetie and lent me one of his parachutes to practice on at home. I went from total confused mess to a pretty decent (well, at least understood and in the D-bag) pack job over a few days. So I count that as a win in my skydiving education.

I know a lot of folks just push through if they are feeling waffle-y about jumping. I think I needed to step back and take a deep breath. I hope I made the right decision today.

I'm less experienced than you, but I remember well talking to a friend (who just got his D license I believe) and he said "The bravest person at the DZ is the first one to say he/she won't jump". Being able to express that you aren't comfortable at that moment may save your life or at least a bad landing. You're doing this for fun, not for employment, saving your life, or competition. Do it at YOUR pace. Don't rush it, but instead embrace the experience. You'll only be an AFF student once.

If you're worried about currency... Arizona, Florida, and most of Cali jump all year... maybe a vacation is in order ;)

You're in category H, and I'm about to do my B jump. Therefore, I look at your experience and am impressed. You have progressed! Be proud of that, but if you're not feeling like diving, don't dive! If I don't feel like riding a bicycle, I do something else. Why is it so different? Smile, you're LIVING your life while the rest of the world is sitting around wondering why people would even jump out of a plane.

You are not the contents of your wallet.

[frogerina 0]

Today was a better day for jumping. Sun was shining, winds light and variable -- in other words, none of my excuses to myself could hold any water (and I'm unable to jump this weekend, as I have to go out of town). So I headed up to the DZ and got a couple jumps in.

Cat H is still not my friend (just call me the perpetual student...). Got some small improvements in my tracking, and the beginning feel of a swoop. The head AFFI noticed my frustration, and suggested taking me on a no stress Cat G jump, really processing body position etc. Had a fine, stable exit, and got some work done in the sky today. Also improved my fall rate! Still not a thing of beauty (then again, this is the girl who flunked 7th grade gym...and not from lack of trying). Being able to slow it down was very helpful...and, although I didn't make tons of progress on my freefall skills acquisition today, I did get to remember the feeling that draws me back there again and again, to keep trying. I just have to remember this is not a race. Instead, I can concentrate on what it feels like when I go "down the hill" stable, on learning how to fly my body (with an occasional case of "your OTHER left!") and the joy I find every time under canopy.

The coaches are encouraging, promising me that one day it will just click. I am waiting for that day! In the meantime, may they keep their patience as saints.

[BigMikeH77 0]

Do you have a tunnel nearby?

[mrubin 0]

frogerina

The coaches are encouraging, promising me that one day it will just click. I am waiting for that day! In the meantime, may they keep their patience as saints.

One day it will click and that is an amazing feeling. Then you get to start working on the next skill that hasn't clicked yet. We are all always learning in this sport and mastering one skill means we get to start working on another. So take your time and have fun. As long as you are skydiving, you will be learning, so why rush it? Enjoy the ride.

Also, things started clicking faster for me when I started doing yoga. The extra awareness of my body position that I learned in yoga helped a lot in freefall.

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

[DrDom 0]

Be a student as long as you can. The more you learn, the better you will be. Remember tiy have your whole life to be licensed... But only a short time to learn.

You are not the contents of your wallet.

[dkvkb 2]

Glad to hear you had a better day.

[malooper 0]

frogerina

I just have to remember this is not a race.

I have to do the same. There's a handful of us students that seem to be in "crunch time" mode and stressing ourselves out. You're exactly right, it's not a race. Sure, it'd be great to get things done quickly but our ultimate goal should be competency not speed. Plus, that added pressure is probably not conducive to a relaxed position! It's why I think I failed level 7 the first time. I was worried I was going to fail, it was the last load I think of the day and I was hoping to pass so I could attend a canopy class I needed for my license the next weekend, the cost, etc. Way too much and so I failed. That's when I realized how much pressure I was placing on myself. It certainly wasn't coming from my instructors!

frogerina

The coaches are encouraging, promising me that one day it will just click. I am waiting for that day! In the meantime, may they keep their patience as saints.

I've been encouraged by your perseverance and we're all cheering for you! Hang in there and have fun!

Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.
-Raymond Lindquist