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Berbesol

Ever had a student not be affected/excited by skydiving?

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I just went skydiving, was really looking forward to the experience all week.

When I finally get there, I just get super calm. Even as we flew up to 10,000 feet, my heart rate didn't increase or anything. I didn't get nervous or care at all.

Jumped out, but didn't get any adrenaline or endorphin or dopamine rush. Really disappointing. I mean it was fun, I guess, but why didn't I feel anything?

Do I just have nerves of steel? Did the military teach me to deal with stress well?

Or is this somewhat normal?

Maybe BASE jumping would be more exciting?

Or maybe if I get to jump by myself and from a higher altitude and could let the parachute out later I could have more fun?

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Berbesol

I just went skydiving, was really looking forward to the experience all week.

When I finally get there, I just get super calm. Even as we flew up to 10,000 feet, my heart rate didn't increase or anything. I didn't get nervous or care at all.

Jumped out, but didn't get any adrenaline or endorphin or dopamine rush. Really disappointing. I mean it was fun, I guess, but why didn't I feel anything?

Do I just have nerves of steel? Did the military teach me to deal with stress well?

Or is this somewhat normal?

Maybe BASE jumping would be more exciting?

Or maybe if I get to jump by myself and from a higher altitude and could let the parachute out later I could have more fun?



I'm goin' with the 'nerves of steel' thing...B|










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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It depends on the person. I've seen students get so worked up that they puke, and students who seem pretty unfazed by the whole thing.

Possibility 1 - you have a neurological disorder that is affecting your cholinergic system. Pretty unlikely. ;)

Possibility 2 - If you're focusing on what you've learnt, sometimes that single-minded focus can block out external stimulii. For others who may have been thinking about jumping for many years, the reality never matches the fantasy or expectation they've built up.

Possibility 3 - Skydiving just doesn't push your buttons. That's fine. Find something that does. :)

Edit:

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Or maybe if I get to jump by myself and from a higher altitude and could let the parachute out later I could have more fun?



You may be the type of person who equates dangerous with fun. If that's the case, then yes - you might be better doing a solo sport, purely to reduce the risk of you around other people. Having said that, no sport I know of wants someone with that sort of attitude around - the cleanup's a bitch. :D

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I've had tandem students that didn't seem to be phased by the experience at all. I just figured its not their thing, since usually these people had been given a gift certificate or it was some sort surprise.

I didn't personally get super exited until I got to freefall ( I started with static line) and even then on the second freefall jump I was already fairly relax i.e. no massive reaction, shouting, adrenaline rush, hands shaking etc. The next super exited jump I think was the first wing suit jump, then the first terminal BASE and then the first wingsuit BASE and so on.
Your rights end where my feelings begin.

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More altitude to 13,500 ft won't change the experience much.

However, being solo might change your experience. Tandem has quite the "amusement park ride" feel. Solo is a WHOLE different animal. For example, I joke that I can tell whether first-jump students in the landing pattern are tandem or AFF by the sound. Tandems are often whooping and hollering, AFF are almost entirely silent. The AFF first-jump students are quietly saying to themselves "Oh shit! This is gonna hurt! Oh shit! Oh shit!"
The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

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Was it a tandem? I've seen a couple people post here that tandem jumps were underwhelming (And a manager I know said the same thing) but the ones who go on to do AFF seem to find that more exciting.

Or maybe there's just something about you where skydiving just doesn't do it for you. Before I started doing this I'd do low(ish) buy-in poker tournaments on some weekends. I'd get a good adrenaline rush going all in on a flush draw. If that doesn't work, you might just need something a little more extreme. Does not constitute personal adventure lifestyle advice! :P

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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Okay, so I got some varying opinions.

Some say that this is perhaps just a normal reaction. Not all people are the same--some react to skydiving by expressing their emotions outwardly, while others remain stoic

Some have gone as far as to say that perhaps I just have "nerves of steel"

Other's say to go ahead and experience some extra danger if that is what does it for me

Still others say that perhaps the amusement park feel to the whole tandem jump thing made it so I couldn't feel the exhilaration, and perhaps I should try to go solo

Some (yoink) say to not bother the real sportsmen because they wouldn't want me around, and that I may even have a neurological disorder (however unlikely)


These are all valid points and I will consider them.

I am open to any other suggestions/opinions, if someone else would like to chime in!

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Berbesol


Some (yoink) say to not bother the real sportsmen because they wouldn't want me around, and that I may even have a neurological disorder (however unlikely)




Ok. I feel I may need to clarify - text based communication being open to misinterpretation as it is..


Firstly - I have a degree in neuroscience. I don't think you have any sort of neurological disorder. I apologize for the poorly made joke unreservedly.


Secondly - I never said anything about 'real sportsmen' or implied that you weren't welcome.

Some people get off on dangerous situations more than others- there's no judgement implied in that, it's a physiological fact.
What constitutes 'dangerous' is as individual as what constitutes 'beauty'. Some people (many AFF graduates for example), feel that exiting a plane at 3,500ft is supremely dangerous and have that adrenaline rush you're looking for from that. Others (maybe you - I've no idea) consider 1000ft to be fine.
The point is, that whatever floats your boat that there is an acceptable level of risk for the commercial sport of skydiving that is defined by the rules we adhere to. If you can find excitement within those, and that excitement drives you, then fantastic. You'll be happy.
But if your excitement requires something that falls outside of those boundaries, then you should find something else to do and not burden everyone else with your need for that high.


Remember - you came on here asking an answer to a question only YOU can really answer.

Was the jump you did a Tandem or AFF one?
If it was tandem, I'd recommend doing an AFF jump and going from there. If if was an AFF one, I'd say you need to make a decision - is 'fun - I guess' enough? If so - keep jumping. If not, move on.

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Well I apologize.

I was being somewhat facetious, and more than a little sarcastic when I summarized your post by only mentioning the two points you made that could be construed as offensive. Along with the unintentionally condescending/offensive points, you also made some good points (and I considered them.)

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Remember - you came on here asking an answer to a question only YOU can really answer.

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Some have gone as far as to say that perhaps I just have "nerves of steel"



Though it may appear a flippant remark, I'm serious!

Perhaps 'nerves of steel' isn't really an accurate representation of what you (and I) mean...but I get where you're coming from.

I don't think I necessarily 'experience' the same kind of fear in Skydiving, the same way some other people do...It's just kind of an emotion that gets dealt with like any other.

I know what fear is...heck I'm married to a Redhead! :)


I didn't ever seem as 'fearful' as others I started jumping with, I saw the sport more as a challenge to be mastered.

Maybe you should be looking at it in a different light...B|

It's an amazing sport, it attracts different people for different reasons. The idea that 'we' do it to experience & conquer 'fear' isn't necessarily correct.

It offers some definite challenges in an extremely dynamic environment, and there are serious consequences for gettin' it wrong.

I do it because it 'demands' 100% attention and commitment while I'm there...there is deep satisfaction in doing it right and in doing it well.

I get to perform professional demonstration jumps at the highest level all over the country, the planning & execution of those jumps requires unbelievable attention to even the most minute detail...the challenge is being prepared in ALL aspects, the exhilaration I get from doing it has nothing to do with fear or apprehension, the 'reward' is success.

Try goin' AFF and working toward a license...you just may find something you weren't looking for or didn't expect.
B|


Oh...and no disrespect meant, but from some 'purest' point of view you didn't actually go 'Skydiving' - you went as a passenger on a Tandem jump.;):ph34r:










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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Oh...and no disrespect meant, but from some 'purest' point of view you didn't actually go 'Skydiving' - you went as a passenger on a Tandem jump.



EXCELLENT! I didn't even go skydiving yet! I need to do more jumps and get my license and jump by myself before I know if skydiving will elicit a sense of exhilaration!

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This is a common misunderstanding about this sport... most of the people thinks that skydiving is all about the adrenaline, and having crazy jumps, having your heart beating at 200, etc etc...

For me, skydiving is more relaxing than anything else.. aff course, I really enjoy doing my exits, freefall, belly formations, etc etc.. all of this are really fun and 100% of the time I'm very excited, but that adrenaline feeling, is not there everytime.. instead, my mind and body are just free, and it's 50secs of my life that I'm feeling really good with myself!!

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Berbesol

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Oh...and no disrespect meant, but from some 'purest' point of view you didn't actually go 'Skydiving' - you went as a passenger on a Tandem jump.



EXCELLENT! I didn't even go skydiving yet! I need to do more jumps and get my license and jump by myself before I know if skydiving will elicit a sense of exhilaration!


Yup...pretty much. :ph34r:










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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It's an amazing sport, it attracts different people for different reasons. The idea that 'we' do it to experience & conquer 'fear' isn't necessarily correct.

It offers some definite challenges in an extremely dynamic environment, and there are serious consequences for gettin' it wrong.

I do it because it 'demands' 100% attention and commitment while I'm there...there is deep satisfaction in doing it right and in doing it well.



++ to what Airtwardo says. And, it doesn't have to be heart pounding to be rewarding. Learning, doing, learning some more is what I enjoy. Challenging is fun for me.
Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

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heh, go see the doctor, your adrenal glands have stopped functioning :P

your lack of reaction is kinda odd, but understandable if you were a bomb disposal tech or sumpin :D

out of all the students I have thrown out the door I had one that had a reaction like yours, she was like ... "is that it?"
her husband called the next day to let me know the adrenaline hit her later that night :)


Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

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Berbesol

I just went skydiving, was really looking forward to the experience all week.

When I finally get there, I just get super calm. Even as we flew up to 10,000 feet, my heart rate didn't increase or anything. I didn't get nervous or care at all.

Jumped out, but didn't get any adrenaline or endorphin or dopamine rush. Really disappointing. I mean it was fun, I guess, but why didn't I feel anything?

Do I just have nerves of steel? Did the military teach me to deal with stress well?

Or is this somewhat normal?

Maybe BASE jumping would be more exciting?

Or maybe if I get to jump by myself and from a higher altitude and could let the parachute out later I could have more fun?




I had a similar experience. it wasn't until jump #7 that I understood what all the fuss was about.
I cadenced my AFF jumps and was VERY task oriented. Whilst I physically left the plane I would not say I was "skydiving", I was more so just drilling what I was told to. Not actually "being in the moment".
My 1st solo was jump 7 after six AFF jumps, when i didn’t have any instructors to perform to, I actually experienced the skydive for the 1st time.
You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

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Perhaps the original poster was not seriously considering the ramifications of the results of a skydive gone wrong. As a pilot, I see blissfully ignorant passengers all the time. I guess such a mindset makes for a better experience than what the "worryiers" may feel (as long as things proceed per the plan, of course)...

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Berbesol

I just went skydiving, was really looking forward to the experience all week.

When I finally get there, I just get super calm. Even as we flew up to 10,000 feet, my heart rate didn't increase or anything. I didn't get nervous or care at all.

Jumped out, but didn't get any adrenaline or endorphin or dopamine rush. Really disappointing. I mean it was fun, I guess, but why didn't I feel anything?



I didn't really get any adrenaline rush with my tandem jump either and wasn't really sure what all the fuss was about. My first AFF jump changed all that dramatically :D.
It's a completely different perspective because you have much more responsibility for the whole process. Even if you ended up having an instructor pull the pilot chute for you, you would still need to land the canopy yourself.

To use a car analogy, it's a bit like the difference between being a passenger in a sports car being driven by a racing driver, and being the driver of the car yourself with an instructor beside you. The instructor can give you some assistance with steering and some advice, but essentially you are in control and you have to do the actual manoeuvres yourself.
A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

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My brother went on my second tandem with me. He was completely unphased. If I remember correctly his comment was "meh. That was cool...I'd do it again."

It just did not float his boat and he's not the adrenaline junkie type. It's somewhat rare to see that response, but whatever, I always thought dude was weird. :ph34r:

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You could try to.......

Jump without a rig and hook up with your buddy in mid air.
Land a wingsuit
Head down 8way formation from Kjerag
HALO with Felix
100Ft PCA
Fly a 39 cross brased
Attend WFFC party
Join the 1000Ft club, where you are terminal and only open below 1000Ft on your main.


If you don't get a rush from one of these........uhm, then try chess against a computer at 03:00 in the morning. Now that is serious shit. B|

You have the right to your opinion, and I have the right to tell you how Fu***** stupid it is.
Davelepka - "This isn't an x-box, or a Chevy truck forum"
Whatever you do, don't listen to ChrisD.

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GLIDEANGLE

More altitude to 13,500 ft won't change the experience much.

However, being solo might change your experience. Tandem has quite the "amusement park ride" feel. Solo is a WHOLE different animal. For example, I joke that I can tell whether first-jump students in the landing pattern are tandem or AFF by the sound. Tandems are often whooping and hollering, AFF are almost entirely silent. The AFF first-jump students are quietly saying to themselves "Oh shit! This is gonna hurt! Oh shit! Oh shit!"





As a just passed AFF student i,ll second that "Oh shit !!"

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I didn't have that real 'fear factor' until my fourth static-line jump.
I was trained jumping from a cessna 206. During my first three jumps there were few of no clouds and hardly any wind. Jumping was simply fun and all was well.

During my fourth jump, I was jumping from a Cessna 182 for the frist time (different exit), there were many clouds and (for a student) high winds. In addition to that, a 182 climbs a lot slowerr than a trubine 206 so I had more than enough time to get extra nervous.
I remember that I was scared almost shitless when we got above the clouds and thought that I'd just stay in the plane and ride it back down. Then the door opened and when my JM gave the signal I took a deep breath and forced myself to climb out under the wing. I looked at my JM, almost in a total panic now and felt my cheek flap in the wind. That surprised me and made me laugh... My fear was gone, I made a great exit and went on to make over three hundred jumps from that very same plane.
"That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport."
~mom

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I didn't get any kind of nerves until my 3rd AFF jump and it went by the 6th (I still get a inner voice of caution). Now that that energy is just excitement. For me the sport has just got better and better as I've done more and got involved with more experienced people.

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