Does skydiving ever get boring?

[flycoop 0]

I've gone on 2 tandem jumps and planning on getting my A-license next spring. I tend to jump into a passion 100% and then I get bored of them very quickly. Is it even possible skydiving could end up like this to some people?

[airdvr 197]

I was the same as you. It can get repetitive if you let it, but it will hold your attention much longer than anything else.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[catfishhunter 1]

people that aren't outgoing and willing to extend themselves tend to fade away as jumping alone does get boring fast. Don't be afraid to ask people to go jump with you. Until you get quite a few jumps under your belts ask up jumpers to go and make a 2 or 3 way with you. Bring lots of Beer or for us non drinkers gatorade or bottled water works especially on hot summer days
Most importantly don't be THAT GUY..Listen twice as much as you talk and you will learn a lot but more importantly you will have fu!

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[ManagingPrime 0]

catfishhunter

people that aren't outgoing and willing to extend themselves tend to fade away...

I disagree with that statement to a degree and think it is thrown around a little to much, it gives the impression that you have to be the life of the party type to fit in at a DZ. I'm not particularly outgoing or all that keen on extending myself. However, you are right that jumping alone gets boring real fast so you have to find others to jump with.

Even with other people to jump with I've had bouts of boredom in skydiving. At first I had no interest in any kind of discipline, that lead, IMHO, to me reaching a plateau where I stopped progressing. I realized that and now I'm taking interests in particular disciplines and that focus has helped me start progressing again...it's that constant progression that keeps skydiving from getting boring for me...and I suspect it's the same for others.

Agreed on the "that guy" bit. You've got to listen and learn to be a safe skydiver. I don't care if someone is fresh off their A and they have zero personality, no beer and/or any other graft...I'm down to jump, that said...I'm not down to jump with someone, no matter how many jumps they have, who I think might pose a safety risk.

$0.01

[muff528 3]

It has its ups and downs.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

Ohhhh, Muff that's just atrocious!

Heh heh heh. Anywhoo, it's so variable depending on the person it's hard to tell. It seems like a lot of students don't even make it to graduation before they lose interest -- Of the 13 in my class I've only ever seen 1 other guy again after that day, and he just finished his AFF training recently. One of the instructors I talked to told me he nearly went mad from boredom after getting his A license. If someone's organizing a big-way jump at the DZ now, it's probably that guy.

They talk about the "new skydiver blues" right after you get your license and aren't doing coach jumps anymore. I never really got those -- I have a clear goal I'm working toward that helped me stay focused. I'm fine jumping alone, but it's more fun with friends. I have a few friends who have less experience who I jump with on a regular basis and like to help them with stuff that newer guys always seem to worry about (Like tracking and fall speed control.) The funny thing is, they always say they suck at tracking because they did it maybe two or three times while focusing on other objectives in coach jumps and then I take them on a tracking jump and they can all cover more ground than I can! One guy, I'm pretty sure if he got a tracking suit he'd be able to flock with me when my wingsuit arrives.

If you want to avoid it I'd say have objectives or have a few friends to jump with. The guys who I do see around regularly and the new skydivers who are still skydiving all seem to do this.

Or you could just do it for a while and see if you continue to enjoy it (Don't buy gear until you know!) It's not like anyone's ever forcing you to go the DZ or not go to the DZ.

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

[Boomerdog 0]

Nope!
One jump is too many and several thousand not enough!

[gowlerk 1,903]

People who keep growing and learning stay in the sport. If you don't have goals you will lose interest. Especially important is to work toward coach and instructor ratings. No matter how much you learn there is always more. Individual jumps can get boring, but that is only part of the story.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[labrys 0]

Quote

Is it even possible skydiving could end up like this to some people?

I know a couple of people who show up once or twice a year at the DZ and open high, take a long canopy flight, and then disappear after they land. I might think that's boring when they think that it's the best thing they do all year.

Those guys are exiting way, way after other people and not causing exit separation issues. They're landing way, way after other people and not causing landing issues.

And they're having fun. They have a purpose and a goal.

What I try to remember is that almost anything is boring if you keep doing it over and over just because you can and don't have goals and you weren't really interested in the first place other than to have crossed something off a list.

My point is, anything can be boring if you don't have a purpose. Their purpose is to get into the air and fly and it's not boring to them.

If that's the only thing I did, I'd get bored... but I jump because I enjoy doing new things and learning new things. Keeps me from getting bored. Mileage varies.

Owned by Remi #?

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

If one discipline gets boring... try a new one:

Bellyflying
---Team or Big Way
Freeflying
---Team or Big Way
Wingsuiting
Style and Accuracy
CReW
---Team or Big Way
Swooping
Camera
Speedflying
Demos
Instructing
---SL, IAD, Tandem, AFF, Coach, Examiner.

If you get bored.... it is your own damned fault!

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[dzswoop717 5]

No one has mentioned a natural call to the sky. Any jump is good to me. I love being in the sky. It never gets boring because I am in my element when I am in the sky. All of my hobbies involve flight, ultralights, skydiving, traveling in my Cessna or flying RC planes. I am addicted to flight. I can't get bored, it is who I am. I can't relate to someone who says they are bored when skydiving, they must not have it in their blood like some of us. I can honestly say that in 35 years of jumping and my entire 51 years of life in aviation, I have never been bored Skydiving. I love every second of every jump! A lot of people don't take the time to cherrish every second of a jump for the wonderful thing that it is, and these are the people who take it for granted and say that they are bored. I can't get bored, I see and experience something new every time I escape the bond to earth and venture skyward on my next aerial adventure.

[JohnnyMarko 1]

You sound like me....fall in love with one thing, go all out, get bored, move on...

You name it, I've done it...minus anything ocean related...I hate the ocean...

Got into jumping in college, got licensed, had my fun, sold all my gear to fund new hobbies like I always do, haven't jumped in over a year...I plan on getting back into it this Spring though...I miss the sky, nothing like it...see you in March, Mile-Hi Skydiving

ETA: DON'T SELL YOUR GEAR. Worst decision I ever made.

[pms07 3]

NO!

[malooper 0]

ManagingPrime

At first I had no interest in any kind of discipline, that lead, IMHO, to me reaching a plateau where I stopped progressing.

As a newbie myself, one level away from completing AFF, I can say that I don't have any interest in the disciplines really yet. I'm concentrating on AFF and my license next but would you suggest pursuing a discipline soon after getting your A license? I've seen CRW in action and stories from those who use wingsuits and other disciplines but to me my cautious nature is screaming "You're already throwing yourself out of a plane, why on earth would you attempt that?!" So I'm thinking I'll be content to just jump with friends but after reading these posts…

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

[JohnMitchell 14]

I think being a weekend jumper has kept me from burning out. And there's a variety of things I like to do, from working with students, doing tandems, wingsuiting and just bellyflying with friends. Some days I'm satiated before sundown, but rarely before 5 o'clock.

And some days in the sky are just so amazing you feel bad for all the people that never experience what we do.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

malooper

As a newbie myself, one level away from completing AFF, I can say that I don't have any interest in the disciplines really yet. I'm concentrating on AFF and my license next but would you suggest pursuing a discipline soon after getting your A license? I've seen CRW in action and stories from those who use wingsuits and other disciplines but to me my cautious nature is screaming "You're already throwing yourself out of a plane, why on earth would you attempt that?!" So I'm thinking I'll be content to just jump with friends but after reading these posts…

I kind of felt like I was being rushed into freeflying in the tunnel. I told my instructor I wanted to take it easy and get really solid on my belly before doing anything else. He showed me the mantis position you see a lot of tunnel instructors using and I'm working on maintaining that when I'm distracted. I always seem to revert back to box. I spent some time learning side-sliding, intentionally sliding forward and backwards and a lot of fall rate control. I feel like I'd have missed all that stuff if I'd gone rushing into freeflying.

Which isn't to say I haven't experimented with it a bit -- I do have about 10 minutes of backflying in the tunnel and am starting to feel cautiously confident about it. Another 10 minutes or so of that and I'll probably be ready to give sit flying a try.

There's quite a lot you can learn on your belly, though, not to mention tracking. You do almost no tracking in AFF! 5 seconds of forward motion and then stopping does not count! I'm talking about burning a trail in the sky a mile long and opening half a mile from jump run! You don't do that in your coach jumps either. That's more fun with friends too -- much easier to judge how well everyone's doing relative to the formation.

There's a lot to learn, on your belly or otherwise. The first time you match speeds with a new skydiver and get docked up, the look on their face is priceless. Especially if they're one of the faster-falling guys who had trouble in the docking exercises with their coaches. Like someone else said, if you get bored it's your fault.

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

[flycoop 0]

Thanks for all the replies, it made me feel a lot better about the decision I'm making. I will for sure take up a discipline once I'm confident in the basics.

[NWFlyer 2]

JohnMitchell

I think being a weekend jumper has kept me from burning out. And there's a variety of things I like to do, from working with students, doing tandems, wingsuiting and just bellyflying with friends. Some days I'm satiated before sundown, but rarely before 5 o'clock.

And some days in the sky are just so amazing you feel bad for all the people that never experience what we do.

Yep, I agree with the weekend part, especially. Keeping skydiving as part of a balanced life has helped me to not get burned out or bored. In even my (relatively short) 9 years in the sport I've seen a lot of people hit it HARD for 2-3 years and poof, they're gone from the sport, moving on to something else, burned out, or trying to find some "rush" somewhere else. They'll probably keep looking for a long 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

[flycoop 0]

I'll be a weekend jumper as well so thats good to hear! I have 2 younger children and a wife at home so "balance" is the key to my life. I finally realized it's okay to do somethings just for myself once in awhile that make me happy. I decided to stop dreaming and start doing.

[JohnMitchell 14]

flycoop

I finally realized it's okay to do somethings just for myself once in awhile that make me happy. I decided to stop dreaming and start doing.

The best thing kids can have is happy parents.
With that said, how does your wife feel about you jumping?

[GooniesKid 0]

catfishhunter

people that aren't outgoing and willing to extend themselves tend to fade away as jumping alone does get boring fast. Don't be afraid to ask people to go jump with you. Until you get quite a few jumps under your belts ask up jumpers to go and make a 2 or 3 way with you. Bring lots of Beer or for us non drinkers gatorade or bottled water works especially on hot summer days
Most importantly don't be THAT GUY..Listen twice as much as you talk and you will learn a lot but more importantly you will have fu!

man, no wonder i'm gettin bored of this sport..no one ever wants to jump with me

[stayhigh 2]

start base jumping?

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

GooniesKid

man, no wonder i'm gettin bored of this sport..no one ever wants to jump with me

Just weasel your ways into their groups. Find like 3 people, say "What are you doing?" and whatever they say, say "Mind if I join you?" That works great, at least until they get wise to you! I often have two or three guys weasel their way into my jumps, and they're welcome! I keep feeling like one of these days I'm going to end up being a regular 9-way tracking dive leader!

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

[imdskydiver 0]

Yes it does!

[dkvkb 2]

***No one has mentioned a natural call to the sky.

There really is such a thing? One time I posted that I felt like I belonged in the sky, went back & read it again & thought it sounded so ridiculous, I deleted it. I have done 4 tandems and one "accidental solo". I will start the AFF again next week!